About 300 students from across the state will be visiting Las Cruces for a weekend of song. 

The children, grades fourth through ninth, will spend two days rehearsing with guest clinicians brought in from across the country.  The choirs, which are split into age groups, elementary and middle school, will finish the weekend with a concert on Saturday at the New Mexico State University Recital Hall beginning at 10 am.

This year’s elementary choir guest clinician is Joan Gregoryk.  She is the Founder and Artistic Director of Children’s Chorus of Washington and is recognized internationally as a leader in the field of children’s vocal music.  Gregoryk taught at Chevy Chase Elementary School for many years.  Her choirs were featured on the Grammy Award-nominated CD and film soundtrack recording of Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov with the National Symphony Orchestra. 

The Youth All-State clinician is Janeal Crabb Krehbiel who is the founder and director of the Lawrence Children’s Choir.  She is a featured clinician throughout the United States.  Krehbiel taught elementary vocal music in the Denver, CO Public Schools, high school vocal music in the Hesston, KS Public Schools and is currently in her tenth year with the Lawrence, KS Public Schools teaching grades 7 – 9.  Her choirs have been featured in the World’s Largest Concert on PBS and have performed at state and regional conventions.

The concert is free, but donations are accepted.

If you go-

What: New Mexico Youth All-State Choir Festival Concerts
When: January 31, 2009
Elementary Choir, 10 am
Middle School Choir, 11 am
Where: NMSU Recital Hall

For a complete listing of events in Las Cruces, visit www.lascrucescvb.org.

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