The annual ACDA convention features information on the latest choral music techniques and showcases music performed with “honor choirs” selected from the region.  An outstanding choral director is chosen to conduct the honor choir.  This year, Charles Wright’s own Judy Herrington was chosen for this honor.

A few years ago, one of the nation’s leading choral musicians, Randall Stroope, chose to perform one of Judy Herrington’s compositions with his Women’s Honor Choir at an ACDA convention (yes, she is a composer too!). 

This year, Judy Herrington was invited to be the guest conductor for the Junior High (Middle School) Honor Choir at the Western Division convention in Anaheim.  This is outstanding mark of distinction as only 26 directors were chosen nationally to guest conduct. 

Judy rehearsed with 150 young people over three days and conducted a concert before all of her choral music colleagues.  It is a high achievement and significant honor in her career.

Bravo, Judy!  The young people who study music with you at Charles Wright and through Tacoma Youth Chorus are truly fortunate to work with such an accomplished educator and musician!

Judy completed her undergraduate degree in music at the University of Oregon and her masters in teaching music at Lewis and Clark College.  She joined the Charles Wright faculty in 1975.  In 1991, she received the CWA Parent Association’s Inspirational Faculty Award.

Judy is highly regarded as a guest conductor and as a workshop and choral clinician. In 1991, she founded the Tacoma Youth Chorus, a select, auditioned youth choir program. Well known through the Puget Sound area, TYC now serves over 240 musically gifted boys and girls, ages seven through eighteen.  This summer Judy will lead the TYC Chorale on a performance tour of Eastern Europe.

Judy is a past-president of the Washington-American Choral Directors Association. She has conducted all-state honor choirs and festivals in Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Montana, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Alaska and Tokyo. She has published choral compositions and arrangements, and has co-authored choral teaching texts. She also edits a choral series.

My first introduction to CWA was courtesy of Jennifer Laughlin Stewart. Jennifer and I met as sophomores at PLU in French class. That winter, she invited me to see her father’s production of Catch 22. We were college students now, so I wasn’t too sure about this high school performance, but I went anyway. I had never been to Charles Wright or even University Place, for that matter.

I remember it being quite dark, walking a very long distance from my car, up stairs, into the building, through this cement room, outside, up another set of stairs and finally into the theater. If someone had yelled fire, I would have been lost! On entering the theater, the thing that struck me most was the set, which was amazing. Simple and yet it contained such intricate details, from the period cot to the camouflage netting hanging on the wall. Until I came as Donn’s vocal coach on West Side Story, I had no idea what kind of space the “theater” actually was.

I carry such wonderful memories of student performances: Of Nikki Pryanyski ’99 playing a medium. Of Beth (Olson) Sutro ‘93 as Mama in Fiddler. Of Caitlyn McLaughlin ’01 as Dorothy, as Little Red Riding Hood, and then on the cover of the state solo and ensemble program. Of the first time the small vocal women’s ensemble took first at a contest, and then the second time, and then when we couldn’t sing because Brittany (Haroldson) Brown ‘99 got the chicken pox, and then Becca Spence ’00 and Jenny George taking first the next year.

Of Drew Weyerhaeuser ‘00 and Laird Bennion ’00 as princes, which they are. Of Ben Weyerhaeuser ’02 singing “Walls of Zion” and then those four boys from the class of 2002, Jake Wham and Alex Henry and Ben and George Costakis, in their tuxes at the Lakewood McDonald’s before singing at a board retreat. Of Alex singing like a girl in that silly, fun-loving quartet that brought the house down. Of them singing “Goodnight, My Angel” as a surprise to me and then unborn Ella at our last concert before I took maternity leave.

One of my other favorite memories was running sectionals in small vocal. I would put a group in the office, a group in the room, a group (small, please) in the piano room up stairs and a group in the storage closet – we’d draw straws for who got stuck in the closet. And yet the students thrived.

I remember talking to Sam and Nathalie Brown at our last First Night’s Supper before High Sprits. I made a less than complimentary comment about the “theater.” Nathalie remarked that perhaps it was the adversity that gave rise to such stellar performances. The adults and student alike have done amazing things in amazing places, and I’m glad to see that the performing and language arts have survived the adversity and can’t wait to see what is possible with what is to come.

Julie was a founding member of Opus 7 Vocal Ensemble, a resident ensemble at St. James Cathedral. She has also sung with the Tudor Choir, including performing Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms with the Pacific Northwest Ballet. She has sung with the St. James Cathedral Choir and Women’s Schola and most recently has sung with the Northwest Repertory Singers. She is also a frequent soloist in the area.

Julie earned a bachelor of music in vocal performance from Pacific Lutheran University, studying with Barbara Poulshock and Mira Frohnmayer. She has also studied with Marianne Weltmann, Marcia Baldwin and Charles Peterson. Julie currently teaches music at Sunset Primary School, a kindergarten through fourth grade school, and directs children’s music at Mt. Cross Lutheran Church. She is also a frequent adjudicator for both solo and ensemble and choral contests in the Puget Sound region.

Judy writes:

Everyone who is connected to Charles Wright is aware of the tangible and intangible effects this school has on our lives. We each have a story or defining moment that has changed our life’s direction. Sometimes its effect is immediate, and other times it is the result of layers of experiences. Behind these moments are always elements of inspiration.

A moment I will always remember was in last year’s first grade class performance of the song “Walking in the Snow.” After the piano interlude, I looked up to see a little girl blinking. She said with wonder, “I have water in my eyes.” She was baffled as to why she had tears in her eyes but she was very aware of being deeply touched by the power of music. It is inspiring to be part of an artistic experience for such a young child.

While teaching my classes of young students I am very aware of the exciting learning opportunities they will have as they move through the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools. I see amazing potential, talent and energy, and I know these children will be inspired by the experiences they have and will have at Charles Wright.

Judy joined the Lower School faculty in 1975, teaching pre-kindergarten through 6th grade general music classes, conducting choirs and advising school musicals. In 1991, Judy founded the Tacoma Youth Chorus, a select, auditioned youth choir program. Well known through the Puget Sound area, TYC now serves over 240 musically gifted boys and girls, ages seven through eighteen.

Last May, Judy was invited to visit Japan where she instructed ten choirs and served as guest conducted for concert where all ten choirs sang together. Next summer, she will lead the TYC Chorale on a performance tour of Eastern Europe. Judy holds a bachelor of arts degree in music from the University of Oregon and a masters of arts in teaching music from Lewis and Clark University. She has furthered her conducting studies through master classes with Rodney Eichenberger and Henry Leck.

Judy is highly regarded as a guest conductor and as a workshop and choral clinician. She is a past-president of the Washington-American Choral Directors Association. She has conducted all-state honor choirs and festivals in Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Montana, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Alaska and Tokyo. Judy was recently selected as the guest conductor for the 2008 Western American Choral Directors Association Junior High Honor Choir, a prestigious national recognition. Through Pavane Publishing and Colla Voce Publishing, she has published choral compositions and arrangements, and she has co-authored choral teaching texts. She also edits a choral series for Pavane Publishing.

The choral music program rehearses in the space originally intended for a study hall. It’s also the drama program’s theater and storage space for both the drama and instrumental music programs. The acoustics in that practice room make it particularly difficult to find your note in the harmony or balance your tone and volume with other students. The only rehearsal space for sectionals is out in the hallway or in other classrooms.

Acoustics are critical for singers. Unlike the Wight gym or Middle School commons, the auditorium in the new Language and Performing Arts Center is designed to ensure that every member of the audience can hear the voice of even the smallest child on stage without a microphone.

The choral musicians will have their own spacious rehearsal room and will share four practice rooms with the instrumental music program. These rooms will allow the director to keep an eye on all of her students, while giving them sound-proof space in which to rehearse. They will also be storage for music, instruments and robes.

Here’s what the new Language and Performing Arts Center has in store for the choral music program:

• Rehearsal room for up to 50 students studying MS and US choral music to rehearse together
• Office space for the choral music director adjacent to the choir room
• Portable risers for maximum flexibility
• Lowest level of the room is at the same level as the stage in the performance space so the grand piano can be moved into the studio for performances
• Storage space for robes and music
• Correct reflective and absorptive surfaces for optimized acoustics
• Ability to “tune” the room to specific acoustic needs of choral music
• Acoustically separated from adjacent spaces (so you don’t have to listen to the band practice while you sing)
• Drinking fountain and bathrooms easily accessible

Upper School Winter Concert
Thursday, December 6, 7:30pm
Middle School Commons

Middle School Winter Concert
Thursday, December 13, 7:30pm
Middle School Commons

Lower School Holiday Concert
Sunday, December 16, 2:00pm
Wight Gym

If all goes according to plan, this will be the second-to-last holiday concert series before the performing arts department moves into the new Language and Performing Arts Center. If you aren’t sure yet why these programs need a real performance space with good acoustics, you really need to come to one of these concerts. Bring a friend!