A chorus of 145 students from seven Armstrong County high schools will fill Kittanning Senior High School's auditorium with music this Thursday.

The annual Armstrong County Chorus Festival will be at Kittanning Senior High School Wednesday and Thursday of this week. The students will rehearse with a guest conductor Wednesday and Thursday, and then perform one public concert at 7 p.m. Thursday November 20 at Kittanning Senior High School, 1200 Orr Avenue, Kittanning. The concert will be in the school’s Performing Arts Center, or auditorium.

Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for students.

Here is the song list:

• Praise His Holy Name – by Keith Hampton

• I Lift Up Mine Eyes to the Mountains – by Elliot Z. Levine

• Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal – arr. By Alice Parker

• The Pasture – by Z. Randall Stroope

• How Can I Keep From Singing? – arr. By Gwyenth Walker

• Keep Your Lamps! – arr. By Andre Thomas

• You Are The New Day – by John David and Arr. By Peter Knight

• Shaker Songs – by Kevin Siegfried

Armstrong School District will be well-represented at this major event, which rotates throughout the seven high schools in Armstrong County. Roughly 75 students from Elderton, Ford City, Kittanning and West Shamokin high schools will sing in the chorus. They will be joined by their peers from Apollo-Ridge, Freeport Area and Leechburg Area high schools.

"We are excited to host the choral festival at Kittanning High School this year," said Emily Crossley, a choral teacher at Kittanning High School. "Promoting music education is such a joy, and being part of something of this magnitude is an honor, a blessing."

Dr. Robert Peavler will be the guest conductor. He serves as Assistant Professor of Voice at Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he teaches voice, class voice, French diction, and voice pedagogy. Dr. Peavler received his undergraduate degree in Choral Music Education from Central Michigan University and both a Masters of Music and Doctor of Music in Vocal Performance from Florida State University. An active performer, Dr. Peavler performs across the country as a recitalist and soloist. He was recently featured as a guest soloist with the IUP Wind Ensemble at the 2008 College Band Directors Eastern Division Conference. Dr. Peavler's students consistently place at the top of their divisions in state and regional auditions and he is proud of their contributions as music teachers and professional singers across the country.

To qualify for this festival, students had to be selected by audition in their local high school. The choral festival often serves as a springboard for student interest in auditioning for the annual District Chorus festival, held each January and representing some of the best vocal talent in 33 local school districts.