The 15th annual Diocese of Columbus Catholic Schools Honor Choir concert was held Tuesday, March 19 at Ohio Dominican University's Matesich Theatre.
The theme of this year’s concert was “Let There Be Peace.” The honor choir was composed of 112 students in grades four through eight representing 11 diocesan Catholic grade schools.
Sheila Cafmeyer, the choir director at Ohio Dominican University (ODU), conducted this year’s concert. She has directed the Diocese of Columbus Catholic Schools Honor Choir since its inception in 2008.
The honor choir performed six songs in this year’s performance and each piece featured a soloist. The evening began with performances from choirs representing ODU, Columbus Bishop Watterson High School, Columbus St. Cecilia School and Reynoldsburg St. Pius X School.
Diocesan music teachers Karen Smith and Sharon Silleck received the Music Teacher Recognition award that honors music teachers who put their time and talents into growing their students’ gifts.
Smith is a music teacher at St. Pius X School. Silleck is the director of liturgical music at Lancaster Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption and a teacher at Lancaster St. Mary of the Assumption School and Lancaster Fisher Catholic High School.
Earlier that day, students in the honor choir gathered in the university’s Christ the King Chapel for a morning Mass celebrated by Father Dan Millisor, the university chaplain. The Mass celebrated the Solemnity of St. Joseph with hymns sung to the patron of the Universal Church.
The day continued with rehearsals as a group and sectionals led by music teachers and parish music directors. Salt and Light, the student campus ministry organization at ODU, organized singers into small groups for games and activities.
A diocesan high school honor choir for students in grades eight through 11 is in the planning stages. For more information or students who are interested should contact Cafmeyer at [email protected].
