Every year the Colorado Music Educators Association honors four elementary school choirs from the state of Colorado by inviting them to perform at their annual state convention at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs. This year “The Centennial Singers” from Centennial Elementary School was one of the groups chosen to perform.

“The Centennial Singers” will perform at the Broadmoor Hotel on Friday, Jan. 24 at 9:45 a.m. in the Rocky Mountain Ballroom A in the West building.

In addition to the Broadmoor performance “The Centennial Singers” will perform on Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 1:30 p.m., 2:15 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. in the Centennial Elementary School auditorium. The choir will also perform on Thursday, Dec, 5 at 12:00 p.m. at the Denver Pavilions, located on Welton and 16th Street.

“The Centennial Singers” was formed in 1995 and consists of 60 third-, fourth- and fifth-graders chosen on the basis of an audition. They rehearse twice each week for an hour - before the school day begins. The group is modeled after the Denver community children’s choirs. Students work on developing music reading, performance skills and singing music of high quality. Each year the group performs six to eight concerts for the school and the community.

“The Centennial Singers” have performed for the Volunteers of America, the Northwest Coalition, and at the Governor’s Christmas Open House. They have also appeared with the Colorado Chorale. In 1996, the group was selected as a Colorado Children’s Chorale Conservatory Choir and was fortunate to work with Ms. Deborah DiSantis for a period of two years.

The director of “The Centennial Singers” is Leah Nemeth-Nunn. She is assisted by Susan Varner, a fifth-grade teacher, and Nina Daugherty, an ESOL specialist. Mrs. Nemeth-Nunn has 25 years’ experience working with children’s choirs. She is a certified Kodaly and Orff instructor. She spent three summers working in Chicago with Dr. Doreen Rao and the Choral Music Experience Program. In 1991, Mrs. Nemeth-Nunn was the recipient of an American Choral Director’s Association conductor of the year award. She is also a past recipient of the Denver Distinguished Teacher Award.

For more information, contact Centennial Elementary School (4665 Raleigh St.) by telephone: 303-433-6489.