Graceland Choir Represents at ICDA Honor Choir

Several Graceland students represented the University at the return of the Iowa Choral Directors Association (ICDA) Intercollegiate Honor Choir in February.

Several choral conductors, including Graceland Director of Choral Activity Sara Blessing, DMA, discussed how to bring the event back, which has been on hiatus since the 1990s. While the Iowa Band Directors Association event has continued, the choir event has not been in place for over 20 years.

“The inaugural event to bring the ICDA Honor Choir back focused on the process of making music rather than the final performance of the selected literature,” Blessing said. The final run-through performance was audio-recorded.

The ICDA brought in guest director Dr. Bridget Sweet, Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Singers studied and rehearsed three songs, including a brand new composition by Adam Orban, an active composer who serves as the high school choral director in Algona, Iowa. Orban was commissioned by ICDA to write a piece in memory of Everett Johnson, a native Iowan who passed away in 2020 and was the former president of the Iowa High School Music Association. Orban attended all rehearsals and the final recording session (picture below).

Graceland brought seven singers to the event:

• Konnor Chase (not pictured)
• Riley Newendorp
• Luis Garcia
• Justice Cunningham
• Sammy Daniels
• Jullie Wheaton
• Matt Mangels

Congratulations to these students!