Hartselle choir hits high note at Carnegie Hall

For students at Hartselle High School, stepping onto the world-renowned stage at Carnegie Hall was the culmination of years of hard work and determination. Under the direction of their choir director Kate Dupuis, the students were invited to perform at the prestigious venue in New York City Nov. 26.

For Dupuis, the dream of performing at Carnegie Hall with her students was always in the back of her mind. “I have always wanted to take students to perform at Carnegie Hall, but I wanted it to be the right experience,” she explained. After a few earlier invita-tions to sing with other choirs, it wasn’t until the chance to perform with world-renowned composer and conductor Eric Whitacre became available that she knew this was the opportunity they had been waiting for.

“I submitted the video of our AMEA performance as our audition, and we heard back that we had been accepted before the week was out,” Dupuis said. The news came as a thrilling surprise. “It felt very surreal to be able to present a once-in-a-lifetime type of opportunity to my singers.” Preparation for such an elite performance began months before they boarded the plane for New York. The choir, who had been working on the music since July, put in countless hours practicing together and individually. Students worked on voice tracks at home and attended afterschool rehearsals, building their skills and strengthening their voices in preparation for the demanding program.

Dupuis said the experience was equally intense.

“I was able to sing on this performance with them, so I had to put in a lot of hours to master my own music as well,” she said. The program was challenging, with many pieces described as “collegiate level” in terms of difficulty. The choir’s ability to memorize the intricate music was a significant challenge. “There were many, many hours of preparation that went into this performance,” she said. “I was really proud of how hard my kids worked to make it happen.” After months of anticipation, the Hartselle choir finally took to the stage at Carnegie Hall. The students were in awe as they walked into the legendary venue, which they had dreamed of performing in for so long. “There are not many things that get to me as a performer anymore, but I teared up walking out for the first time,” Dupuis said. “It’s something we will all remember for the rest of our lives.” Whitacre selected most of the pieces for the program, including several of his own compositions. One of the most memorable moments of the performance was when the choir sang Lux Aurumque, one of his signature pieces.

“Eric talked about how he composed the piece to train the audience to breathe in sync with the performers,” Dupuis explained. “When we performed it, it was so effective, and unbelievably beautiful. It was completely different with (him) conducting.” For the students, the experience had a lasting impact on their musical growth. “Learning this music and going through the rehearsal process with the composer himself has been a great experience,” Dupuis said. “It pushed them to master some really difficult music, and I know it will have a lasting impact on their musicianship.” As for the choir’s future, Dupuis said she is hopeful that this incredible experience will inspire even more students to join the program.

“Across the board, I think it will push our singers to be even better than they were before,” she said. “I also hope it serves as the impetus for getting some more kids into the program.”