The Maquoketa Area Children’s Choir Festival will perform on Wednesday, April 10, 2024, at 5:00 PM at Maquoketa Art Experience, 124 S. Main St, Maquoketa. This Festival is an opportunity for fine younger (unchanged) voices in grades 4 – 7 from Maquoketa and surrounding schools to come together to sing a choral style of music. The students were selected by area music and choral educators.
This will be a chance for Jackson County to remember Helen Frank, the county school’s music specialist who began the elementary choruses, continuing them when teaching at Briggs Elementary School, Maquoketa.
The Festival will be directed by Marnie Strome, former Canadian Calgary Children’s Choir Artistic Director and Conductor. Strome is in her 3rd and final year at St. Brigid School in San Francisco, before returning to Calgary next year. Strome is well-known in Canada, and her choirs have toured both in Canada and the United States, as well as Europe. The Festival chairperson is Pamela Crawford and the co-chair is Nancy Kilburg.
After releasing during the day, the public concert will begin at 5:00 PM. The festival choir will sing four selections. Special guests the Dubuque Hempstead Chamber Singers will perform three selections and join the festival choir for one more. The event is free and open to the public. Donations are appreciated.
Former Artistic Director – Marni Strome (B.F.A., B. Ed., M.M., A.R.C.T.)
Marni Strome has worked with the Calgary Children’s Choir as a Music Director since its inception in 1988, assuming the role of Artistic Director in 1993. In this role she oversees the entire choral program and directs the Children’s, Youth, and Adult choirs. Her enthusiasm and positive leadership allow her to create and foster choirs that combine a high level of artistry with a strong sense of community, stewardship and fun. Marni has toured with the choir to numerous parts of Canada, Carnegie Hall in New York, Europe and Japan, where they have performed and also taken part in festivals with internationally recognized conductors such as Henry Leck, Dr. David Flood, and Dr. Will Kesling. Her choirs have been award winners in local and provincial festivals, where adjudicators often comment on the choir’s sense of ensemble and musical sensitivity. The impact of her musical leadership and mentorship is seen across the music scene in Calgary and beyond, as former choristers have gone on to become professional singers, voice teachers, conductors and composers. In 2017 Calgary Children’s Choir proudly celebrated its 30th anniversary.
Beyond the Calgary Children’s Choir program, Marni Strome is active as a teacher, conductor, and clinician. She has taught music for 30 years in the public education system, and has also led the choir of St. Giles Presbyterian Church for almost 20 years.
Having studied music formally from a young age, Marni Strome brings a lifelong love of music, singing and the choral art to her profession. Attesting to the diversity of her skills, as a youth, Marni also won provincial and national awards for composition. Mentors include her mother, Marian Smith, a prodigious piano player, conductor and musician; Rosemarie Sherban (founder of the Calgary Children’s Choir), David Ferguson, and Janos Horvath. Marni Strome received her bachelor’s degrees from the University of Calgary, and completed her Masters in Music degree from Holy Names University in Oakland, California, specializing in Music Education with Kodaly Emphasis. Marni has taught Kodaly Levels courses at both University of Calgary, and Silver Winds (Manitoba) summer programs.
She has studied choral conducting in numerous master class and summer seminar settings including Bulgaria, Hungary, Indianapolis, and California.
For fun, Marni enjoys spending time with her husband traveling, bike riding, reading, and exploring neighborhood ice cream and coffee shops.
Ms. Strome now enjoys her teaching position in San Francisco CA as the general music teacher at. St. Brigit School, where she also assists with the prestigious St Brigit’s Honor touring Choir (one of the St. Mary’s Cathedral Choirs) directed by Christoph Tietze.
Marni Strome has worked with the Calgary Children’s Choir as a Music Director since its inception in 1988, assuming the role of Artistic Director in 1993.
Facebook · Calgary Children’s Choir · Mar 10, 2022
This special concert is called “The Family We Choose” and includes the singers of three of their performing choirs – Calgary Junior’s Choir, Calgary Children’s Choir, and Calgary Youth Choir.
YouTube Calgary Children’s Choir
Dilworth Performed by the Calgary Youth Choir and Calgary Children’s Choir Conducted by Artistic Director, Marni Strome.