(Peru, Neb.) Peru State College (PSC) will host 28 area high schools from Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas at the institution’s 41st Annual Show Choir Festival next Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 23-24. 

Performances are scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. Tuesday and 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in the College Theatre. Awards will be presented for the best high school show choir in each class at a ceremony at 5:45 p.m. Wednesday in the College Theatre. All performances are free and open to the public.

Peru State’s own show choir, the Misty Blues, will perform both days at 1:30 p.m. Misty Blues is under the direction of Dr. Jacob Bartlett, assistant professor of music.

PSC Professor of Music Dr. Thomas Ediger, director of choral activities and event coordinator, said, “Every year this event brings high school musicians to the Peru State campus to try out new choreography and music in a clinic/competition environment. We are excited to welcome this year’s guest clinician and adjudicator Annette Layman, an experienced choral director and show choir expert from North Carolina, who will work with each group individually.”

Layman has extensive experience with show choirs and has choreographed and adjudicated for more than 200 schools and other educational organizations, including the Brightleaf Music Workshop in North Carolina, Show Choir Camps of America, the Southern Utah Performing Arts Festival, FAME Events of Arizona and the Butler Summer Showcase in Kansas. She is the founder and director of Arts Mission, an organization dedicated to enriching lives through the positive impact of the arts.

Participating groups are listed below according to performance time, along with their directors:

Tuesday, Oct. 23
8 a.m.              Thomas Jefferson’s (Council Bluffs, Iowa) Jefferson Edition – Class AA      
                        Director: Travis Walker

8:30 a.m.         Nebraska City High School’s Expressions - Class A
                        Director: Stephanie Stanek

9:00 a.m.         Wilber-Clatonia’s Emerald and Gold – Class C        
                        Director: Judy Vrbka

9:30 a.m.         Omaha South Magnet’s Radiance - Class AA                      
                        Director: Clay Blackman

10 a.m.            Seaman’s (Topeka, Kan.) Seaman Show Choir – Class AA  
                        Director: Andrew Huff

10:30 a.m.       Omaha South Magnet’s J Street Jazz Singers – Class AA
                        Director: Clay Blackman

11:00 a.m.       Lincoln Pius’ Sotto Voce Swing Choir - Class AA
                        Director: Mary Odgaard

11:30 a.m.       Wahoo Bishop Neumann’s Scarlet Knights - Class C
                        Director: Kirk Brown

Noon               Omaha South Magnet’s The Ambassadors – Class AA
                        Director: Clay Blackman

12:30 p.m.       Lunch
                       
1:30 p.m.         Peru State’s Misty Blues Show Choir
                        Director: Dr. Jacob Bartlett

2 p.m.              Grand Island Central Catholic’s Blue Rhapsody - Class C
                        Director: Deb Scheel

2:30 p.m.         Lincoln Southeast’s Countesses and Noblemen - Class AA
                        Director: Melissa Noonan

3:00 p.m.         Lincoln High School’s Jazz Connection – Class AA
                        Director: Dr. Jon Gruett

3:30 p.m.         Break

4 p.m.               Bellevue West’s West Connection -Class AA
                        Director: Janelle Reetz

Wednesday, Oct. 24
8:30 a.m.         Pawnee City’s Showstoppers - Class D
                        Director: Kristi Robison

9 a.m.              Sabetha (Kan.) High School’s Infinity - Class B
                        Director: Vicki Angell
                    
9:30 a.m.         Centennial (Utica) High School’s Royal Blues – Class C 
                        *Not competing
                        Director: Ben Rickert             

10 a.m.            Sabetha (Kan.) High School’s Odyssey - Class B      
                        Director: Vicki Angell

10:30 a.m.       Wahoo High School Show Choir - Class B
                        Director: Julie Baker-Anderson

11 a.m.                        Harvard High School’s Cardinal and Black Singers - Class D
                        Director: Blake Thompson                 

11:30 a.m.       Norris High School’s 68th Street Singers - Class A
                        Director: Wes Hansmeyer

Noon               Norris High School’s Norris Gold - Class A
                        Director: Wes Hansmeyer

12:30 p.m.       Lunch

1:30 p.m.         Peru State’s Misty Blues Show Choir
                        Director: Dr. Jacob Bartlett

2 p.m.              Springfield-Platteview High School’s Platteview Show Choir - Class B
                        Director: Matt King

2:30 p.m.         Southern High School’s (Wymore, Neb.) Southern Harmony - Class C
                        Director: Stephanie Mendyk

3 p.m.              Deshler High School Show Choir – Class D             
                        Director: Deb Pohlmann

3:30 p.m.         Auburn High School’s Rhythm in Red - Class C
                        Director: Meghan Knipe

4 p.m.              York High School’s Dukes and Duchesses - Class A
                        Director: Jessica Wagner

4:30 p.m.         Waverly High School’s Encore – Class A
                        Director: Rachel Kornfeld

5 p.m.              Bellevue East’s Take II - Class AA
                        Director: Marjorie Simons-Bester

5:45 p.m.         Awards Presentation in the College Theatre
                                   
This event is sponsored by the PSC School of Arts and Sciences, Misty Blues Show Choir and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Collegiate Chapter.

For additional information, contact Ediger at 402-872-2232 or tediger@peru.edu.