Four 5th grade students from Abraham Pierson School participated in the 2014 Connecticut Music Educators Association (CMEA) Elementary Honors Choir, held this year at Middletown High School in Middletown, CT on April 4, 2014. Students Annalise Kennedy, Aiden Maurais, Francesca Tino, and Alexandra Wolf joined the day-long event, rehearsing their songs with the full choir, culminating in a 45-minute performance for faculty and families.
This year’s choir was under the direction of Dr. Joy Hirokawa of Bethlehem, PA, with piano accompaniment by Andrea Berntsen. About 200 students from 50 elementary schools across the state of Connecticut in grades 4 through 6 were chosen to participate. The Pierson students were selected this winter, and rehearsed the selected songs with their Pierson music school teacher, Mrs. Gina Neddermann, in preparation for the full day event in Middletown. The choir performance included six songs, beginning with “Laudamus Te” by Vivaldi, and ending with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “My Favorite Things” (The Sound of Music), specially arranged by Dr. Hirokawa.
