Wesleyan Honors Choir

The Nebraska Wesleyan University Honors Choir gathers 100 of the region's most promising high school singers for an inspiring and immersive choral experience with NWU's choir director, Tom Trenney, and guest composer/conductor, Brandon Boyd.

Nominations

We encourage high school teachers to recommend as many singers as they desire through this choir students nomination form. Nebraska Wesleyan accepts nominations until December 1, 2023 and informs teachers and students of selections by December 18. Selected students are responsible for completing a registration form, including a $50 participation fee (which covers music rental, three meals, snacks, and a t-shirt). Students are expected to prepare the music in advance of the festival. Opportunities to participate in vocal masterclasses (musical theater and classical), world drumming and scholarship auditions will be available as well.

Our Conductors

Brandon Boyd is the newly-appointed director of choral activities at the University of Missouri. As an active composer and arranger, he is also the curator and editor of the "Brandon A. Boyd Choral Series," a choral series with Hinshaw Music Publications. He is executive choral editor of Gentry Publications.  As a global collaborator in the orchestral world, Boyd has served as chorus master, assistant conductor and guest pianist with the London Symphony in London, England. In the U.S., he guest conducted for the Nashville Symphony, Missouri Symphony and the St. Louis Symphony.

Tom Trenney is director of choirs at Nebraska Wesleyan University. NWU’s choirs had the honor of performing at state, regional and national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), and are award winners in the American Prize for choral ensembles. His 50 published choral compositions are sung at churches and schools across the country, and he was a feature performer at places like Kansas City's Kauffman Center, Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center and NYC's Carnegie Hall.

Schedule

Thursday, February 1

• 1 p.m. NWU Music Scholarship auditions (optional for seniors considering NWU)
• 3 p.m. Registration
• 4 p.m. Rehearsal
• 5 p.m. Pizza party (included)
• 6 p.m. Rehearsal
• 8:30 p.m. Adjourn

Friday, February 2

• 9 a.m. Rehearsal
• 10 a.m. Breakout sessions/ sectional rehearsal
• 11:15 a.m. Lunch (included)
• 12:15 p.m. Concert by NWU Choirs
• 1 p.m. Rehearsal
• 2:30 p.m. Snack break
• 2:45 p.m. Breakout sessions/ sectional rehearsal
• 4 p.m. Rehearsal on stage
• 5 p.m. Dinner
• 6:15 p.m. Warm-up
• 7 p.m. Concert
• 7:50 p.m. Farewell

Repertoire

• Dixit Dominus – Marianna von Martines
• Love Arrives – Tom Trenney (soprano/alto)
• We are All Sons – Craig Hella Johnson (tenor/ bass)
• Until I Reach My Home: Negro Folk Tune – arrangement Brandon A. Boyd
• O Love – Elaine Hagenberg
• Sign Me Up – Brandon A. Boyd
• We Shall Overcome: American freedom song – arrangement Tom Trenney