By Abigail Vannatta, Staff Writer
A new youth choir at Newman is giving high schoolers across the Wichita area a chance to develop their musical talents while connecting with Newman’s music program.
“The goal was to create a musical home at Newman that bridges the gap between high school participation and collegiate-level performance, while also serving as a vehicle of unification for Catholic high school students across the region,” said Assistant Professor of Music Mary Ellen Swords.
The idea for the youth choir had been on her mind for a while, Swords said.
“There is a need for a high-quality, low-stress choral environment where students can supplement their school programs or just have the opportunity for a choral experience as a homeschool student,” she said.
Swords, who came to Newman last spring after more than 25 years of teaching music at both an elementary school and on the collegiate level, said the idea for the youth choir came from her volunteer work at a Catholic youth theater program in Wichita called Lolek Theatre Company.
“I volunteer with Lolek, and the students involved in that community are hungry for more,” Swords said. “I met with the founder, Corinne Mayans and her husband, Michael, last summer to brainstorm some ideas, and this is one of the thoughts we had.”
Getting the idea off the ground
The youth choir came about with help from Newman’s Dean of Arts and Humanities Josh Papsdorf, who encouraged Swords to apply for a grant through the Gerber Institute for Catholic Studies.
“The choir has great potential for creating connections with potential students in addition to just increasing our overall connection with the community,” Pasdorf said. “The students who go through the program are equipped to bring some beautiful music into their lives…and that is precisely the sort of thing our university is about.”
With financial support from the grant, Swords found an accompanist for the group: Mary Jo Evans.
“Mary Jo and I used to work together at Christ the King Catholic School, where she was principal before retiring. She brings a tremendous amount of both musical and Catholic faith experience to the group,” Swords said.
Next came the recruitment process. Swords reached out to local choir directors, promoted the youth choir at Lolek events and used social media for outreach.
“I made a strong social media presence, which was graciously shared by the network of musicians, fellow parents and friends within the Diocese of Wichita with whom I am blessed,” she said. “The goal was to create a musical home at Newman that bridges the gap between high school participation and collegiate-level performance.”
After placement auditions on Jan. 19, the youth choir welcomed 17 students from a range of different public districts and private schools across the Wichita area, as well as several homeschool students.
“We intentionally kept the process supportive to ease audition anxiety,” Swords said. “It involved a simple vocal range check and a bit of sight-reading so I could understand their unique vocal colors and place them in the right sections.”
Bridging the three choirs
On Feb. 17, the group put on its first concert, “A Rose in Winter,” joined by collegiate singers from Newman Chorale and Troubadours. The music centered around the theme of the rose.
“The concert opened with all three ensembles performing a canon together, followed by each group singing two selections and ending with another collaborative piece, ‘My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose,’” Swords said.
The final song included one of the high school students, Isaiah Rice, on flute, as well as four vocal soloists — freshman Carla Ortiz, senior Gabriel Trevino and two youth choir members, Hailey Snow and Swords’ eldest son, Connor Swords.
Ortiz, a freshman nursing major, helped one of the youth choir members prepare for her solo.
“The concert went awesome with the youth choir,” Ortiz said. “I had the opportunity to assist Hailey Snow with her part of the solo, as she needed a bit of help with the notes and wanted to improve her already wonderful voice for the song.”
What’s next for the youth choir
Looking ahead, Swords has plans to continue growing the choir so it’s a stand-out in the area.
“Long term, we hope to expand our footprint, perhaps touring regionally or collaborating with other Newman departments,” she said. “We want this to be a flagship program for young artists in the region.”
The youth choir’s next performance is the Spring Finale Concert on May 9 in the De Mattias Performance Hall on Newman’s campus. It will be a tribute to mothers.
PHOTO: Courtesy, University Realations
