By Kelly Wilson, Pennsylvania Girlchoir

The Pennsylvania Girlchoir, celebrating it’s 10th anniversary this year, is collaborating with young female singers from the Philadelphia area (and beyond!) to present this two-day choral festival on October 17-18, 2014 titled GETMusic! (Girls Empowered Through Music).

Director Vincent Metallo pursued illustrious female composers and poets to to create a special commission for this event. Poet Sonia Sanchez graciously agreed to have local composer, Andrea Clearfield, set her poem “When I Am Woman”to music. The result is stunningly beautiful with an empowering message for all women. The Pennsylvania Girlchoir will premier this piece at the festival concert.

All music for this event is composed by women and will be taught and conducted by renown director Lynell Joy Jenkins. Ms. Jenkins comes from a wealth of experience, including acting as the Artistic Director of the Princeton Girlchoir, serving as an assistant professor of music education at Westminster Choir College, being on the conducting staff of Temple University’s Children Choir, and serving as Conductor of the Resident Training Choir at the American Boychoir School.

The choir is actively seeking girls to participate in in GETMusic! Some organizations already involved are the Princeton Girlchoir and the Philadelphia Girlchoir. We are excited to announce other participants as the list expands.

The Pennsylvania Girlchoir is an organization of girl singers, ages 7-18, and is part of the umbrella organization Commonwealth Youthchoirs.