50 N. George Street - York, Pennsylvania 17401
717.846.1155 x303 honorschoiryc@hotmail.com
Copyright © 2011 York County Honors Choirs. All Rights Reserved.
Junior Honors Choir
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About the Director
Donna Knott is in her tenth season as the Director of the York County Junior Honors Choir. A Graduate of West Chester University (B.S. Music Education) and Penn State University (Master of Education), her thesis focused on "An Extensive Study of the Young Male's Changing Voice in Correlation to His Interest in Singing." Donna is a member of PMEA, ACDA and a frequent adjudicator and clinician for choral music educators' conferences, workshops, festivals and schools throughout Pennsylvania.
After teaching in the West York Area School District for 10 years, she served a three-year term on the Board for PA-ACDA for Vocal Jazz and Show Choirs, and three years as Director of Music at Zion United Methodist Church in York. She founded and chaired the Zion Concert Series (1992-2002) and directed seven music ensembles. Mrs. Knott is most proud of their endeavors to offer free community concerts, music scholarships for youth of York County, and Senior Recital opportunities for graduating high school and college students from the York County area. Presently, she directs Zion's women's ensemble, New Day, and the touring youth choir, Joyful NOIZ.
Mrs. Knott has sung professionally with the Mississippi Opera Company and Fred Waring & the Pennsylvanians (1984). After joining Mr. Waring's staff in 1988, she enjoyed 22 years as Director of the Fred Waring Elderhostel Workshops at Penn State and Co-Directed the Fred Waring U.S. Chorus. This group of 100 youth from all over the U.S. presented concerts at Penn State, a WPSX television program, and a concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
About the Accompanist
Carol Heagy, a graduate of York College of Pennsylvania, is the director of the Crispus Attucks Early Learning Center. In addition to being the accompanist for the Junior Honors Choir, she is a worship pianist and accompanist for several vocal and instrumental groups at Zion United Methodist Church in York and pianist for musicals at Central York High School and York Little Theatre. In the past, Carol has been the accompanist for the Senior Honors Choir, the Phoenix Vocal Ensemble, the York Symphony Chorus, the York Chamber Singers, the District VII Middle School Songfest and the York County Elementary Choral Festival.
About the Coordinator
Lark Ann Waltimyer serves as Coordinator for the Junior Honors Choir. In her position, she handles the many recordkeeping details necessary to support a choir of over 100 young singers, and she greets the singers and their parents at every event, making sure that everyone feels welcome. She works as a nurse at a family medical practice in her "other life."
Junior Honors Choir, "Musica Dei Donum Optimi," May 22, 2011
Synergy Vocal Ensemble,
"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"
Sarah Pell, Dallastown
*Mark Peters II, Red Lion
Alexander Pinkerton, York Country Day
Shannon Pizzirusso, Eastern
Ellen Grace Polites, Central
Lily Riale, South Eastern
*Emily Salter, Central
*Kyra Sanchez, Northeastern
*Mallory Schaffer, Dallastown
Noah Schmitt, West York
*Ben Scofield, Dallastown
Bonna Sheehan, South Western
Jacob Shoemaker, York Suburban
*Alexandra Skouras, Dallastown
Autumn Smith, Dallastown
Madison Smith, Red Lion
*Avery Szostak, Central
Albert Taglieri, Spring Grove
Katie Tallman, West York
*Christopher Thiess, Dallastown
Monica Toren, West York
Alondra Torres, York City
*Vanessa Trauger, Dallastown
Sarah Vega, Homeschool
Erin Villarose, York County School of
Technology
*Dylan Warner, Central
*Adam Washburn Jr., Spring Grove
*Jeannine Webb, Northern
*Therese Wood, Homeschool
Susan Wood, Homeschool
Leon Zellers III, Dover
* Synergy Vocal Ensemble
*Thomas Gunning, West York
Kendra Hebenstreit, Northern
Sarah Helt, Red Lion
Zachary Hendrickson, Northern
*Madison Herman, Dover
Noah Hewitt, South Western
Maria Hildebrand, Spring Grove
John Hinchcliff, Central
*Ryan Hohman, South Western
*Kyle Horn, Dover
*Miles Iati, York Catholic
Queeneth Igwe, York Country Day
*Zackery Inamagua, Central
Melissa Ingersoll, Eastern
Katie Kann, Dover
*Julianna Kates, York Suburban
Sara Kitting, York Suburban
Brooke LaNasa, Homeschool
Mitchell Lauer, Dallastown
*Taylor Lentz, Dover
Christian Lowery, West York
*Zach Lowery, West York
*Sarah Lytle, Dallastown
Matthew McAneny, Northern
*Kayla Miller, Dover
Sam Miller, Dallastown
Megan Miller, Spring Grove
*Grace Nale, Red Lion
*Hunter Osterhoudt, Northern
*Jason Pandelidis, Dallastown
*Lauren Parrini, York Catholic
*Matthew Paulus, Northern
*Anna Pavoncello, York Suburban
Jonathan Abel, York Suburban
*Alexis Anelli, Southern
Avery Apgar, Central
*Rose Arbittier, Dallastown
Abby Astrachan, Dallastown
*Gavin Barclay, York Suburban
*Carolyn Barton, York Suburban
*Kellen Beck, Central
Samantha Beck, Central
*Brady Bennett, Dover
*Thomas Bentzel, West York
*Adam Bissell, Northern
*Carter Bowman, Central
Ashlee Byers, Southern
Jacob Caralle, Central
James Chopka, Northern
*Nick Chrissomallis, Spring Grove
Elizabeth Cook, Dover
*Lauren Cooksey, Dallastown
*Meg Cramer, Dallastown
*Nathanael Curry, Northern
*Alexa Draganosky, York Catholic
Grant Dudney, Central
Rebecca Emig, Northern
*Emma Fletcher, Southern
Gabe Fryar, York Suburban
Kathryn Giambalvo, Central
Hannah Gilhool, Central
*Lelia Gilhool, Central
Phoebe Glattacker, Dallastown
Jonathan Goodstein, York Country Day
Kathryn Gordon, York Catholic
Allison Gunn, York Suburban
The Junior Honors Choir was formed in 2002, with students in grades 7-9 from across York County invited to come together to audition and explore choral music in a safe and encouraging environment. Mrs. Donna Knott was recruited as Director, and she remains with the group today. The result was astounding: while students learned to make beautiful music in a non-competitive environment, they came to value the new friendships, self-esteem building, and camaraderie that are the philosophic hallmarks of the Junior Honors Choir. In addition, students who participate in the choir receive special support and understanding from Mrs. Knott, who has particular knowledge of the challenges young singers face as their voices change through the teen years.
During the performance season (January through June), the Junior Choir rehearses just five times and performs ten to twelve times in the community. The Junior Choir has performed at conferences including the American Choral Directors Association Eastern Regional Conference in Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania ACDA Summer Conference and the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association. They have participated in choral workshops with such conductors as Dr. Anthony Leach, director of "Essence of Joy" from Penn State University; Dr. Lon Beery from Rochester, NY; Christine Jordanoff from Duquesne University; and Adlai Binger from Albright University. They have sung with the York Symphony Orchestra and in numerous venues around York County.
A recent addition to the Junior Honors Choir is the Synergy Vocal Ensemble, a specially selected group of about 40 singers. This group is available to sing in smaller venues and in special situations when the full choir is not appropriate. Most recently the Vocal Ensemble sang with the David Benoit Quartet in "A Charlie Brown Christmas" at the Pullo Center in York.
York County Junior Honors Choir
2011-2012
Junior Honors Choir, "The Cuckoo," May 22, 2011
Junior Honors Alumni Choir
