On Saturday, February 11th, the Ithaca High School (IHS) Chorale participated in the 43rd Annual Ithaca College Choral Composition Festival. The festival is nationally recognized for its efforts in championing new choral works, honoring up-and-comping composers, and celebrating the joy and connection of choral communities. IHS has been participating in the festival since its inception.
This year, four high school choirs from New York State participated, each having prepared a piece selected for competition. After a day of concerts, workshops, and rehearsals with Ithaca College choral ensembles, conductors, and composers, the competing pieces were shared during an evening concert for friends and family. The IHS Chorale premiered a new piece by composer Nathaniel Finke, "Compre Pocas Copas," which won first place in the competition.
The win comes on the heels of more joyful news involving the IHS Chorale. Back in December, their spring 2022 collaborative performance with Ithaca College and Cornell University of Florence Price's "Song of Hope" made it on the Washington Post's "Best of Classical Music in 2022" list (scroll to #8 and click on the Florence Price link.) Congratulations to the singers in the IHS Chorale!