Choir returns after performing at the inaugural conference in 2006. BYU Singers have been invited to attend the National Collegiate Choral Organization’s 7th biennial national conference in November. They are one of only ten collegiate choral ensembles to be selected for this year’s 2017 conference. In order to be selected, ensembles must undergo a rigorous application process, according to BYU Singers conductor Andrew Crane. Groups must submit proposed concert repertoire, a letter from the supervisor of the sponsoring institution, and recordings from the current and previous year. The recordings are blindly evaluated by choral professionals from around the country and invitations to perform at the conference are extended based on quality of performance demonstrated by the recordings and the quality of the proposed concert repertoire. Recordings from both the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons were used to qualify for this year’s conference. “NCCO is the foremost professional organization for conductors who work specifically with choirs at the college/university level,” Crane said. “In addition to speakers, workshops and classes, one of the central elements of the conference is the opportunity to hear concerts of the finest university choral ensembles in the country.” The NCCO is the only choral organization specifically designed to serve choral organizations at the college and university level. This conference allows a unique opportunity for collegiate choruses to perform at a national level and offers lectures and other aids in professional development, according to its website. Biennial conferences have been held since the NCCO’s inaugural conference in 2006. BYU Singers are returning to perform at the conference for the second time after their performance at the inaugural conference under the direction of Ronald Staheli. “We are truly honored and humbled by the opportunity to return in 2017, especially among such an elite group of peer choral groups,” Crane said. The conference will take place November 2-4, 2017. The conference is hosted by Louisiana State University and will be held in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.