2025 Children’s Choral Festival
Saturday, April 26, 2025
First Covenant Church of Oakland
Dr. Christian Emigh, clinician
The Northern California Association of Kodály Educators is proud to announce the 25th Annual Children’s Choral Festival for elementary, middle, and high school choirs.
Dr. Christian Emigh
2025 Children’s Festival Clinician
This year, Dr. Christian Emigh will be the clinician for the Festival on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at First Covenant Church of Oakland (down the block from the old HNU).
Dr. Christian Emigh is a choral conductor and music educator with over 23 years of experience. He is currently Artist in Residence at Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton, and a conductor for the San Francisco Boys Chorus, as well as directing the Masterworks Chorale at Diablo Valley College.
Previously, Dr. Emigh led a thriving high school choral program, earning top honors at national and international festivals, with performances at venues like Lincoln Center and The Grand Ole Opry. He was honored as California State Teacher of the Year by the Veterans of Foreign Wars in 2017 and 2021 for his contributions to music education and veteran organizations.
Dr. Emigh holds a Doctorate in Music Education from Boston University and serves as an active adjudicator and clinician, as well as the Advisor for Higher Education for the Northern California Association of Kodály Educators.
Read the rest of Dr. Emigh's bio here.
Festival Schedule
Saturday, April 25, 2026
The Festival will consist of two sessions in the afternoon:
Session I – Elementary Choirs
9:00 am -12.30 pm (Check in FCC lobby at 8:45 am)
Performance time for elementary school choirs should not exceed 10 minutes.
Session II – Middle School Choirs
1:00 pm- 5:00 pm (Check in FCC lobby at 12:45 pm)
Performance time for middle school choirs should not exceed 12-15 minutes.
Performance times for high school choirs should not exceed 20 minutes.
Each session will consist of activities to enhance the choral festival experience, including:
· Group warm-ups – choral warm-ups and welcome round
· Games and sharing activities – listening sessions, singing games, and break
· Performances with clinician – performances by each choir, followed by choral clinic work
Please note that there will be no mass choir pieces, and all choirs will enjoy performances by other choirs.
Choir Application Form & Registration Fee
Return the application form (including the registration fee payable to NCAKE) by April 1, 2025, to secure your position in the festival.
If submitting an application for more than one choir from an organization, please indicate your first and second choice of choir. If the slots do not fill, we will accept a second choir from the same organization based upon postmark of application.
Note: Directors must be members of OAKE/NCAKE to participate. If you are not currently a member, you may register at www.oake.org.
We look forward to continuing this tradition, which provides a lasting musical experience for our children as well as a chance for us to learn from, support and celebrate each other’s work.
The NCAKE mission is inspired by Kodály’s vision of quality music education for all.
We nurture a vibrant community of educators, students, and musicians by providing learning opportunities and resources that promote musical excellence and celebrate the diverse cultures of Northern California and beyond.