Niwot High School hosts SVVSD Middle School Honor Choir

Some of the best middle school choir students in the area came to Niwot High School last week for a district-wide honor choir concert. Despite the start of a mid-winter snowstorm, more than 100 students filled the stage, performing eight songs for an auditorium filled with parents and friends.

Students represented 13 schools, with choir teachers from each school taking the stage as the concert began to thank students, their parents and Niwot High School as a host. The evening consisted of three parts, a boy's baritone choir conducted by Kevin T. Padworkski, Artistic Director of The Colorado Chorale, Director of Vocal Music at Colorado Academy and Chancel Choir Director at Augustana Lutheran Church in Denver. The performance included a handful of soloists, percussion support and piano accompaniment by Kelly Mielstrup.

In a second part of the concert, the girl's Treble Choir was conducted by Emily Martin, a 35-year veteran music teacher who was also a recipient of the Jared Polis Award in 2010. She established both the East Boulder Valley Middle School Honor Choir and the Colorado Middle School All State Choir. The girls were supported by both percussion and cello and accompanied by pianist Scott Hamlin.

Between performances, Martin spoke about reasons her students have told her they joined choir. Student quotes she read indicated that in choir, students feel at home and comfortable. They also have used choir as a gateway to understanding other cultures as they sang music from a range of countries and historical time periods.

These were many of the elements that were on display for the concert that evening. The music was beautiful and the singers seemed both energized and proud of their accomplishment at being part of a high-level vocal group.