Camden Choir Prepares for Czech Competition

CAMDEN, NJ — A high school choir from Camden is rehearsing for a European competition.  Although they’ll sing a selection in Latin, language is hardly the biggest barrier for 25 students from Creative Arts Morgan Village Academy who want to attend the Young Prague festival.

“We have to raise $45,000, and we’re not halfway there yet,” says Suzzette Ortiz, conductor of the concert choir. The school’s gospel choir and string section will compete as well.

Gospel choir director Benita Farmer, like Ortiz an accomplished musician and teacher, passes out the sheet music for “Sapientia IV.”  It’s part of a sacred song cycle written in Latin by Czech composer Jiri Teml. The strong, young voices seem at home in the language, just as the string quartet under the direction of Patricio Acevedo seems comfortable with its classical repertoire.