THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, June 19, 1996 TAG: 9606180120
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 09 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GARY EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 49 lines
Kempsville High School singers went north of the border and brought home a prestigious international award. At the springtime Heritage Festival in Toronto, Canada, a group of elite singers placed first for madrigals and the chorus won the Sweepstakes Award for overall competition.
The honor was especially gratifying to chorus director Lydia Tolliver and the seniors who performed at the competition. Tolliver has worked with some of the singers for six years.
``I had many of them at Kempsville Middle School and they moved with me to the high school,'' she said.
The word ``madrigal'' derives from a form of a cappella, or singing sans instrumental accompaniment, popular in England in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. It is used generically to indicate a group of fewer than 30 voices in the most advanced form of high school singing. Kempsville performed three songs in Canada: ``Christus Factus Est'' by Bruckner; ``Dirait-On'' by Lawrence; and ``Summers Good Feeling'' by Julius P. Williams, a one-time member of James Brown's band. Although Brown is known as the ``Godfather of Soul,'' Tolliver downplayed that. ``I think there's only so much you can do with hey!'' she said.
Tolliver teaches the mixed chorus, the concert choir and the girls chorus as well as the madrigals, which has 22 voices.
``We spent about 10 to 12 hours each week rehearsing,'' said Tolliver, referring to her madrigal group. ``That's year-round.''
Members of the group earned more than $25,000 in musical scholarships this year. Brad White, Jason Wise, Rebecca Damron, Alicia Rousseau, Jennifer Serafino and Lashawn Welch will all study music in college come September.
Wise, White and junior Brian McDonald are instrumentalists who became vocalists.
``We have a number of pianists, too,'' said Tolliver, a high school flutist turned college singer at Hampton University.
``Musical talent is certainly indispensable,'' said Tolliver. ``However, a singer without great talent can be trained if he or she has the right attitude.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MORT FRYMAN
The Kempsville High School madrigal singers, led by, from left, Beth
Weaver, chorus director Lydia Tolliver, Lashawn Welch and Jennifer
Mills, have earned more than $25,000 in musical scholarships this
year. by CNB