Creslane fifth graders (from left) Regan Gwaltney, Elliette Kinney, Paige Ledgerwood, Aubreelyn McComas and Allie Marshall are All-State Elementary Honor Choir selections for the 2018-19 school year. Gini Davis/The Creswell Chronicle
Five Creslane Choir fifth graders — Regan Gwaltney, Elliette Kinney, Paige Ledgerwood, Allie Marshall and Aubreelyn McComas — were selected earlier this year to participate in the 2019 Oregon Music Educators Association (OMEA) All-State Elementary Honor Choir, while Creswell Middle School Choir member Tylyn Bowles, a seventh grader, was selected for the 2019 OMEA All-State Middle School Mixed Choir.
All are students of CMS/Creslane Choir Director and Creslane music teacher, Erik Telfer.
The Middle School Mixed Choir of approximately 100 Oregon sixth, seventh and eighth graders performed on Feb. 15 and the Elementary Honor Choir of about 100 Oregon fifth graders performed on Feb. 16 at First United Methodist Church in Portland.
Directed by Dr. Anthony Trecek-King, the Middle School Mixed Choir performed ”Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round,” ”Adorable Flujo,” Schubert’s ”Gloria from Mass in G,” ”We Are,” ”Alle, Alle, Alle,” ”The Blessing” and ”Take Me to the Water.”
Under Guest Conductor Carolyn Welch, the Elementary Honor Choir sang ”Gloria Tibi,” ”Wherever You Walk,” ”Three Quotes by Mark Twain,” ”Won’t You Sing Along,” ”Sisi Ni Moja” and ”Ilkley Moor.”
Creslane’s five Honor Choir students also were invited to perform with the CMS Choir during its Spring Concert on May 21.
Prospective Elementary Honor Choir students must be nominated by their choir teachers. Bowles was required to perform a voice screening and submit a letter-of-recommendation from Telfer for the Middle School Mixed Choir.
”I love that my students have an opportunity to perform in Oregon all-state choirs,” Telfer said. ”It gives them an opportunity to meet new friends, sing challenging songs and work toward choral excellence.”
And not only do the individual students benefit from the experience, the full choir does too: ”The students come back more confident and usually step up as choral leaders,” Telfer said.
