Top North Carolina High School Choral Students Perform at Mars Hill University

Mars Hill, NC (02/22/2022) — The 2022 J. Elwood Roberts/Mars Hill University Choral Festival returned to the campus of Mars Hill University on Saturday, February 19, 2022. The festival choir was conducted by renowned conductor and composer, Rollo A. Dilworth. Dilworth serves as the vice dean and professor of choral music education at Temple University.

The choral festival began in 1949 and had been held every year since, until COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the 2021 festival. Organizers made changes to the festival format, including switching from a two-day to a one-day format, limiting attendance at the closing concert to participants and their families, and requiring masks be worn by all participants and guests.

The 2022 choral festival featured 194 high school singers from 68 high schools across North Carolina. In addition to their performance under Dilworth's direction, the festival also included performances by MHU senior Elijah Smith, a music major from Lincolnton, North Carolina; music faculty members Cathy Adkins and Luke Shaver; the Mars Hill University Choir; and the African Collaborative Ensemble of the university's percussion ensemble.

Accompanist for the festival was Cathy Adkins, university organist, professor of music, and executive director of general studies at Mars Hill University. Festival coordinators were Jeannie Graeme, choral director at North Buncombe High School, and Rodney Caldwell, director of choral studies and associate professor of music at Mars Hill University.

The J. Elwood Roberts - Mars Hill University Choral Festival was established in 1949 by the late J. Elwood Roberts, a faculty member in the Mars Hill music department and choir director of Mars Hill Baptist Church. Roberts wanted to improve choral music in the high schools of western North Carolina. While in the beginning the clinic comprised about 15 schools in the closely-surrounding area, this annual event has grown into one of the premiere choral festivals in North Carolina and is the longest-known continuously-running festival of its type in the southeast. Each year over 800 students from approximately 100 high schools audition for the Festival Choir. Guest conductors have included some of the most prominent choral musicians in the United States.

Participant list, sorted by high school name:

Candice Birchfield, Junior, A.C. Reynolds High School
Cecilia Shaw, Senior, A.C. Reynolds High School
Grace Parker, Senior, A.C. Reynolds High School
Grace Geoffrey, Sophomore, A.C. Reynolds High School
Jesse Padgett, Sophomore, A.C. Reynolds High School
Joshua Ray, Senior, A.C. Reynolds High School
Kai'ana Ghassabian, Senior, A.C. Reynolds High School
Sarah Piercy, Sophomore, A.C. Reynolds High School
Emma Coley, Sophomore, Alexander Central
Luke Mitchell, Senior, Alexander Central
Myla Ratchford, Senior, Alexander Central
Fernanda Guerrero, Senior, Asheboro High School
Emelia Dollbaum, Senior, Atkins
Jeffrey Gibson, Sophomore, Atkins
Leah Albertson, Senior, Atkins
John Christopher, Sophomore, Avery County High School
Amelia Workman, Junior, Brevard High School
Bode Kicklighter, Junior, Brevard High School
Grace Gentle, Junior, Brevard High School
Isabella LaRose, Junior, Brevard High School
Lillian Smith, Junior, Brevard High School
Max Fletcher, Senior, Brevard High School
Isabella Bannister, Senior, Carrboro High School
Louie Wood, Senior, Carrboro High School
Preethi Coulter, Senior, Carrboro High School
Sofia Reitnauer, Senior, Carrboro High School
Cadence Olszewski, Senior, Central Cabarrus High School
Emery Dameron, Junior, Central Cabarrus High School
Jenna Guilmette, Sophomore, Central Cabarrus High School
Katie Bush, Senior, Central Cabarrus High School
Lilly Lewis, Sophomore, Charles D. Owen
Madelynn Lawrence, Senior, Clyde A. Erwin
Gracyn Hall, Senior, Cox Mill
Jamison Black, Senior, Cox Mill
Easton Hayes, Senior, Crest High School
Jolie Kymer, Sophomore, Cuthbertson High School
Ashton Mears, Sophomore, Draughn High School
Estefany Lemus Mora , Freshman, Draughn High School
Sofie Adams, Freshman, Draughn High School
Regan Rhymes, Senior, East Forsyth High School
Regina Eastimable, Senior, East Forsyth High School
Christian Estrada, Junior, East Gaston
Austin Blackburn, Senior, East Wilkes High School
James Cook, Junior, East Wilkes High School
Eli Powell, Senior, Elkin High School
Lily Gambill, Junior, Elkin High School
Logan Wilmoth, Senior, Elkin High School
Major Bryant, Junior, Elkin High School
Carlos Gonzalez, Senior, Enka High School
Reed Atherton, Junior, Enka High School
Emily Campbell , Senior, Forbush High School
Jacob Campbell, Junior, Forbush High School
Sophia Luper , Senior, Forbush High School
Erin Watson, Senior, Forestview High School
Juliana Roche-Lima, Sophomore, Forsyth Country Day
Caden Reece, Sophomore, Freedom High School
Carter Hurt, Senior, Freedom High School
Jacastus Horton, Senior, Freedom High School
Zeb Causby, Sophomore, Freedom High School
Kailee Sexton, Senior, Glenn High School
Eduardo Gutierrez, Sophomore, Hibriten
Eric Flanagan, Freshman, Hibriten
Terry Campbell, Freshman, Hibriten
Zaine Faw, Sophomore, Hibriten
Macen Lineberger, Sophomore, Hickory
Sarah Shoupe, Junior, Hickory Ridge High School
Basil Cook, Senior, Jesse C Carson
Eva Eller, Senior, Jesse C Carson
Malachi Williamson, Senior, Jesse C Carson
Stormy Cline, Senior, Jesse C.Carson
Ashley Gural, Junior, Kings Mountain High School
BreAnn Jenkins, Senior, Kings Mountain High School
Cheyenne Huffman, Senior, Kings Mountain High School
Landon Hartley, Sophomore, Kings Mountain High School
Mike Kidd, Senior, Kings Mountain High School
Olivia Wilson, Junior, Kings Mountain High School
Railey Bolt, Junior, Kings Mountain High School
Seabron Echols, Senior, Kings Mountain High School
Devin Rinberg, Freshman, Lake Norman High School
James Randolph, Junior, Lake Norman High School
Hanniah Luna, Junior, Lexington Senior High School
Isael Maldonado Zamudio, Senior, Lexington Senior High School
Mey Casados, Senior, Lexington Senior High School
Anslie Ollis, Senior, Lincolnton
Za'Kia Hamilton, Senior, Lincolnton
Areli Patterson, Senior, Lincolnton
Cayden Stephens, Junior, Lincolnton
Daunte Ramseur, Junior, Lincolnton
Ethan Vaughan , Junior, Lincolnton
Jadon Rhyne, Senior, Lincolnton
Kanighsha Thomas, Senior, Lincolnton
Teresa Greene, Senior, Lincolnton
Aaron Neighbors, Senior, Mountain Heritage High School
Owen Runge, Junior, Myers Park HS
Elizabeth Pennell, Senior, North Buncombe High School
Ryan Papaioannou, Sophomore, North Buncombe High School
Hannah Williamson, Senior, North Davidson
Skyenne Perrell, Junior, North Davidson
Lyric Contarino, Senior, North Iredell High School
Colby Mitchell, Senior, North Surry High School
Kaitlin Culbertson, Senior, North Surry High School
Mady Simmons, Junior, North Surry High School
Raegan Amos, Senior, North Surry High School
Will Danley, Senior, North Surry High School
Corban Pruitt, Junior, North Wilkes
Isaiah Rutherford, Senior, North Wilkes
Lillian Tran, Senior, Northern Guilford HS
Mackenzie Moore, Junior, Northern Guilford HS
Tara Flury, Junior, Oak Grove
Avery Martin, Senior, Parkwood High School
Maddie Simpson, Junior, Parkwood High School
Alijah Wilson, Senior, Piedmont Community Charter School
Daniel Esquivel, Junior, Piedmont Community Charter School
Jacob Sells, Senior, Piedmont Community Charter School
Trevor Moreland, Senior, Piedmont Community Charter School
Kyndyl Porter, Senior, Piedmont Community Charter School1
Karen Francoeur , Freshman, Pisgah
Daniel Yeargin, Senior, Pisgah
Joshua Clark, Senior, Pisgah
Iksha Anil, Senior, Providence HS
Justin Gerenza, Senior, Providence HS
Maeve Beck , Senior, Providence HS
Taegan Anderson, Senior, Providence HS
Catherine Kim, Junior, R.J. Reynolds
mallory morton, Junior, R.J. Reynolds
Evan Orndorff, Junior, Reagan
Georgia Wood, Junior, Robert L. Patton High School
Ashley Mina-Rodriguez, Senior, SE RDU Magnet
Elizabeth Sealy, Junior, Smoky Mountain
Mitchell Russotti, Senior, Smoky Mountain
Zander Bryant, Senior, Smoky Mountain
Nathen DeHart, Junior, Smoky Mountain
Abby Mastrovito, Senior, South Caldwell
Jolie-Dean Hipps, Senior, South Caldwell
Nicholas Swink, Senior, South Caldwell
Lydia Crawford, Senior, South Point High School
Maddon Rollins, Sophomore, South Point High School
Gabe Howard, Senior, Southwest Guilford HS
Jamal Spencer, Senior, Southwest Guilford HS
Madison Wirtz, Senior, Southwest Guilford HS
Max Dyer, Junior, Southwest Guilford HS
Annie York, Senior, Southwestern Randolph
Greyson Kinley, Senior, Southwestern Randolph
Jasmine Chanthadara, Senior, Southwestern Randolph
Jylian Taylor, Senior, Southwestern Randolph
Kara Jones, Senior, Southwestern Randolph
Riley Tajuna, Senior, St. Stephens High School
Alli Pardue, Senior, Starmount High School
Andre Powell, Junior, Starmount High School
Kaylyn Pozo, Junior, Surry Central
Olivia Smith, Junior, Surry Central
Arden Bode, Junior, TC Roberson High School
Ashley Dowdney, Senior, TC Roberson High School
Henry Clickner, Sophomore, TC Roberson High School
Kaila Barrow, Senior, TC Roberson High School
Aubry Spaulding, Senior, Watauga High
Brianna Anderson, Junior, Watauga High
Elias Topper, Junior, Watauga High
Jacob Tripp, Sophomore, Watauga High
Andrew Prine, Senior, Weaver Academy
Aurora Milholin, Senior, Weaver Academy
Ella Teachout, Junior, Weaver Academy
Helen Wong, Senior, Weaver Academy
India Jones, Junior, Weaver Academy
Joshua Thompson, Junior, Weaver Academy
Mira Eby, Junior, Weaver Academy
Naa Yemoley Yemofio, Senior, Weaver Academy
Rachel Terry, Senior, Weaver Academy
Kate Johnson, Junior, Weddington
Angelina Nieto, Senior, West Cabarrus High School
Carlin Crawford, Senior, West Cabarrus High School
Gustavo Meza, Senior, West Cabarrus High school
Ben Radspinner, Senior, West Forsyth High School
Jonathan York, Junior, West Forsyth High School
Jordan Speece , Senior, West Forsyth High School
Nicholas Peterson-Paugh, Junior, West Forsyth High School
Tatiyana Lancaster, Senior, West Forsyth High School
Bryson Moore, Junior, West Iredell
Emily Holman, Senior, West Wilkes
Kylie Brindle, Sophomore, West Wilkes
Skye Pereira, Senior, West Wilkes
Cami Briles, Senior, Wheatmore
Haley Allen, Senior, Wheatmore
Haley Hedrick, Senior, Wheatmore
Lillian Church, Senior, Wheatmore
Ian Mathis, Senior, Wilkes Central
Rebecca Langston, Senior, Wilkes Central
Sophie Pontzer, Senior, Wilkes Central
LilyKate Young, Senior, Wilkes Central
Nick Hall, Senior, Wilkes Central
Sherrlin Cardozo, Junior, Wilkes Central
Mary Kate Frisbie, Senior, William A. Hough
Chris Brammer, Senior, William A. Hough
Claire Roberts, Junior, William A. Hough

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