The College of Liberal Arts and the Department of Music at Jackson State University presented the 74th Annual Song Festival on Friday, Feb. 7, in the Rose E. McCoy auditorium.
The festival featured the JSU concert chorale along with high school choirs from Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. Confirmed local choirs included Murrah, Lanier, Forest Hill, Raymond and Yazoo High Schools.
From noon to 3 p.m., the music department held auditions for music scholarships. High school seniors and interested on-campus students were invited to participate.
The guest clinician for this event was Professor Kevin Towers, director of choral activities at Coahoma Community College. He worked with all the choirs to provide feedback to each choir to prepare them for district and state competitions.
“He’s a fine choral director who has adjudicated competitions and served as clinician for high school festivals and community college festivals. He will bring an excellent educational skill set that will reformat the choral sounds of the ensemble in a way that will give them a competitive edge in upcoming competitions,” says Wilhelm Cortez Castilla, director of choral activities at JSU.
The festival precedes performances at district- and state-level competitions. There was also a performance by the Coahoma Concert Choir at the end of the festival.
For more information, contact Castilla at 601.979.2891 or the music department at 601.979.2141.