North Hills Junior High Choirs to Sing, Host Fall Festivals

will play host to two upcoming middle school choral festivals – Mucho Macho Music, for boys with changing voices, and Sweet Harmony, for middle school girls.

Both festivals are sponsored by the Southwest Region of the American Choral Directors Association of Pennsylvania. 

In its eighth year, Mucho Macho Music is the annual song festival for boys in grades six through nine. This year’s festival will take place from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8, in the junior high auditorium. 

Guest conducting the event is Michael Horanski, a former Pennsylvania choral director who teaches in the Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia.  While in Pennsylvania, Mr. Horanski taught at Dorseyville Middle School in the Fox Chapel Area School District, and was also the conductor of the WPXI-TV Carol Sing. 

Joining the 110 middle school boys is the Westminster College Men’s Chorus, directed by Dr. Robin Lind. The WC Men serve as mentors to the boys during the day, sitting with them in rehearsal, and performing for them as well. 

In addition to observing rehearsals, middle school choral directors will participate in professional development – discussing topics relevant to choral music education. The festival ends with an informal closing performance at 3 p.m. in the auditorium. 

The performance is free and open to the public.

The “sister” festival to Mucho Macho, Sweet Harmony, was created in 2008 in response to directors’ requests to hold a similar festival for middle school girls.

This year’s Sweet Harmony festival takes place from 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18, at North Hills Junior High School. 

Guest conducting the more than 150 girls will be Donna Knott, director of the York County Junior Honors Choir. Assisting her throughout the day will be guest performers from the University of Pittsburgh Women’s Choral Ensemble, under the direction of Lorraine Milovac. Just as the Westminster Men spent the day with the Mucho Macho boys, the Pitt Women will do the same with the Sweet Harmony girls, sitting with them and performing for them. 

The informal closing performance for this festival will take place at 3 p.m. in the North Hills Junior High auditorium. 

The performance is free and open to the public.

Participating in the festivals from North Hills are the following:

Mucho Macho:

• Grade 9:  Andrew Hutmire, Justin Karl, and Matt Plazek
• Grade 7:  Joe Kelly and Alex Frisk

Sweet Harmony:

• Grade 9: Maria Botterman, Christine Brown, Abigail Lieb, Claire Marshalek, and Umayma Wilkerson-Dixon
• Grade 8:  Margot California, Carley Cassandro, Willow Kentzel, Sarah Knobeloch, Isabella Roll, Kara Septak, and Regan Schell
• Grade 7:  Anna Emmons, Bridget Forsythe, Brittani Hagerman, and Bethany Tonarelli

Have you heard any of the choirs sing before? What did you think? Tell us in the comments.