New Youth Chorale to audition singers
By JOAN DOGGRELLSpecial to The Newnan Times-Herald
In a few short weeks, Newnan and Coweta County can boast of yet another community choir dedicated to musical excellence.
The Centre Masterworks Youth Chorale, led by founder and director Millie Lanier Turek, will be auditioning talented and gifted singers ages 10 to 14. Auditions are open to girls and boys with unchanged treble voices who are interested in expanding their musical education through choral music performance.
Rehearsals begin Sept. 24 and will be held on Mondays, 4:30 to 6:15 p.m., in the Parish Hall of First United Methodist Church in Newnan, located on Greenville Street at Salbide Avenue downtown.
The mission of the choir is to allow musically talented youngsters to:
• Extend and enhance their choral music education experience.
• Develop skills in music reading, sight singing, and ear training.
• Experience the highest level of artistic presentation.
• Build character and self-confidence through artistic discipline.
• Develop an aesthetic sensitivity.
• Experience a variety of musical cultures and styles.
Turek, founder and music director of the CMYC, recently retired after 32 years as a choral director in middle school, junior and senior high schools in Fayette and Clayton County. Turek’s choirs have long been recognized at the state and national level for excellence in choral performance.
“The sound of children’s voices together in song is one of the most beautiful sounds on Earth. We need to provide more opportunities for all children to find their voice and share their love of music with the community,” said Turek.
For four years, Turek served as the assistant director and accompanist for the Spivey Hall Children’s Choir and was founder and director of the Fayette Youth Chorale.
Turek holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Florida State University and a Master of Music from Georgia State University. A national board certified teacher in music, Turek has completed Level III Kodaly Music Certification from Westminster Choir College and has trained with the world’s leading children’s choir specialists.
For its inaugural season, fall of 2012 and spring of 2013, the CMYC will perform in December and May at the Centre for Performing and Visual Arts of Coweta in concert with the Masterworks Chorale of Newnan. They will also be featured in the “Christmas at the Centre” concerts in December. In March, they will host the Spring Sing Fling, a festival celebrating local elementary school choirs.
“It has been such a privilege to be choral director and to work with the music teachers in this area to bring another performing arts group to life,” said Turek. “In the past few years, I have had the honor of conducting and accompanying for the Coweta schools annual elementary and middle school honor chorus events at the Centre, so I know there is some fine music teaching going on in this county and some outstanding young talent. I’m so grateful to Don Nixon and Kathy Bizarth for their encouragement and support. Thanks also to the Newnan First United Methodist Church for providing a rehearsal facility. So, now all we need are children who love to sing.”
For more information on the Centre Masterworks Youth Chorale, visit the CMYC website at www.cmychorale.com .
