October 20, 2025
The chance to work with one of the most respected collegiate choral directors in the nation was an experience more than 130 of our Gilbert High School students won’t forget anytime soon.
The GHS choir — all 9-12 members — spent last Thursday on the campus of Wartburg College in Waverly and enjoyed the chance to meet and work with Dr. Lee Nelson, who is a professor in music and the Zahn Chair in Choral Conducting at Wartburg.
“We had a great day,” Amanda Jennings, the GHS choir director, said. “Dr. Nelson is one of the most well-known and respected choral directors in the nation. His joy and passion for choral music is contagious.”
Each of the GHS choirs — the 9-10 and 11-12 choirs — performed a piece for Dr. Nelson and then had the opportunity to learn from him as he conducted the piece inside the Wartburg Chapel. The full GHS choir also performed and received feedback from Dr. Nelson.
In addition, students from Waverly-Shell Rock High School attended for a short time for a choir exchange with GHS. Each choir performed for the other and then listened to feedback from the students. Students from both schools that will tryout for all-state also had the opportunity to sing together and receive feedback from Dr. Nelson and their peers.
Following the morning session with Dr. Nelson, our GHS students were able to tour the campus.
Under the direction of Dr. Nelson, the Wartburg choir has received numerous honors, including being selected to perform at the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) national convention. In 2017, Wartburg received the American Prize in Choral Performance.
Thank you to Dr. Nelson for taking time out of his busy schedule to work with our students, and thank you to Mrs. Jennings for setting up this trip for our students. It truly was a great day of learning.
