Escambia County High School’s choir has been given the opportunity to perform in the 2017 Festival at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

The choir was selected among many qualified applicants to participate in the festival by sending an audition tape. In fact, the choir had to sound like it could blend in well with the other choirs, ECHS choir conductor Conrad Weber said.

“What I’m most proud of is that we had to send in an audition so they had to show that they can blend in with what’s expected up there,” Weber said. “It’s a testament of them being willing to step outside of their comfort zone musically.

“They grow up with gospel and pop as it’s what they’re used to,” he said. “We still do a lot of that type of music, but we’re also moving them out more toward the concert choir music, where they have to sing in more traditional ways. That’s what opens up these doors to these opportunities.”

The choir festival, which will be held in April 2017, is going to be conducted by Temple University’s Dr. Rollo Dilworth. Dilworth has published several pieces of music. He is a professor of choral music education.

Weber said the audition tape included parts of three songs the choir performed during last year.