A message from the VT-ACDA President:
June 12, 2022
Dear Vermont ACDA Members,
The Vermont chapter of the ACDA has been steadily returning to some of our beloved traditions this year while also keeping in mind the importance of keeping our singers safe and healthy. Our mid-winter high school madrigal festival in Burlington this past December was a huge success. We adjusted our usual format which normally included large group rehearsals during the day and an indoor evening performance. I am pleased to say that we were able to keep many of our traditions without sacrificing safety. We had fourteen schools participate in master classes, one school at a time, as well as professional recording sessions so families could see and hear the complete performance of all schools. We then went to a downtown public shopping area and spent the evening bundled up in a beautiful Vermont December evening sharing our music with families, friends, and passersby.
VT-ACDA was also a co-sponsor of the Harmony and Stomp Choral Music Lab with Moira Smiley this past March. Students from Castleton University, Saint Michael’s College, and Northern Vermont University joined together for workshops on body percussion, composing, and arranging.
Looking ahead, we are busily preparing for our Children’s Honor Choir Festival to be back up and running next April and are excited for our ACDA members who teach at the grades 6-9 level to join us on April 21 and 22, 2023 in Burlington, VT. We are pleased to share that we will have NYC’s Young People’s Chorus associate director, Sophia Papoulis, as our guest conductor for the event.
While there have been many challenges these past two years, we thrive in our chapter because of the support and dedication of our members and our board. The desire to return to our annual events, to improve them where necessary, to tailor them to adjust to this ever-changing time, has been an inspirational example of leadership and resourcefulness in the world of choral arts.
VT-ACDA is committed to our advocacy role and working hard to support our members’ efforts. If you need support with a specific issue please reach out to me at president@vtacda.org. I look forward to supporting you as a VT-ACDA member.
Warmly,
Susanne Norwood
VT-ACDA President, 2021-23 Term
Vermont ACDA 