On several occasions throughout the school year the music department travels to other schools for choral days in order to learn more about what they love to do, make music. Often the performances are adjudicated while their peers observe.

The Hawks have already attended two choral festivals this school year throughout the state. “I’m really just fascinated by the whole experience,” said senior Garrett Thomas, a fourth year choral student.

The first festival attended by NHHS students was Men’s Choral Day held on October 18 at Edgewood High School. “All the men in Harford County come together and sing,” stated junior Jacob Thompson.

Thomas added,“It’s great to get together with so many other people of different voice parts and from different choirs. You get to make your own mold of how you should sing.”

The second festival, Towson Choral Day, was attended by a smaller, more elite group of students from North Harford. This included, Garrett Thomas, Dacoda Ott, Hannah Heironimus, Max Henkel, Jacob Thompson, And Jordan Hash. “Only about five of us attended the festival,” said senior Dacoda Ott,  “but it helps working with a new director to get a different perspective on things.” The singer said her favorite part about these festivals was “working with new directors and meeting new people.”

Students from all over the state attend this festival at Towson each year to hear other schools perform, along with getting to perform with those schools.  “We get to see Towson and what it is like to get to go to school there, and we make beautiful music together,” said senior Hannah Hieronimus. The Towson students get involved with this event as well. “We get to meet everyone and there are Towson students and staff that help us, the music is usually standard SATB ( soprano, alto, tenor, bass) music,” continued senior Jordan Hash. The choir director, Angela Jones elaborated on this. “They rehearse with the college professor all morning. There is a soloist master class in the afternoon where voice faculty members work one-on-one with singers and the whole group gets to watch.“

Jones went on to explain how students get special opportunities to showcase their individual talents at these events. “This year Hannah Heironimus made it as a soloist! Garrett Thomas was also chosen as an alternate but they ran out of time before getting to him.”

To conclude, Jones revealed what we can expect of the choir going forward. “Our winter concert will include holiday and winter favorites. Our third concert will feature songs by Rollo Dilworth and will conducted by the composer himself. I am truly excited to have Dr. Dilworth come to NHHS again.”

Singers at North Harford say they have a multitude of reasons they enjoy being a part of the music program at The Nest.  “I do choir because, obviously I love to sing.  I love the companionship that comes with it, I love the whole family aspect of it,” said Hieronimus.

Freshman Chloe Henkel has a brother in choir that has already gotten a chance to attend several choral festivals. Henkel comments that her brother has told her that  “one of the coolest things is how much you learn from it.  You get to improve a lot as a singer.” She expressed her excitement about meeting new people, having new experiences, and getting to do the thing she loves with people she likes to be around. “It would be a really awesome experience, and you can achieve such a powerful sound.”