Purdy Eagles soar to new heights with Carnegie Hall performance
On June 10, members of the Purdy High School choir will travel to Carnegie Hall in New York City, New York, to perform alongside choirs from both Missouri and Texas under the direction of Dr. David Sharlow, associate professor of music and director of choral activities for MSSU. Pictured above, members of the Purdy Vocal Music Department. Front row, from left to right: Shana Whisman, Joy Grace, Jaden Morgan, Haylie Harris and Haylea Hughlett. Middle row: Tatum Burt, Jaci Moore, Makenna Orwig, Danielle Reed, Bayleigh Robbins and Caitlin Brown. Back row: Payton Crumpler, Kinsley Mattingly, Drew Graham, Elizabeth Hoffman and Aubree Bennett.
May 22, 2019
Vinnie Roberts
Since July 2018, Purdy vocal music director Lauren Lee and her students have been working around the clock to raise money in order to fund the trip of a lifetime. The students were invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City. As of May, the choir raised enough funds to make this trip a reality.
On June 10, Purdy’s choir will perform with three other choirs: the Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) chorale, from Joplin; the Houston Masterworks Chorus, from Houston, Tex.; and the Southern Symphonic Chorus, from Joplin. The combined choir will feature more than 100 voices performing John Rutter’s “Requiem."
The Purdy Choir will also be accompanied by a full orchestra during the event. Lee explained that this production, massive in scale, is enough to get anyone already interested in vocal music excited.
“It’s absolutely gorgeous,” said Lee. “To be able to be accompanied by the New England Symphonic Orchestra is amazing. I’ve had that opportunity a couple of times. Piano is beautiful, but to have full orchestral accompaniment gives me chills.”
This is part of MidAmerica Productions’ 36th annual concert season. MidAmerica Productions is a company that recruits conductors, soloists, choral and instrumental ensembles from all over the US and abroad to perform at New York’s top venues.
The idea for the trip began to circulate at the end of the 2018 school year, according to Lee.
“Back in spring of 2018, I got an email from the Missouri Southern Choral Director [Dr. David Sharlow] saying that he was selected to direct ‘Requiem’.”
Lee went on to explain her excitement, not only for her students but also herself, at the prospect of getting to perform at one of the world’s most famous venues.
“I am overwhelmed and so excited for these students,” said Lee. “I think they think they know what this is going to be like, but this is an experience for them unlike anything else. Even if they go to choral music in college, this is something that they’re going to look back on very fondly throughout the rest of their life. I am so excited that I was able to give these students the opportunity to go.
“Just watching a show at Carnegie Hall would be on my bucket list, but being able to perform with my students on Carnegie Hall stage is even more than I thought I could possibly ever do.”
Preparations for the trip have been a year-long endeavor with Lee and her students working heavily with the school to not only ensure their own readiness for the performance but also ensure that the funding was in place to transport and house students and chaperones during the trip.
“We started fundraising in July of 2018. We started weekly rehearsals back in February and do them every Friday. We’ll have a couple more after school is out to prepare the music which will let us be able to walk in and feel like we know what we’re doing.”
In order to fund the trip, the choir had to raise a combined total of approximately $65,000. This number roughly translates to $2,600 per person with 14 students and 11 adults making the trip. Through multiple school-sponsored fundraising events, the group has nearly reached their goal.
“We have done a little bit of everything,” said Lee. “We have baked and sold so many cookies, I can’t even tell you.”
In order to fund the trip, the school, as well as several private organizations, have put on fundraising efforts, such as: bake sales, a zombie run, the Christmas Town event that was hosted at The Gathering Place in Purdy after last year’s Christmas Parade, the murder mystery dinner theater production of “Dewey and the Dastardly Damsels,” and several raffle events. Most of the above events were either staffed by, attended by, or put together by members of the Purdy Choir with help from the community and school.
"These kids have worked really hard to make this happen,” said Lee.
The Purdy Choir will make their way to New York in early June. According to Lee, they will spend June 7 and 8 rehearsing with the other choirs in order to get a sense of the scope of the overall performance, before a dress rehearsal and full performance at 8 p.m. on June 10.
The combined Purdy, Joplin and Texas choirs will perform at 8 p.m. on June 10 with several other choirs and orchestras from across the country performing before them. Dr. David Sharlow, associate professor of music and director of choral activities for MSSU, will direct the show. Dr. Sharlow is also the director of the Southern Symphonic Chorus.
The concert is to be held in the Issac Stern Auditorium/Ronald O. Perelman Stage. Cost for tickets ranges from $50 to $150 depending on the quality of the seating. For information on tickets, contact CarnegieCharge at (212) 247-7800, or go online to www.carnegiehall.org. For more information, contact [email protected].
Vinnie Roberts
Since July 2018, Purdy vocal music director Lauren Lee and her students have been working around the clock to raise money in order to fund the trip of a lifetime. The students were invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City. As of May, the choir raised enough funds to make this trip a reality.
On June 10, Purdy’s choir will perform with three other choirs: the Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) chorale, from Joplin; the Houston Masterworks Chorus, from Houston, Tex.; and the Southern Symphonic Chorus, from Joplin. The combined choir will feature more than 100 voices performing John Rutter’s “Requiem."
The Purdy Choir will also be accompanied by a full orchestra during the event. Lee explained that this production, massive in scale, is enough to get anyone already interested in vocal music excited.
“It’s absolutely gorgeous,” said Lee. “To be able to be accompanied by the New England Symphonic Orchestra is amazing. I’ve had that opportunity a couple of times. Piano is beautiful, but to have full orchestral accompaniment gives me chills.”
This is part of MidAmerica Productions’ 36th annual concert season. MidAmerica Productions is a company that recruits conductors, soloists, choral and instrumental ensembles from all over the US and abroad to perform at New York’s top venues.
The idea for the trip began to circulate at the end of the 2018 school year, according to Lee.
“Back in spring of 2018, I got an email from the Missouri Southern Choral Director [Dr. David Sharlow] saying that he was selected to direct ‘Requiem’.”
Lee went on to explain her excitement, not only for her students but also herself, at the prospect of getting to perform at one of the world’s most famous venues.
“I am overwhelmed and so excited for these students,” said Lee. “I think they think they know what this is going to be like, but this is an experience for them unlike anything else. Even if they go to choral music in college, this is something that they’re going to look back on very fondly throughout the rest of their life. I am so excited that I was able to give these students the opportunity to go.
“Just watching a show at Carnegie Hall would be on my bucket list, but being able to perform with my students on Carnegie Hall stage is even more than I thought I could possibly ever do.”
Preparations for the trip have been a year-long endeavor with Lee and her students working heavily with the school to not only ensure their own readiness for the performance but also ensure that the funding was in place to transport and house students and chaperones during the trip.
“We started fundraising in July of 2018. We started weekly rehearsals back in February and do them every Friday. We’ll have a couple more after school is out to prepare the music which will let us be able to walk in and feel like we know what we’re doing.”
In order to fund the trip, the choir had to raise a combined total of approximately $65,000. This number roughly translates to $2,600 per person with 14 students and 11 adults making the trip. Through multiple school-sponsored fundraising events, the group has nearly reached their goal.
“We have done a little bit of everything,” said Lee. “We have baked and sold so many cookies, I can’t even tell you.”
In order to fund the trip, the school, as well as several private organizations, have put on fundraising efforts, such as: bake sales, a zombie run, the Christmas Town event that was hosted at The Gathering Place in Purdy after last year’s Christmas Parade, the murder mystery dinner theater production of “Dewey and the Dastardly Damsels,” and several raffle events. Most of the above events were either staffed by, attended by, or put together by members of the Purdy Choir with help from the community and school.
"These kids have worked really hard to make this happen,” said Lee.
The Purdy Choir will make their way to New York in early June. According to Lee, they will spend June 7 and 8 rehearsing with the other choirs in order to get a sense of the scope of the overall performance, before a dress rehearsal and full performance at 8 p.m. on June 10.
The combined Purdy, Joplin and Texas choirs will perform at 8 p.m. on June 10 with several other choirs and orchestras from across the country performing before them. Dr. David Sharlow, associate professor of music and director of choral activities for MSSU, will direct the show. Dr. Sharlow is also the director of the Southern Symphonic Chorus.
The concert is to be held in the Issac Stern Auditorium/Ronald O. Perelman Stage. Cost for tickets ranges from $50 to $150 depending on the quality of the seating. For information on tickets, contact CarnegieCharge at (212) 247-7800, or go online to www.carnegiehall.org. For more information, contact [email protected].
