Festival Director: Martha Wright
Willard Scott, television celebrity of NBC's Today Show stated "Martha Wright is a lovely woman in her own right."
Ashley Cole, a five-year student of Wright's choir, stated, "Every goal she sets, she achieves". Excellence best describes her uncommon mixture of talents and abilities, whether attributed by colleagues, students, or associates.
Festival producer, Martha Wright, received a Bachelor of Music Education (BME) on an accompanying scholarship from the University of Central Arkansas. As a voice major and piano minor, studying with Kodaly specialist, Dr. Anne Patterson, and Dr. Don Collins, author and authority on the boy's changing voice and founder of the Cambiata Press, as well as Dr. Mark Hansen and Dr. Martha Antolik. more . . .
Host Choir: West Tennessee Youth Chorus
The West Tennessee Youth Chorus was founded in 1996 by director Martha Wright as an educational program for vocally and musically gifted children to develop their talents. The after-school program, ages 9-16 which also includes a training chorus, the West Tennessee Children's Chorus, rehearses two days a week in Cordova, TN.
The WTCC/WTYC was founded with six areas of focus-proper vocal technique for the age level, sight-singing, ear-training, part-singing, educational performances and tours, and service. Wright's philosophy to provide thorough instruction of the basics and the great performances will follow has been reflected in the impressive resume they have acquired in a very short time.
In 1997 the WTYC performed for the Kiwanis International Convention for an audience of 15,000 and in 2000 they were selected as the featured children's choir for the nationally televised Presidential Christmas Tree Lighting-National Pageant of Peace held at the White House, Washington, DC.more . . .