Sponsors 2007 Margaret and Nicholas Healy Young Artists' Vocal Competition The Choral Society of Northeast Pennsylvania is now accepting applications for the 13th annual Margaret and Nicholas Healy Young Artists’ Vocal Competition. The awards recognize and promote excellence in singers age 7 to 18.  Winners, who receive trophies and modest cash prizes, will perform in a public recital on May 12 at 7 p.m. in the Scranton Cultural Center’s Shopland Hall.  Tickets are available at the door.  Ticket cost is $10. Healy award past winners and finalists have gone on to attend prestigious music schools including the Eastman School of Music, Peabody Conservatory, Hartt School of Music, Boston University, and Boyer College of Music at Temple University. The competition is a three-stage process.  Singers first submit an audio recording of two contrasting selections.Only one can be drawn from the Pops or Broadway repertoire.  Studio effects or editing are not permitted.Submissions must be postmarked no later than March 24.  Singers from each age group will then be selected to perform live on April 14 before a panel of judges at the Scranton home of Dr. Alan Baker, choral society artistic director, and Susan Kelly, choral society director of the Children’s and Youth Program.  Finalists must provide their own live accompanist. Healy award winners will be announced on April 15. Age divisions are: 7 to 9, male/female; 10 to 12, male/female; 13 to 15, male/female; 16 to 18, female; and 16 to 18, male.  Membership in a choral society group is not required to participate.  The registration fee is $5.  Registration forms are available online or by calling the choral society at (570) 969-1203. For information, contact the choral society. The Healy awards were established for the Singers Guild of Scranton in 1995 by Rosemary and James Bell in honor of Rosemary’s parents, Margaret and Nicholas Healy. The Choral Society of Northeast Pennsylvania was formed in 1999 through a merger of the Singers Guild of Scranton, the Wyoming Valley Oratorio Society and the Wyoming Valley Children’s Chorus.  The society includes eight choral ensembles for ages 5 through adult.  The ensembles perform a number of concerts throughout the year in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. Choral Society Commissions "Teasdale Songs" The Children's and Youth Programs recent 2005 Spring Concert featured the world premiere of two new works by Minneapolis composer, Daniel Kallman. Commissioned by the Choral Society in loving memory of Julia Rose Kvashay, "There will be Rest" and "To Joy," each set the poetry of Sara Teasdale, and are intended to join Mr. Kallman's previous setting of the poet's "Life Has Loveliness to Sell" to form a set of "Three Teasdale Poems." The works were performed by the Society's premiere treble chorus, CANTARE, under the direction of Susan Kelly and with the accompaniment of pianist Walter Umla and flautist Cindy Thomas, The composer traveled to Scranton for the weekend to guide the final rehearsals and attend the performance, an offered personal readings of each of the three poems before his musical settings were performed.  Ms. Kvashay's artwork graced the program cover, as well.  To learn more about Daniel Kallman please click here to read our write-up of his work, or visit his web site at www.kallmancreates.com. The Choral Society thanks and acknowledges the following individuals, whose contributions made this commission possible: Anonymous, Dr. and Mrs. D. Craig Aicher, Susan Kelly and Alan Baker, Mr. Richard Aston, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Barlow, Ms. Paulette Barney, Mrs. Paula Belair, Mrs. Rosemary Bell, Mr. and Mrs. Scott Blanchard, Mr. and Mrs. Herb Bonnice, Mr. and Mrs. John Cardoni, Ms. Lisa Cardoni, Mr. Elmo Clementi, Ms. Joyce Conyngham, Mr. Lou C. and John N. Conyngham, Mr. and Mrs. G. Guthrie Conyngham, Mr. George G. Conyngham, Jr., Mrs. Linda Dixon, Mr. and Mrs. Warren Donaldson, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Eschelman, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Fitzgerald, Mr. Norm Gasbarro, Ms. Merridy Gersten, Mrs. Kathie Goc, Ms. Helen F. Hanchulak, Ms. Mary Hepner, Mrs. Elaine Hyduke, Ms. Irene, Ms. Vivian Jayne, Mrs. Violet Kelly, Dr. Cynthia Kennelly, Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Kishbaugh, Ms. Stephanie Konecke, Mrs. Jane Hall Kornutiak, Mrs. Joan Kujawa, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Lehman, Attorney Howard M. Levinson, Mrs. Jean Lynch, Ms. Virginia Marshall, Mr. and Mrs. Francis McMullen, Ms. Nancy Mellinger, Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Molesky, Mrs. Emma Morgan, Mr. and Mrs. Barry J. Mulzet, Ms. Irene Munchak, Ms. Carol Oliver, Mrs. Debra O'Malley, Ms. Shelley Pearce, Mrs. Linda Phillips-Orseck, Mrs. Sue Pons, Mrs. Dorothy B. Remington, Mrs. Marian Roberto, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Rosenn, Mr. Philip Rudy, Mrs. Ann Salerno, Mrs. Beth Slock, Mr. Drew Slocum, Wilkes-Barre Girls Softball League, Mr. and Mrs. Bradley Telshaw, Mr. Anthony Thomas, Sr., Ms. Barbara A. Toczko, Mr. Joe Unice, Mr. and Mrs. Alex Urban, Mr. John Vozniak, Principal, Ms. Margaret L. Wright, Mrs. Michelle Yadouga