Waukon Choir members attend RitterSing Honor Choir, perform with Barbershop Harmony Society Champions ...

Saturday, October 2, students in seventh through 12th grades from the Waukon Middle School and High School attended the RitterSing Honor Choir (formerly known as Real Men Sing) at Wartburg College in Waverly. RitterSing is designed to bring together tenor and bass singers from across the region to jump-start and motivate the bass clef singers in high school choral programs early in the year. The festival offers two choirs: a 7th-9th/10th Grade Middle School Chorus and a 9th Grade-Adult Chorus. Choir directors can choose whichever choir works best for their students.

Students attending are pictured in the photo above and include: Left to right - Front row: Trevor Block, Trent Schullo, Drake Hankes and Issac Johanningmeier; Back row: Gabe Goettel, Reagan Lubahn, Caleb Perkins, Jaedyn McGuire and John Marti. They are under the direction of Sarah J. Bieber (Grades 6-12 Vocal Music Instructor) and chaperone Caitlyn Owen (Grades PK-5 Elementary Music Teacher).

Dr. Lee Nelson, director of choral activities at Wartburg College, conducts the high school chorus. Nationally recognized guest director Adam Reinwald, artistic and managing director of Kantorei and former Cantus baritone, conducted the middle school chorus, and a guest ensemble performs with and for the RitterSing participants. The students learned from and sang with guest ensemble Signature, the 2019 International Barbershop Harmony Society Quartet Champions (pictured in the photo below with Waukon High School students Gabe Goettel and John Marti). The Barbershop Song “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond was learned and sung by the students, along with Signature, for the finale at the Grand Concert that evening. Submitted photos.