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TAHLEQUAH, OK - Auditions for the prestigious Cherokee National Children’s Choir will be held on Saturday, October 26, in the Council Chambers at the Cherokee Nation W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

“The choir brings the native language back into public awareness,” said Jamie Geneva artistic director for the choir. “It brings a sense of pride for the community to see children born and raised in these areas representing the Cherokee Nation so well.”

The Cherokee National Choir is a group of 7th through 10th grade children selected from across the Cherokee Nation. The Choir performs at special events hosted by the Cherokee Nation throughout the year.

“We try to have one major performance a month somewhere within the Cherokee Nation,” Geneva said.

Cherokee students who will be enrolled in the 7th through 10th grades during the upcoming fall semester are encouraged to audition. The choir practices weekly during the summer and every other week once school starts.

To audition for the Choir, students will be asked to sing the first and last verses of ‘Amazing Grace’ without an accompanist. They may sing in English or Cherokee. Singers will be rated in the areas of voice quality, notes, intonation, rhythm, and diction.

Choir Director Jan Ballou thinks that singing in the choir helps the kids become bilingual.

“This is a great way of preserving the language because it’s easier for them to learn through music,” Ballou said.

Audition applications must be faxed to the choir director, phone: 918-696-6962 prior to auditioning. Auditions will be held on a first-come first-served basis. Members of last years choir will not be required to re-audition, but must contact the choir director to affirm their place in the choir. For more information on the auditions or to receive an application, please contact the Cultural Resource Center, phone: 918-458-6170 or Jamie Geneva after 5 p.m., phone: 918-696-3390.