South Hadley Children's Chorus seeks new members

Date: 8/25/2010

Aug. 25, 2010

By Lori Szepelak

Correspondent

SOUTH HADLEY -- The final round of auditions for the South Hadley Children's Chorus will take place Sept. 1 at Center Congregational Church.

Cathy Melhorn, chorus director, will conduct 10-minute sessions from 4 to 6 p.m. for boys (with unchanged voices) and girls, ages seven to 14.

"We're hoping to expand the chorus, which presently numbers about 30 children from many Pioneer Valley towns, from public and parochial schools and home school situations," Melhorn said during an interview with Reminder Publications.

The chorus will rehearse on Wednesday afternoons from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. at the church, beginning Sept. 8.

Melhorn noted she has a busy year planned for the chorus, with concerts in Amherst, Northampton, Belchertown, South Hadley, Chicopee and Holyoke.

"These are kids who simply like to sing, especially in the company of other children," Melhorn said. "Our songs -- some in languages other than English and mostly secular -- are drawn from a variety of cultural traditions."

Melhorn added that the children in the chorus grow musically, but also in terms of self-confidence, poise, self-control and sharpened memory.

"Parents should be impressed by a recent Chorus America study, which shows that children who sing in a community, school or church choir achieve a higher degree of academic success, and become remarkably good citizens as adults, volunteering in their communities, taking leadership roles, supporting the arts, and being good team members at work and at home," she said.

For more information or to sign up for a 10-minute session, contact Melhorn at 548-1098 or via e-mail to cmelhorn@mtholyoke.edu.

"This year older children are especially encouraged to audition for the chorus, to join a special group of more experienced singers occasionally performing their own, more challenging repertoire," Melhorn added.