Echo Performance 2016

The Glacier Echoes were honored to perform for the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce's Annual Banquet!

2016 AA Choir Festival

Flathead Valley music lovers will be treated to a grand affair to welcome in the holiday season, when three hundred voices present the Western Montana AA Choir Festival Concert at 5:00 pm on Tuesday, November 15, in the Glacier High School Performance Hall.

“This is an event that Kalispell has been waiting for – Bozeman, Missoula Big Sky, Flathead, Glacier and Helena High High School Concert Choirs joining together to make beautiful music, “ says Sandee Sauer, Glacier High School choir director.

Individual choir performances will open Tuesday afternoon’s concert. The choirs will then combine to present five choral masterworks under the direction of one of Seattle’s finest choral conductors, Dr. Geoffrey Boers. 

Geoffrey Boers is Director of Choral Activities at the University of Washington in Seattle, a program widely recognized as forward thinking, unique, and of great distinction. Under his direction, the graduate choral program has developed a singular mission: to nurture the whole student as conductor-teacher-servant-leader-scholar.  Through his teaching he is exploring the evolution of conducting gesture and rehearsal pedagogy and their connection with the emerging neuroscience of mirror neurons, empathy, perception, learning, and personal transformation. His exploration has led to new thoughts about conducting and teaching with regard to breath, movement, artistry, personal awareness, and cultural development..  He has developed mentorship programs across the United States and Canada. In addition to these thoughts about mentorship he is actively working with other leaders in ACDA and NAfME to develop a more unified and useful system for development of musicianship, assessment, adjudication, and repertoire grading.

The repertoire Dr. Boers has chosen includes John Rutter’s “Shepherd’s Pipe Carol,” Robert Schumann’s “Ziguenerleben” and “Flight Song” with music by Kim Andre’ Arnesen. The choirs will be accompanied by Debby Gardner.

 “The five choirs will rehearse for two days under Dr. Boer’s direction, and I expect that by Tuesday afternoon, the festival choir will be performing at a high level of polish and intensity,” says Jennifer Stephens, Flathead High School Choir Director.  Photos available here (thank you, Pete Sauer):AA Festival 2016