The Pennsylvania Collegiate Choral Festival has been offered annually for over 50 years by a consortium of member institutions. Each fall, we pool our limited individual funds to create a Festival Honor Chorus experience for our students under the guidance of a nationally recognized conductor and pedagogue. The result is an artistic and educational experience for our students that most of us could not mount on our own. The Festival also profits us individual directors as we observe rehearsals, learn new repertoire and techniques, and share our own ideas and repertoire in directors' meetings.

Who can participate in the Festival Chorus?
The Festival is open to all Pennsylvania colleges and universities – private and public, church and secular. Participating institutions contribute a modest Institutional Fee and select their own participating students. Students may be undergraduate or graduate level; music majors or non–majors. The diversity of the ensemble is one of its greatest strengths.

How much does it cost to participate?
The present institutional fee is $200.00, with a reduced rate of $100.00 for first–time participants. The institutional fees are used to the support the clinician's fees and travel, as well as other concert expenses. The individual student participation fee is $45.00, which supports their meals, refreshments, and entertainment. Each school or student purchases and retains their choral scores. **Please note that institutional and student participation fees are non–refundable.

Housing
Student participants are housed locally with host faculty, staff, students, and community members. Each director is responsible for his/her own lodging and meals. Specific information on directors' lodging will be posted on this web page by November 2008.

Can I send my students without supervision?
For obvious reasons, NO. Participating students must be accompanied by their director or another faculty member. Each director is expected to remain on–site throughout the Festival.

How many students can I send?
As few as one, or as many as you like. We request that you make every effort to send as balanced a group as possible, but recognize that this is not always possible. If your numbers are extreme (more than 12), we suggest you contact the Festival host, but we want to keep the experience open to as many students as possible.

Do students need to prepare music before the festival?
For obvious reasons, YES. Before the start of the first rehearsal, each participant is heard singing portions of the repertoire one–to–a part and without accompaniment. **For details, please see the Audition Procedure Guidelines sheet that is part of each registration form. All participating directors share in the work of the auditions in a friendly and supportive environment. Since instituting this process some years ago, the Festival has seen a marked increase in the quality of the rehearsals and performance experience. In short, it is well worth the low–level anxiety that students and directors share.

What do the student performers wear for the concert?

• Women: Long black skirt or dress slacks; white long–sleeve blouse, dress shoes.
• Men: Black dress slacks, white long–sleeve dress shirt/tie, dress shoes.

Can my students audition for any solos within the repertoire?
Yes. The directors and guest conductor will audition all solos during the first two days of the festival. Students interested in auditioning must prepare the music beforehand.

Small ensemble competition
All participating schools are invited to prepare a brief A Cappella work to be sung by all or a portion of their students. The selection should be performed from memory, and will be heard by the directors during the first two days of the festival. If the directors determine one or two ensembles to be of exemplary quality, they will be invited to perform their selection on the festival program. This is strictly voluntary.

How do I register my institution and individual student participants?
Simply fill out the institution and student registration forms (available shortly on this web page) and return with your payment. Secure the scores and help your students prepare for a wonderful experience. Then join us and watch it happen.

Who can I contact to learn more about the festival?
Contact Russell Shelley, 2009 Festival Host at shelley@juniata.edu.

**We look forward to a great festival and welcome all new and former participants!