By Louis Hoglund
It was a wow experience for a Perham group of more than 50 who journeyed to New York City in mid-January.
To walk on the premiere stage in the world...Wow, said Colman Silbernagel, a singer in the Perham High School choir, reflecting on the groups performance at Carnegie Hall. For us seniors, it was a nice cap on our choir careers.
Choir director Kevin Kosiak, and students Silbernagel and Allina McCrady, gave a brief report at the Feb. 15 Perham-Dent school board meeting.
ADVERTISEMENT
Forty-nine singers and 15 chaperones participated in the tour.
This is the first time in my career Ive actually wanted to come to the school board, said choir director Kosiak with a laugh. Usually, its the school board that wants me to come to the meeting.
Kosiak said he wanted to bring student representatives to the meeting to personally thank the board for the experience.
Amazing Week is how Kosiak described the trip with the choir and chaperones. Sight-seeing included the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, and Ground Zero.
One of the most inspirational visits for Silbernagel was a small church in the heart of the city which was virtually untouched by the destruction all around it after the 9-11 terrorist attack.
The Perham choir was recommended by music conducting teacher Robert Harris, Northwestern University, Illinois. Harris is Kosiaks instructor in a post-graduate program.
The finale during the choir performances was a mass choir of all the visiting groups, accompanied by a professional orchestra.
Most of the choirs that traveled to the event were from the southern states--Tennessee, Texas, Mississippi, and North Carolina. Perham was the only high school group, said Kosiak, as the rest of the groups were either college or church choirs.
ADVERTISEMENT
We were better prepared than any of the other choirs, said Silbernagel. It is a tribute to Mr. Kosiak and his work ethic.
We did Perham proud, added choir member Allina McCrady.
