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June 4, 2003

Purdue attracts choral singers from throughout the state

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – More than 400 women from nearly 40 counties throughout Indiana will travel to Purdue University to participate in the Extension Choral Festival Day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday (6/10).

Throughout the day county choruses will perform songs in the North Ballroom of the Purdue Memorial Union. An award also will be presented to the outstanding member of an Extension chorus. The award honors Patty Hunt, a former member of the Vigo County Extension chorus.

At 7:30 p.m. the choruses will assemble for a "Purdue Women in Song" concert in Loeb Playhouse. The concert is conducted by Brian Breed, Purdue Musical Organizations director. Tickets are available at the door for $5.

The Extension choruses have been rehearsing for the concert since August when Breed sent a music selection book to each group. Songs to be performed include "Back Home Again in Indiana," "On the Banks of the Wabash" and "God Bless America," to name a few.

Jane Massey, of Frankfort, Ind., who serves as the director of the Tippecanoe and Clinton county choruses, has been attending the festival for 16 years. She says it is the highlight of her spring.

"Some of the friendships that I have acquired over the years have been extraordinary," Massey says. "I always look forward to seeing my old friends, meeting new friends and singing in the afternoon and the evening performance. It is always a thrill to participate in the evening show, for this is the only existing Extension chorus in the state."

Massey, who also is choral director at Klondike Middle School in West Lafayette, says representatives from PMO visit many of the choruses to help them prepare for the festival.

The festival is held each year in conjunction with the Home and Family Conference, which is sponsored by the School of Consumer and Family Sciences. The Extension choruses began in 1933 when PMO founder Al Stewart formed a small chorus to perform on WBAA Radio.

Counties which will be represented include Tippecanoe, Hendricks, Gibson, Hamilton, Monroe, Vanderburgh, Howard, Montgomery, Lake, Fulton, Clinton, Putnam, Rush, Benton, Cass, Porter, Jasper, Parke, Blackford, Jay, Huntington, Kosciusko, Madison, Delaware, Wells, Starke, Marion, Pulaski, DeKalb, Bartholomew, Vigo and Marshall.

CONTACT: Massey, jmassey@iquest.net; Julie Ricciardi, PMO Club director, (765) 494-3947, jericciardi@purdue.edu.

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu


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