What is the All-City Choral Festival?

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Hosted by the Huntsville Choral Directors Association (HCDA), the All-City Choral Festival was founded in 1966 to promote excellence in choral singing for students in the Huntsville City Schools System.  In the past 50+ years, the HCDA has served countless students through this signature event.

The All-City Choral Festival is held each year to promote collaboration between choral programs in the Huntsville City School System for students in grades 6-12.  The festival also provides an excellent opportunity for students to study under the baton of distinguished choral clinicians.

Awards are presented to students who participate in the festival for 6 or 7 years.  The accompanying "Outstanding Choral Student" auditions provide incentives and reward excellence and exceptionalism for students in the 8th & 12th grades who plan to continue music studies as they transition into the next educational level.

Meet the 2024 Clinicians

Dr. Aaron Jackson
First Baptist Church, HSV

SATB Choir & Middle School Mixed Choir​
​Aaron Jackson is the Minister of Music and Worship at First Baptist Church of Huntsville, Alabama.  In this capacity, he oversees a comprehensive music ministry, which includes both choral and instrumental ensembles.  Before moving to Huntsville in 2023, he was an adjunct professor of music at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC and Campbell University in Buies Creek, NC where he taught conducting courses and improvisational piano. 
 
In addition to ministry and teaching responsibilities, Dr. Jackson appears regularly as a guest conductor and maintains an active schedule as a local and regional choral clinician and adjudicator. He has also been an active leader in both North Carolina ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) and Southern Region ACDA. 
 
He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a Master of Church Music degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Campbell University.   
 
He and his wife Laura, daughter Julia, and son Barnabas, reside in Huntsville, AL.  ​

Margaret Heron
Birmingham Girls Choir

SSA Choir & 6th Grade Choir
Margaret Heron recently retired after a 25-year career Choral Director and AP Music Theory Instructor at Mortimer Jordan High School and Choral Director at North Jefferson Middle School in the Jefferson County School System. For her first nine years, Mrs. Heron also taught Junior and Senior High Band. She earned a BA in Instrumental Music Education from The University of Alabama and a Masters in Choral Music Education from The University of Alabama at Birmingham, summa cum laude. Mrs. Heron received National Board Certification in Choral Music in 2008.

Under her direction, her choirs consistently received Superior ratings at District, State, national, and international festivals and were invited to perform all over the Southeast. She has been the Choral Clinician and adjudicator for various honor choirs, festivals, and camps throughout the south. Mrs. Heron served on the state board of the Alabama Choral Directors Association and the Alabama Vocal Association Executive Board.

​She has worked for the College Board, training teachers to score AP Theory exams. Mrs. Heron developed It Works In Theory, a sequential and comprehensive curriculum for teaching music theory in the classroom. She rejoined the teaching staff at BGC in 2013 and became Executive Director in 2021. She is passionate about teaching young people the value of commitment to excellence and unity through the beauty of choral singing. She is excited to be a part of such a wonderful organization and looks forward to the growth and expansion in the Birmingham area and beyond.

Get in touch with us...

web

www.huntsvillecityschools.org
​www.allcitychoir.com

phone

256.428.6800
256.428.8355

address

200 White Street
​Huntsville, AL 35801
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