Savannah Phillips
Features Editor
Nearly 250 members of All-Carolina Select Choirs got a taste of college life and put on a concert during two-day event on campus.
Wingate University was bustling on Friday, Jan. 31, as the All-Carolina Select Choirs,
conducted by Dr. Nana Wolfe-Hill, director of choral activities, rehearsed for their
performance that would take place the following day on campus.
The choirs consisted of high-schoolers divided into two groups by grade range:
freshmen and sophomores in one choir, juniors and seniors in the other. The students rehearsed most of the afternoon, ate dinner in the dining hall, and attended a concert by Chicago-based trio Artemisia in the evening. On Saturday they rehearsed for about four more hours before performing a concert in McGee Theatre at 3 p.m.
All told, 240 high-school students took part, learning from clinicians Wolfe-Hill and Dr. Jabarie Glass, associate director of choral studies at the University of South Carolina.
“All the students are here because they’re advanced singers,” Wolfe-Hill said, “and
they’ve all prepared the music ahead of time. We’ve been rehearsing all day, and
they’re singing beautifully.” Junior music-education major Emma Buck was thrilled to volunteer to help out with the All-Carolina Select Choirs. “As a person going into education,” Buck said, “hearing them grow, even within a few hours, was really inspiring.”
Wingate alumnus Grant Logan (music education ’17), now a chorus teacher at St.
Stephens High School in Hickory, North Carolina, returned to Wingate for the event.
“I had an awesome group of music majors, and we had really close friendships,” Logan said as he reminisced about his undergraduate years. “One of my favorite things was the small class sizes and how we got to really know our professors.”
As he thought about his past performances, he looked to his student Hannah Hollar, a soprano. “I love bringing future students here to try the same thing,” he said, smiling. Hollar is planning on attending Wingate in the fall as a music education major. “I think I really am the most excited about learning stuff that I don’t already know,” Hollar said. “I love learning about music!”
“I am going to miss singing in such a huge choir,” Hollar said. “I think it’s so fulfilling to sing with such a huge group of people who are music nerds like you. And I think it’s so important.” Aleisa Baker, choral director at T.C. Roberson High School in Asheville, says she has had many students go on to enroll at Wingate thanks to this festival, which began in 2015.
“It’s a great experience for our students, especially our younger singers, to be able to come and be in a choir that is designated just for them,” Baker said. “Dr. Wolfe-Hill is really great about reaching out to our schools, and she encourages our students in many ways.”
With school back in full swing and the All-Carolina Select Choirs on campus, Wolfe-Hill had the idea to invite the Chicago-based female a capella trio Artemisia to perform at Wingate. Group members Diana Lawrence, Alexandra Olsavsky and Kaitlin Foley were “absolutely excited” to make the trip because they “love performing and doing educational things,” Wolfe-Hill explained.
A group of Wingate University singers who had auditioned the previous year were
invited to open for the trio at the lyceum. “I’m excited to collaborate with the trio and to sing with them,” said junior vocal-performance major Dakota Young.
After having performed three songs conducted by Wolfe-Hill, they were joined onstage by Artemisia. “We got to rehearse with them [Artemisia],” Wolfe-Hill said. “It’s always a team effort when you coordinate these kinds of concerts.”
Together, both groups performed “Ready or Not,” a song that was written by Lawrence in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Women’s Suffrage. Artemisia is known for singing to create change, and they want to give a voice to those who have been silenced throughout history, particularly women.
Artemisia’s concert, an Arts Lyceum held Friday night at 7 p.m. in McGee Theatre,
offered a unique musical experience to all those in attendance, and included a diverse genre of songs from their program “Suit and Tie.” The music from the program was “originally intended for groups of men,” Lawrence said. “We were like, what happens if we do it?”
“Circumventing expectations is something that we like to do as an ensemble,” Lawrence said, “and building programs of cool music.” Artemisia asked for audience participation during their songs “I’m Gonna Walk it With You”; “All Night,” written by group member Foley; and “I’m Listening,” written by Lawrence.
The whole theater came to life as students jumped at the chance to showcase their
musicality. Afterward, the trio welcomed attendees to socialize with them in the lobby.
Overall, the All-Carolina Select Choirs, filled with prospective students, were able to
have a “somewhat full experience of how it is to be a music student,” Young said. They got a glimpse of it – from eating in the dining hall, to working with professors, to performing onstage.
Learn more about Wingate’s music department.
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