The 7th Annual
MAD RIVER VOCAL ARTS FESTIVAL
Dr. Jerry Blackstone, Conductor-Clinician

WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY SUNDAY & MONDAY, OCTOBER 14 & 15, 2007

We cordially invite you and your finest choral singers to an extraordinary event at Wright State University: THE 7TH ANNUAL MAD RIVER VOCAL ARTS FESTIVAL! This two-day event, Sunday & Monday, October 14 & 15, 2007, features a highly select choir composed of high school singers from all over the Midwest. Our guest conductor and clinician for the event is Dr. Jerry Blackstone. Dr. Blackstone will work with the Mad River Honor Choir, comprised of over 150 highly select high school singers.

Sincerely,
Dr. Hank Dahlman
Director of Choral Studies
Department of Music
Wright State University
Phone: (937) 775-3721
Fax: (937) 775-3786
e-mail: hank.dahlman@wright.edu
www.wright.edu/music/choral

FESTIVAL CLINICIAN: JERRY BLACKSTONE

Grammy Award winning conductor Jerry Blackstone is Director of Choirs and Chair of the Conducting Department at the University of Michigan: School of Music, Theatre & Dance. Here he conducts the Chamber Choir, teaches conducting at the graduate and undergraduate levels, and administers a choral program of eleven choirs. In February 2006, he received two Grammy Awards (“Best Choral Performance” and “Best Classical Album”) as chorusmaster for the critically acclaimed Naxos recording of William Bolcom’s monumental Songs of Innocence and of Experience. In 2006, the Chamber Choir performed by special invitation at the inaugural convention of the National Collegiate Choral Organization in San Antonio, and in 2003, the Chamber Choir presented three enthusiastically received performances in New York City at the National Convention of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). In addition to Professor Blackstone’s choral conducting work at the University, he has conducted operatic productions with the University of Michigan Opera Theatre, including productions of Janacek’s The Cunning Little Vixen and Strauss’s Die Fledermaus.

Professor Blackstone has appeared as festival guest conductor and workshop presenter in thirty states as well as New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Australia. Guest appearances for 2007-08 include festivals and conference presentations in New Zealand, New York, Hawaii, Texas, Ohio, Delaware, Florida, California, and Michigan.

In 2004, Dr. Blackstone was named Conductor and Music Director of the University Musical Society Choral Union, a large community/university chorus that frequently appears with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and presents yearly performances of Handel’s Messiah and other major works for chorus and orchestra. In March 2008, he will conduct the UMS Choral Union and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in a special performance of the Bach, St. Matthew Passion. Choirs prepared by Dr. Blackstone have appeared under the batons of Neeme Järvi, John Adams, Helmuth Rilling, James Conlon, Nicholas McGegan, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, and Yitzak Perlman.

As conductor of the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club from 1988-2002, Professor Blackstone led the ensemble in performances at ACDA national and division conventions and on extensive concert tours throughout Australia, Eastern and Central Europe, Asia, South America, and the United States. The recently released UM Men’s Glee Club CD, I have had singing, is a retrospective of his tenure as conductor of the ensemble. Santa Barbara Music Publishing distributes Dr. Blackstone’s acclaimed educational video, Working with Male Voices and publishes the Jerry Blackstone Choral Series, a set of choral publications that presents works by several composers in a variety of musical styles.

APPLICATION AND REGISTRATION PROCEDURE

• Please nominate up to two (2) SATB quartets. You may also nominate up to four additional singers of any voice type, and we will consider them for selection on an “as needed” basis. Be sure to specify whether the singer is S1, S2, A1, A2, T1, T2, B1 or B2. This is critical for good balance, and may be an important factor in singer selections.
• Each singer must complete a singer profile form (make copies of the form available from this site).
• ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS MUST BE POSTMARKED BY SEPTEMBER 8. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee acceptance after this date.
• You will be notified regarding the final complete list of singers by September 17. At that time, you will be asked to confirm your members, and pre-pay the registration fees by October 7. Pre-paid registration is $40.00 per singer. Late (postmarked after October 7) or on-site registration is $50.00 per singer. Checks payable to WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY. All fees must be paid prior to the beginning of the first rehearsal.

APPLICATION FORMS, FESTIVAL SCHEDULE, FOOD AND LODGING INFORMATION, CHAPERONES

• The following information can be downloaded as Adobe Acrobat files: application forms, festival schedule, hotel and restaurant information, and a WSU campus map. Please check the festival schedule carefully. Students are required to attend all of each rehearsal on the schedule (sorry, no exceptions). Those not complying with this requirement will not be allowed to continue in the event, with no refund. It is important that students arrive on time for registration between 12:00 and 2:30 pm. since we will begin rehearsing at 2:30 p.m.
• Please note that lodging and meals other than the pizza party on Sunday night are the responsibility of the participant. Since the regular school year is in progress, WSU does not provide on-campus housing for this event. An attending teacher or other responsible adult chaperone for each participating school is strongly suggested. Wright State University cannot accept chaperonage responsibility for participants.

FESTIVAL MUSIC

• EACH SCHOOL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING EACH SINGER WITH A COMPLETE SET OF MUSIC. The festival does not provide music or send scores, and music cost is not included in the registration fee. Photocopied music is not allowed. You may obtain the music from any music dealer. Musical Resources, Inc. is an official sponsor of the Mad River Vocal Arts Festival. Musical Resources, Inc. Phone: 1-800-377-0234 Fax: 1-877-377-7799 Email: orders@musical-resources.com
• Festival Repertoire
  1. arr. Kirchner: Wana Baraka (Santa Barbara SBMP 482)
  2. Mozart: Veni Sancte Spiritus (Arista AE581)
  3. Lauridsen: Sure on this shining night (Peer 62128-122)
  4. Whitacre: A boy and a girl (Shadow Water Music, HL 8744627)
  5. Chatman: Mosquitoes (ECS 7.0371)
  6. G. Walker: I thank you, God (ECS 5977)
• SINGER PREPARATION AND SOLOS - ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST BE FULLY PREPARED ON THE MUSIC. This means that all notes and rhythms must be completely learned before the first rehearsal. Students will be heard during the initial sectional rehearsals on October 14, and the festival reserves the right to deny participation to unprepared students, with no refund of registration fees.
• INDIVIDUALIZED MINI-LESSONS FOR YOUNG SINGERS Once again, WSU is pleased to offer 15-minute mini-lessons with WSU voice faculty at no additional fee for selected high school singing participants. These will take place TBA during rehearsals on Sunday or Monday. Each school may nominate ONE singer. Mini-lesson singers should bring a prepared solo to their mini-lesson. Accompanists will be provided for each lesson. Please indicate your nominee by circling the student’s name on your singer list on the school application form. There are a limited number of mini-lessons available, so nominations will be accepted on a first-come, first-selected basis.

CONCERT DRESS, CD RECORDING, CONCERT TICKETS, T-SHIRTS

• Concert dress is your regular school choral uniform.
• There will be a CD of the final concert available for purchase.
• Tickets are required for the final concert. Directors and registered chaperones get one complimentary ticket each. Tickets are $5.00, available at the door.
• A complimentary t-shirt will be given to each selected participant and their director. Please fill out the form. Please include your t-shirt size on the school application form.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Remember to postmark your school’s application forms NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER 8.

OTHER EVENTS FOR DIRECTORS

Please note the following extra events for participating directors:

• Saturday, October 13: WSU choirs and choral conducting students work with Dr. Blackstone, 10 a.m.- noon and 1-3:30 p.m. Open to participating directors.
• Sunday, October 14: Director welcome and information reception, 6:30-7:00 p.m.
• Monday, October 15: Complimentary reading session for high school directors, sponsored by Musical Resources, Inc. 10:00-11:00 a.m.
• All events in the WSU Student Union.

• Application
• Schedule
• Food and Lodging Information
• Directions and Map

You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access the the Mad River Vocal Arts forms. Go to www.adobe.com to download this free program.