The first week of November, Music for All sponsored two affiliate choral festivals.  Georgia Southern University hosted the fifth Southern Invitational featuring an excellent array of concert choirs, and Kettering High School hosted over sixty a cappella ensembles near Dayton, Ohio.  Music for All Choral Music Artistic Committee member, Dr. Shannon Jeffreys, Director of Choral Activities at Georgia Southern University hosted the Southern Invitational. Music for All ENVOY member, Brody McDonald hosted the Kettering National A Cappella Festival.

Both festivals featured evaluatorclinicians from Music for All Artistic Committees.  Dr. Brandon Boyd, Assistant Director of Choral Activities at University of Missouri, inspired choristers at the Southern Invitational.  J.D. Frizzell, Director of Fine Arts and Vocal Music at Briarcrest High School, Tennessee, coached a cappella ensembles at Kettering.  

The Southern Invitational set a very high standard of choral excellence at the secondary school level.  Highest honors were awarded to the following high schools:   

Grand Champion:  Veterans High School Concert Chorale directed by Jeremy Williams. 

Judges’ Choice: Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, Silhouettes, a jazz ensemble directed by Jeff Clayton. 

Music for All Director’s Award:  Janet Wooten, Director Richmond Hill H.S. 

Mixed Ensembles:  Cane Bay Cobra Chorale directed by William Bennett, third place, Southeast Bulloch Advanced Chorus directed by Brent Whitaker, second place, and Douglas Anderson School of the Arts Concert Chorale directed by Jeff Clayton, first place. 

Treble Choirs:  Cane Bay Ladies Honors Choir directed by William Bennett, third place, Centennial Bella Voce directed by Chelsea Burney, second place, and Savannah Arts Academy Cantabile directed by Jared Register, first place. 

The Kettering National A Cappella Festival featured select choirs by audition in its Friday evening Showcase. Two of these ensembles represented schools whose concert choirs are participants in the Music for All National Choir FestivalDobyns-Bennett High School directed by Jenny Rogers and Patty Denmark, and William Mason High School directed by Jason McKee and Katie HaywardSaturday, KNAF participants performed, received on-on-one coaching, attended masterclasses and attended an evening concert.  Festival host, Brody McDonaldsubmitted his concert choir and was selected by audition to participate in the 2020 National Choir Festival, March 12-14 in Indianapolis. 

Music for All is proud to support choral singing through Affiliate Regional Music Festivals.