Two Du Quoin students to Carnegie Hall in New York

The Southern Illinois Children's Choir once again returns to the renowned stage of Carnegie Hall in New York on March 22. The choir successfully passed an online audition in August and will join five other choirs from across the country to perform at the national children's/middle school performance. "It's an incredible once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Alice Berry, Southern Illinois Children's Choir artistic director.

The choir, formed in 1990, is a music education program run by the Southern Illinois University's School of Music Preparatory program for children ranging from the age of 5 to high school sophomores. The choir last received this privilege in 2009 when twenty-seven students from the Southern Illinois area, including Grace and Caleb Gomes from Du Quoin, where chosen to sing with the National Children's Choir under the direction of Henry Leck.

This year, 23 students will make the journey, including Du Quoin residents Rachel and Jonathan Gomes. The choir will be singing under the direction of world-renowned choral conductor and composer Greg Gilpin. He will lead the choir in six songs including songs in Latin and Swahili, a piece from Vivaldi's opera "La fida ninfa," "A Psalm," "America: The New Colossus" and an original piece "The Beginning of Love," composed by Gilpin himself and inspired by the words of Mother Teresa.

Arriving in New York a couple days early, the students will be able to see a Broadway show and visit Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. "I'm so excited for these young people because we are making life-long memories," Berry said. If they never get a chance to go to New York City again, they will have experienced history and just the highest level of music achievement."