On Tuesday and Wednesday, February 20 and 21, Quincy University Choirs preformed at various high schools to show off their talent and promote the program.

QU Choir student Rachel Hommert said her experience touring with the choir was exhausting, but understandable and worth it when it came to her passion.

“I was the recipient of the full-ride virtuoso scholarship that QU gives out and I also came from Monroe City, which was the second place we performed at. Monroe City isn’t that big and I think it’s important that incoming students know of opportunities out there for them, and how they don’t need to come from somewhere impressive to get good scholarships,” Hommert said.

QU Choirs visited Missouri and went to Bevier High School and Monroe City High School on Tuesday and finished their tour with Quincy High School and Quincy Notre Dame High School on Wednesday.

Jonathan Stewart, associate professor of music and director of choral activities, said tours are important for choirs, even at smaller universities. Tours have many benefits for the choirs, the high school students, and even some of the specific, smaller high schools that are often forgotten.

“I think there are two reasons that are beneficial to tour. The first is, of course, showing what our school has musically and hopefully would remember our performance when choosing a college to go to. The second is students getting to experience what it is like to live in the professional music world, because in college you rehearse, rehearse, rehearse to perform once. In the professional world, you rehearse and then perform repeatedly. It gives you the ability to refine your musical performance,” Stewart said.

The choirs performed a total of seven performances, selections from which were chosen from their fall concert repertoire.

QU Choirs will be hosting a choral festival on March 7, where local high schools come together in the Connie Niemann Center for Music. The high school students will practice all morning and afternoon with the QU Choirs to perform for friends and family later in the day.

The community has another performance to look forward to. QU Choirs will be performing with the Quincy Symphony Orchestra Association, along with other college choirs, on April 20, at 3 p.m.

QU Choirs consist of Concert Choir, Chamber Choir, and Clara Voce. Concert Choir is for anyone to voluntarily join, while Chamber Choir is an auditioned choir that covers more complex pieces. Clara Voce is the most prestigious group which sings only a capella.

“I really like Concert Choir because the music isn’t too hard because I’m not a music major or in anything related. I just like to sing,” Jaena Daniels said.

Daniels is a freshman at QU who participates in Concert Choir while majoring in criminal justice. She joined Concert Choir as a fun elective away from her major.