Daunting task of conducting a 500-voice high school choir
Dr. Crystal Battle Sellers shares
her musical influence with
hundreds of students in Eastern Ohio
When faced with the daunting task of conducting a 500-voice high school choir earlier this year, Dr. Crystal Sellers Battle, department chair and associate professor of music at Bluffton University, had one phrase to keep her in charge of what could have been an overwhelming situation--“Just Dzüge It.”
“It’s intimidating because they are stacked literally from floor to rafters. I’m 5’4” and I get lost in this sea of singers, and it’s a wall of sound,” said Battle.
In February, Battle was the guest conductor for the Wayne County Festival of Choirs, which features high school choirs from the 10 school districts that are part of the Tri-County (Ashland, Wayne and Holmes) Educational Service Center.
This was the second time in five years Battle had conducted the long-running event. In preparation for the festival, students became very familiar with the term dzüge.
“The actual musical term is tenuto, but that’s a boring word to me so I tell them to dzüge which means to give a musical swell to the note, to dzZZÜÜÜGGge it,” explained Battle while raising and lowering her arms in the air.
While intimidating, Battle says she absolutely loves the experience. “If you give good energy they give good energy back.”
During the Feb. 27 event in Smithville, each high school performed individual pieces. At the end, the entire group came together for the finale with Battle. Battle selected two gospel songs “Awake My Soul” by Victor Johnson and “I Got a Robe” by her mentor Raymond Wise. The second song also featured choreography.
The individual choirs began preparing for the festival in October, and Battle met with each choir director to help them prepare their students for dzüge -ment day.
“When I went to the rehearsal prior to the concert, I had one person from each school district hold up a dzüge sign. When we were supposed to dzüge a note they would hold up the sign. So I had dzüge cheerleaders,” laughed Battle.
As the guest conductor, Battle ran into several brothers, sisters and cousins of current students. Both times she has conducted, Battle has held a contest to have fun and further develop connections with the high school students.
In 2012, the schools were tasked with submitting proposals for how to spell dzüge. In 2017, the choirs submitted t-shirt designs featuring the word dzüge. Battle ended up choosing two winning shirt designs.
The first from Orville High School includes the word dzüge with musical designs inside the lettering. The second design is of Yoder Recital Hall with dzüge displayed on the organ in Bluffton purple and was designed by Dalton High School students.
Stories Posted This Week
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
- Tornado Watch issued for Allen, Hancock, Hardin and Putnam counties at 9:15 p.m. on April 2
- Flood Warning issued for Allen County at 11:03 a.m.
- Pirate tennis loss at Elida
- Pirate softball loses opener to Ada
- Pirate baseball falls to Ada
- Allen County will not test warning sirens on April 2
- March 2025 land transfers in the Bluffton Exempted Village School District
- April 22 crash report shows driver hit N. Dixie home
- Bluffton High School Honor Roll announced for 3rd quarter of 2024-2025
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
- Obituary for Betty C. Mumaugh
- Leo Club supports Bluffton Clean Up
- Wind, rain and potential flooding for April 2
- Grandey to major in education, play basketball at John Carroll
- Pirate tennis blanks Bath
- Pirate baseball sweeps opening twin bill vs. Pandora-Gilboa
- “I Have Not Forsaken the Word of God” reader's theater, April 13
- Easter Cantata performed on April 13 in Pandora
Monday, March 31, 2025
Sunday, March 30, 2025
Saturday, March 29, 2025
- Bluffton Public Library’s April 2025 programs and services
- Joseph “Joe” Ropp Davies worked for University of Findlay
- Hillville Road bridge maintenance on April 1
- Lift access added to Bluffton Senior Center back entrance
- Register for fear of falling workshop
- Florence to explain advanced sports stats at student forum