Choral Celebration

We will miss the Choral Celebration performances this year. As we will take a pause on the actual performance RFAS Choral Celebration this year, Raleigh Fine Arts has found a significant way to support Choral Teachers in our community. 

• All RFAS Choral Teachers who performed in the 2020 Choral Celebration were given the opportunity to attend the NC Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association's Virtual Fall 2020 Conference
• The Virtual Fall Conference helped choral directors learn how to build, create, and design virtual choirs
• Many of our teachers will be using techniques learned for the remainder of the year to help students sing successfully and positively impact the community though choral music. This likely will happen individually with instruction as it is allowed. 
• Teachers worked with world-renowned choral conductors during this event
• Teachers also learned best practices and innovative approaches to assist in engaging remote music instruction

"Thank you to RFAS for providing this opportunity for our area teachers.  The information was incredibly relevant and needed by all of our teachers. Many of our teachers commented on how useful the information will be and that they look forward to applying techniques they learned in the field during this challenging time." Jeremy C. Tucker, President-Elect, North Carolina Chapter of the American Choral Directors; Artistic Director, Raleigh Boychoir

This page contains additional recordings of some of this past year's participating schools rehearsing their performance songs. Listen and enjoy!

2020 Participating Elementary Schools

North Raleigh Christian, Baucom, Wake Forest, Abbotts Creek, Parkside, Oakview, Conn, York, North Forest Pines, Fuquay-Varina, Douglas, Lacy, Oak Grove, Brier Creek, Turner Creek, Our Lady of Lourdes, and North Raleigh Christian

Click on the images below to hear the children's voices.

Oak Grove Elementary students perform “Stars”, one of the traditional massed songs from the Choral Celebration. 

Parkside Elementary students rehearsing a performance piece with their teacher, Kim Demery, and Clinician Robert Unger. Ms. Demery highlights the benefits all children and schools experience through their participation in this annual celebration of elementary school choral groups.

Robert Unger, Clinician, discusses his role with participating schools as well as the uniqueness of  the program and  the opportunities it provides choral groups in Wake County.

In 1999 The Raleigh Fine Arts Society began a new tradition: an annual Choral Celebration, a project offering choral groups in grades 4 through 5 in Wake County Schools a chance to share their music as well as enjoy the successes of other elementary school choruses. Their choral directors receive comments from a qualified adjudicator. 

The first performances were held at Martin Middle School and moved in 2001 to Meymandi Concert Hall. Since its inception, the Choral Celebration has received much greater visibility within Wake County and achieved record attendance of over 3,000 people. In 2020 sixteen elementary choral groups will participate with each school performing two songs. Students from Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Fuquay, North Raleigh, Wake Forest, and Morrisville will participate reflecting the tremendous growth of the Choral Celebration within Wake County. The opportunity to perform in the state-of the-art Meymandi Concert Hall,  home of the NC Symphony is a once in a life time experience for some students.