Early on Oct. 31, six choral singers from Albert Lea High School and their teacher, Diane Heaney, left for Collegeville for a large choral festival at St. John’s University.

The festival is sponsored by American Choral Directors Association of Minnesota and is held annually to provide high school and collegiate age singers an opportunity to sing high quality men’s and women’s choral literature together. Attending from Albert Lea were sophomores, Jessica Vano, Erin Everhard, Claire Buendorf, Stuart Behling, Zach Battleson and Seth Tovar.

More than 500 women and 400 men singers rehearsed four pieces in same gender groups during the day under the leadership of different college conductors. They also listened to two separate hour-long concerts featuring the college choirs.

A special treat was listening to former ALHS students Kelli Hanson and Kaitlin Walker from Albert Lea and Christine Nicholson from Blooming Prairie sing in the University of Minnesota Women’s Chorus.

The day concluded with a grand concert featuring the large men’s and women’s choirs, and then all 900 singers combined for a beautiful finale piece including brass and organ entitled “Homeland.” The concert was held at the Great Abby Church for a full house.