Costa choirs to perform at Carnegie Hall

Friday, February 26, 2010
By Sean Yates
News Editor

The Mira Costa vocal ensemble will perform at New York City’s Carnegie Hall in spring 2011 as part of the Hall’s annual festival program.

The group will perform with other choirs in a major choral work with an orchestra and give a solo performance.

“As part of touring we will have rehearsals with the other choirs and alone,” choir director Michael Hayden said. “There will also be chances to see Broadway shows and attend operas.”

Some singers not in vocal ensemble will still attend the New York tour; they just will not sing at the Hall itself. This group will be called the festival choir.

Many senior members of this year’s vocal ensemble say they were disappointed to hear that they would not go on the trip their hard work had made possible.

“It’s a major disappointment to not go to Carnegie Hall, but I take solace in the fact that it will do wonders for the choir program,” said vocal ensemble member and senior Kellen Kartub.

The choir is also considering a summer trip to Greece, which will allow the seniors of vocal ensemble to have a last trip. The two-week trip would include participation in a music festival.

“Most choirs received the invitation to Greece a year ahead, but we’re finding out six  months before,” Hayden said.

Funding will be a major concern for both of these trips. The choir will have to pay for these trips on top of the typical cost of maintaining the choir program.

“I’m really excited about going to Greece, and I hope that the community will step up and help us raise the money that we will need  to make the trip possible,” senior Emily Wibberly said.

The choir program already received over $10,000 in donations specifically for the Greece trip.

“We’re looking at two opportunities within eight months that require fundraising. Hopefully,  we can go to both,” Hayden said.

The choir prowgram considers the invitations to both New York and Greece to be great honors.

“Touring for me is a privilege.  It’s not an entitlement. My expectations for the trip are huge,” Hayden said.