Antelope County Students Sing At NVC Choral Clinic

Hundreds of students from 17 Niobrara Valley Schools sang in the conference choral clinic in Orchard on Monday. The students performed a public concert in the gym that evening.

Clinician Fred Ritter, a retired music educator from Columbus, and formerly of North Platte, directed the students and Carol Thiele of Clearwater was the accompanist.

The public concert started off with individual school performances from five choirs: Clearwater-Orchard - "I Hope You Dance," Elkhorn Valley Show Choir - "The Walker," Neligh-Oakdale - "The Power of One," Elgin Pope John - "River of Dreams," and Verdigre - "Celebrate Music."

The individual songs were followed by a solo performance from West Holt's Chase Harrison, who sang "Home" in honor of his brother Ty Sawyer. Sawyer serves with the U.S. Air Force in San Antonio had just surprised his family by returning during the NVC concert.

Directors from NVC schools put on their own show, singing "Best Day of my Life" prior to the final conference choir songs. Under the direction of Ritter, the NVC Conference Choir sang "Can You Hear," "Dreams of Thee," "He Never Failed Me Yet," and "Make Them Hear You."

Now retired, Ritter spent the past 37 years teaching high school and junior high vocal music. He is currently the president of the Nebraska Music Educators Association. His most recent award, the “Cornell Runestad Award,” was presented for his lifetime dedication to choral excellence. 

Schools participating in the NVC choral clinic were: Chambers, Clearwater-Orchard, Elgin, Elkhorn Valley, Ewing, Keya Paha, Lynch, Neligh-Oakdale, Niobrara, Pope John, Rock County, Santee, Stuart, Verdigre, West Boyd, West Holt and Wheeler Central.