What do teachers do over the summer? If you’re Director of Choirs Joshua Harper, you sing—and conduct, and learn from a world-renowned professor—all through Williston Northampton professional development funds. This week, Mr. Harper reports that he’s embarking on an exciting professional development opportunity at the Yale Summer School Festival at Norfolk.

Mr. Harper will be attending the Chamber Choir and Conducting Workshop from August 16-22 and will be studying with Professor Emeritus of Conducting Simon Carrington (founding member of The King’s Singers, an acclaimed ensemble from Kings College, Cambridge University). Mr. Harper received an Ellen Battell Stoeckel Fellowship and professional development funds for tuition to the program.

According to the program’s website, the workshop is “divided into coaching, master classes, rehearsals and seminars for advanced singers and choral conductors. Repertoire ranges from the Renaissance to the 21st century and includes both choral and instrumental music.” At the end of the week, the Fellows of the Workshop hold a concert in the Music Shed in Norfolk, CT.

In February, Mr. Harper’s edition of Schubert were presented at the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) national conference and his a cappella edition of “Die Einsiedelei” was published by Colla Voce LLC. As the high school chair for the Massachusetts chapter of the American Choral Directors Association, Mr. Harper said that one of his goals was to make classical music more accessible to high school students and conductors.