ELY- The voices of over 110 area high school choir students came together to fill Washington Auditorium as the Boundary Waters Choral Festival concert got underway on March 3.

Under the direction of Dr. Matthew Olson, the artistic director of the Bach Ensemble, a professional chamber orchestra and choir based in Minneapolis, the combined choir performed two traditional pieces plus the world premiere of a piece composed by 16-year-old Ely High School student Caleb Littler, titled “The Ocean Yawned.”

Caleb spoke about the process of composing the piece, which was set to a poem written by a friend he had made at the Interlochen Music Camp. Olson noted that as a composer himself, he was impressed with Caleb’s work process, and noted Caleb had completed a major revision to the piece, getting it to its final form. Caleb explained he had written the melody to ebb and flow, like the ocean being described in the poem.

Caleb was eager to take his place back on the risers as a member of the choir, and Olson directed the piece that the choir students sang beautifully.

The festival choir was one of the highlights of the concert, which featured six high school choirs singing the pieces they would be performing later this month at the state high school league choir contest, as well as a rousing rendition by three Ely Choir students of the hip hop anthem “My Shot,” from the hit Broadway show Hamilton, and featured performances by the University of Minnesota- Duluth voice and opera faculty, Alice Pierce, Elias Mokole, and Rachel Inselman, who gave small group lessons to students during the day.

The Boundary Waters Choral Festival is celebrating its eighth year.

“We wanted to bring together choral students from rural schools,” said organizer Billie Rouse, “and provide them with an exceptional mass choir experience.”

Students from Ely, Eveleth-Gilbert, International Falls, Mt. Iron-Buhl, Silver Bay, and Vermilion Country School (Tower) participated this year, along with their choir teachers. Students spent the day in rehearsals with Olson, as well as small group and individual coaching by the UMD faculty. With only two short breaks for lunch and dinner, the group was excited to perform, but noted the day had also been exhausting.

The event was made possible by the contributions of many area individuals and businesses, as well as a donation from the Donald G. Gardner Humanities Trust.