50 N. George Street - York, Pennsylvania 17401
717.846.1155 x303 honorschoiryc@hotmail.com
Copyright © 2011 York County Honors Choirs. All Rights Reserved.
Senior Honors Choir
Senior Choir Directors
Randy Yoder is a graduate of Susquehanna University with a Bachelor of Science degree in music education, where he studied piano with Galen Deibler. At Westminster Choir College, he earned a Master of Music Degree in choral conducting, studying with Joseph Flummerfelt, and sang under the direction of Leonard Bernstein, James Levine and Pierre Boulez. At Berklee College of Music in Boston, he did additional studies in jazz. Following 35 years as the choral director at Northeastern and William Penn High Schools and teacher of piano and music theory, Randy is the Director of Music at Eastminster Presbyterian Church in York and the Director of the York County Senior Honors Choir and Concorde Vocal Ensemble. He has led choruses in ten concert tours of Europe and Great Britain, and his choirs have performed in Notre Dame in Paris, St. Mark's in Venice, Canterbury Cathedral and the York Minster in England, the National Cathedral in Washington and Carnegie Hall in New York. Randy is a guest conductor for choral festivals, accompanist for numerous vocal recitals and has been awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Music Composition for public television WITF-TV's production of "Historic Pennsylvania." Randy is the President-Elect of the Pennsylvania American Choral Directors Association.
Michal Buchanan is the Assistant Director of the York County Senior Honors Choir and the Choral Director at William Penn High School in the School District of the City of York, PA. She has earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education with an emphasis on piano from Asbury College in Wilmore, KY and has done graduate work at Penn State York and Millersville University.
York County Senior Honors Choir
2011-2012
The York County Senior Honors Choir was established in 1997 as part of the 250th Anniversary celebration of the founding of York County, PA. The 130 voice choir is comprised of high school singers (grades 10, 11 and 12) from York County's public and private school systems and home-schooled students. Members of the choir are strongly encouraged to be members of their school choral organizations and are recommended by their school choral directors, voice teachers and church choir directors. They then gain admittance to the Honors Choir by audition.
Performing approximately 10 times each year, the Senior Honors Choir rehearses on Sunday afternoons in September, October and November to prepare a "major work" for performance with orchestra or other instrumental ensemble. Major works performed include Orff's "Carmina Burana", Faure's "Requiem", Rutter's "Gloria", Mozart's "Regina Coeli" and Randall Thompson's "Song of Democracy".
Following a break in December, the choir resumes Sunday rehearsals in January and February to prepare a concert repertoire of secular and sacred accompanied and a cappella literature for the remainder of the season. Choir venues include banquets, conventions, churches and scholarship programs. The season culminates in May with a Season Finale Concert performed in conjunction with the York County Junior Honors Choir.
The Senior Honors Choir has performed major works with the York Youth Symphony, sung for President George H.W. Bush, PA Gov. Tom Ridge, performed in the United Nations, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, Canterbury Cathedral and the York Minster in England, Washington National Cathedral, and at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore.
Concorde Vocal Ensemble
The Concorde Vocal Ensemble, consisting of 45 members chosen by audition from the York County Senior Honors Choir, was selected as one of two high school groups chosen from a nationwide competition to perform in the National High School Choral Festival at Carnegie Hall in New York City on February 13, 2011. The group performed the "Requiem" by Hector Berlioz with members of the Atlanta Symphony Chorus and the Orchestra of St. Luke's under the direction of Robert Spano, the conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Concorde was one of only twenty choirs chosen from ten Northeastern states to sing for the American Choral Director's Association Eastern Division Conference in Providence, Rhode Island, on February 16, 2012. (See Special Events Gallery page.)
The Concorde Vocal Ensemble is a community choir comprised of high school singers in grades 10 through 12 from many York County school districts and home-schooled students. The members of Concorde are chosen by audition and represent their schools as some of the best young musicians in York County, PA.
The York County Honors Choirs’ roots date back to 1997, when a single choir of high school students from across York County, PA was formed to allow them to participate in the county’s 250th anniversary celebration. Now, fourteen years later, there are two main choirs and two smaller performance groups all of which are made up of students from across York County in grades 7 to 12. The choirs are the creations of an independent, non-profit organization that has fostered unique relationships with school districts to represent all of York County. The choirs have a mission of celebrating the county’s rich diversity through the voices of youth.
The director of the Concorde Vocal ensemble is Randy Yoder and the assistant director is Michal Buchanan. The president of the Honors Choir advisory board is Judy Simpson and Susan Boyer is the executive director.
"Gloria", December 17, 2011, with Pittsburgh's River City Brass
"Psalm 96" February, 2012
Edward Allison-York Suburban
Christina Altland-Central
Jonathan Altland-Central
Srinidhi Alur-Central
*Kayla Anelli-Susquehannock
*Jacob Arbittier-Dallastown
David Arbogast-West York
Ryan Arnold-Dover
Grace Atherholt-Home School
Trent Bartz-Eastern
Sean Bathgate-South Western
*Benjamin Becker-Dover
Sara Behm-Spring Grove
Danielle Bentzel-Central
Joshua Bentzel-West York
*Tyler Bentzel-Dover
Emily Blevins-Home School
Rebekah Buchanan-York Suburban
Candace Campbell-York Suburban
Rachel Chopka-Northern
Megan Cintron-West York
Nathan Conklin II-Home School
Abagayle Copp-Northeastern
*Samantha Crabill-Central
*Ryan Creedon-Dallastown
Rebekka Cuadro-West York
Shanna Davidson-York Suburban
Brant Davis-Dallastown
*Juline Deppen-Dallastown
*Maureen Devlin-York Catholic
Cheyenne Diehl-West York
*Sarah Dudney-Central
Rachel Edwards-Northeastern
*Kathryn Feehan-Dallastown
*Gregory Feldmann-Central
Mandolynn Ferrere-William Penn
Jessica Freeze-Central
Rachel Frey-York Suburban
Greg Gable-West York
*Emily Gibbs-Northeastern
Erin Gildea-Red Lion
Gabe Gladfelter-West York
Grace Gladfelter-West York
Paul Glusco II-Dallastown
Joshua Godfrey-West York
*Bradlee Gorrera-West York
Emilee Gorski-Dallastown
*Helen Gunn-York Suburban
Lauren Hake-Northeastern
Amanda Hale-York Tech
*Megan Hanlon-West York
Aaron Harbaugh-Dover
*Hanna Harmon-Northern
Arden Harper-Dover
*Rachel Hawkins-Northern
*Wesley Hemmann-Red Lion
Caitlyn Herman-Dover
*Logan Herrick-Eastern
*Alec Hinchcliff-Central
Abby Hudson-Central
Mikayla Iati-York Catholic
Rachel Kelly-Hanover
Mitchell Kissinger-Central
Amy Krape-Home School
Laura Lesher-Dallastown
*Joshua Lewis-Eastern
Nathan Limbert-West York
Madison Luckenbaugh-Central
Maria Lytle-Dallastown
*Kayla Mackley-Red Lion
*Miranda Markowski-Red Lion
*Jamie Marrs-Northeastern
*Timothy McGee-Red Lion
Colleen McGonigle-Susquehannock
Jacquelyn Meacher-Dover
*Mack Meyer-South Western
*Larissa Miller-Dover
*Tyler Miller-Red Lion
Jessie Mummert-William Penn
*Graeme Nelson-Red Lion
Leah Noll-West York
Jasmine Null-South Western
*Ethan Ohl-York Suburban
Adele Owens-South Western
*Emily Owens-Dover
Catherine Patterson-Home School
*Christina Pavoncello-York Suburban
Mary Pendergast-York Suburban
*Viktor Polites-Central
Natalie Potter-Dallastown
Andrew Pritchard-Red Lion
*Kevin Rieth-York Catholic
Caitlyn Rogers-Red Lion
*Gabriel Ryan -Home School
*Shelby Salisbury-Red Lion
*Justin Schilling-Dallastown
Meredith Schlager-Central
*Maura Schmidt-York Catholic
Cody Seibert-Dover
Rachel Sentz-Red Lion
Claire Shook-Northern
Abby Shore-Eastern
Dimitra Skouras-Dallastown
Peter Snell-Northeastern
Colton Spangler-Spring Grove
*Anna Stetter-South Western
Maxine Stough-West York
Abby Sutherland-West York
Emily Sutter-Home School
Jordan Swartz-Dallastown
Brett Tallman-West York
Matthew Tallman-West York
*Zachary Terrazas-Hanover
Alissa Wagner-South Western
Victoria Walker-Central
*Theresa Walsh-Eastern
*Katelyn Waltimyer-Red Lion
*Brendan Warren-Dover
Brianna Weaver-West York
Annemarie Webb-Northern
Sophie White-York Catholic
Zoe Wildasin-Spring Grove
Leah Wiley-Northeastern
Megan Wilson-Northern
Abby Wysocki-Spring Grove
*Emily Zimmerman-Dover
*Matthew Zook-Northern
Lindsay Zumbrum-South Western
*Concorde Vocal Ensemble
Special Announcement
Congratulations to our Senior Honors Choir Director, Randy Yoder, who has been elected as the ACDA-PA (American Choral Directors Association, Pennsylvania Chapter) President-Elect Designate, beginning a six-year term on July 1, 2013, as President-Elect for two years, followed by two years as President and two years as Vice President.
"Sing a Song of Sixpence" - Video performance at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence, Rhode Island, February 2012
(A Soundwaves Recording)
"Glory, Glory Hallelujah!", May 22, 2011
