Area elementary school choirs showed off their voices Friday at Winona State University.

Fourth and fifth grade students from Banfield, Neveln, St. Augustine-St. Edward, Southgate and Sumner made the trip for practice in workshops and a full choir performance with about 500 students.

Nancy Dolphin, elementary music specialist at Neveln, took 55 students on the trip. It was the 10th time Neveln has attended the event, which is the climax of the students' efforts throughout the year. She said the students get more out of the music with activities like this.

"This brings the music to life," she said. "Off the page and into real life."

WSU students studying to become music teachers conducted the choir. Dolphin said this makes the experience beneficial for everyone involved.

"It's kind of reciprocal," she said. "We learn from them, and they get to try it out in front of the real thing."

The students performed works from different countries. As a large group, they sang a British, Irish and Hebrew song. The words to the Hebrew song are in Hebrew, so the students had to learn pronunciation on top of their regular music duties. The Neveln students sang in another foreign-language for the individual choir performance, a Latin song, "Musica, Dei," which Dolphin told the students is about how music is for everyone.

"I like to challenge these kids a little more than what we do in the classroom," she said. "So I set the bar a little higher for kids in the choir."

Dolphin hoped the experience would help the children feel more confident, learn about team work and have fun.

"After all the hard work is done, it's fun to have 500 kids working together," she said.

Matt Merritt can be reached at 434-2214 or by e-mail at :mailto:matt.merritt@austindailyherald.com