1^st Annual Co-Ed Youth in Harmony Festival

January 19, 2008

The weather was 30 degrees below wind chill as 120 of the 145 registered students arrived at the Osceola High School at 8:30 AM to register for the 1^st annual YIH Festival or an Adventure Day in Music. Kathy Lucken and Carolyn Ward of the Vallee de Croix Chorus, Jon Buss of the Indianhead men’s chorus, Warren Wilson from the Croix Chordsmen men’s chorus, and Vicki Salmon, the vocal teacher at Osceola High School spent several months planning for what turned out to be an incredible event.

Students had the privilege of working with two professors from the University of Wisconsin River Falls, and with Liz Turba, Associate Director of the Vallee de Croix Chorus and vocal teacher in the Osseo school district and Shawn Gudmunsen, vocal teacher from St. Croix Falls…with barbershop background. Added to that was the flair of choreographers Denise Baber and Pat Teorey, both choreographers for the Vallee de Croix Chorus, and coaches to quartets and choruses within Region 6 and the Land O Lakes men’s district. For many of the students, working with a choreographer was a first for them…and they loved it!!!

In additional to learning music separately, the boys and the girls joined voices to sing Doug Miller’s arrangement of “Harmony.” Doug very generously donated this piece for the festival and was also in the audience to hear the combined chorus at the 4:00 performance. 

A free-will performance was offered to the public and approximately 450 people came out (remember this is a very cold day here in Western Wisconsin). The performance included the individual choruses, the Registered Harmony quartet from the Indianhead Chorus, the Five Foot Four quartet from Vallee de Croix, the C.A.M.(L). quartet (an auditioned quartet from Osceola High School), Take Twelve, a 12-voice chorus from Osceola High School, and “Lida Rose“ done by the three quartets…with the finale of “Harmony” by the combined choruses.

All of the girls attending received one of the Young Women In Harmony CD’s plus a page of 5 tags…AND there were some students who did get together and attempt some of the tags, although time was at a premium that day.

Several announcements appeared in the area newspapers prior to the event, and two local newspapers were on hand to cover the event.

From all reports…the students loved it, and to say that the event organizers were thrilled with the results would be putting it mildly. We have planted many seeds!!!!

If anyone is interesting in learning how we set up this day, please email the Education Coordinator and she will get the message to me.

Submitted by Kathy Lucken * YWIH Coordinator for Vallee de Croix Chorus