MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris Area Choral Directors Association (MACDA) is the professional organization for music educators in Morris County. The MACDA is best known for organizing two Morris Area Honors Choirs for middle school and high school students. The Morris Area Honors Choir provides advanced choral students with the opportunity to collaborate with peers from across the county while working under highly respected conductors. This choir challenges students musically and helps prepare them for collegiate-level ensembles and future musical opportunities. Hundreds of students from different schools across Morris County audition for the ensembles. The top young vocalists selected for these prestigious regional ensembles represent their schools.
For the 2025-2026 year, Dr. Whitney Covalle from Montclair State University is the conductor of the High School Honors Choir, and Mr. Matthew Swiss from Randolph High School is the conductor of the Middle School Honors Choir. Dr. Covalle brings extensive collegiate conducting experience, while Mr. Swiss contributes years of success as a high school choral director, giving students valuable insight into both professional and educational choral environments.
To audition, students must submit two different parts: diatonic scales and a solo. This year, the assigned songs for the solo part of the audition were “The Simple Gifts” for the middle school and “Turtle Dove” for the high school. Applications must be videos that have not been edited and applicants must memorize the scales and songs. Once students are selected, they must take part in several intensive rehearsals throughout January, where they work on vocal technique, musicianship, and ensemble skills. These rehearsals push students to perform at a higher level than they would at their regular school choirs. The program ends with a final concert on January 17, 2026, at Morris Knolls High School, where students showcase the music they have prepared.
Schools that are involved include Morris Hills, Morris Knolls, Mount Olive, Mountain Lakes, Randolph, and many more across the county. For many students, being selected for the Honors Choir is a major achievement. “It’s an honor to be selected for this choir,” Hania Shafqat, a student at Mountain Lakes Highschool and selected participant for the Morris Area Honor Choir, shared. “This experience will push me to become a better singer.”
Through the Morris Area Honors Choirs, MACDA continues to foster musical excellence and create meaningful performance opportunities for young vocalists throughout Morris County.
