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Mrs. Janet Skones Hitt - Conductor
 Janet Skones Hitt holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Seattle Pacific University. Teaching music in the Everett public schools for the past twenty-two years, Janet has gained experience working with all grade levels K-12.
Janet is in her fourth season as Conductor of the Skagit Valley Chorale in Mount Vernon, Washington. Under her direction, the chorale traveled to Vienna and Salzburg in the summer of 2006 to participate in the Mozart Choral Festival. The festival was in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of the musical genius, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Plans are under way for the summer of 2009 for the Chorale to travel and perform in Ireland, Wales and England.
Janet thanks her father, the late Dr. Maurice H. Skones, for his lifelong commitment to choral singing and for the beauty that his work created. Janet's passion and love for choral music is a reflection of this gift.
Dave Cross - Assistant Conductor
Dave, a native of Skagit Valley, holds a BA and an MA in Music Education. While a teacher in the public school system, Dave's groups consistently received top ratings in local and national competitions, and were selected to perform at Washington Music Educator Conferences.
As a singer, Dave has performed in Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center and many of the mainstream concert halls and cathedrals throughout Europe under the direction of Janos Czifra, Eph Ehly, Jester Hairston, Charles Hirt, and Theron Kirk. Since returning to Skagit Valley, Dave has been singing with the Skagit Valley Chorale, Skagit Opera productions, the An-o-chords, Skagit Community Art Theater, and is the co-founder and musical director of Cantabile of Skagit Valley, a premier, audition chamber choir.
While Dave has performed lead roles in operas and Broadway musicals such as Guglielmo in "Cosi fan Tutte," Belcore in "L'Elisor D'Amor," Tommy Albright in "Brigadoon," Dr. Carrasco in "Man of La Mancha," and Curly in "Okalahoma," his first musical love is conducting. He has directed many community and high school musical theatre productions such as "Guys And Dolls," "Bye Bye Birdie," "Hello Dolly," "Babes in Toyland," "Fiddler on the Roof," and "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown."
Cheri Cook-Blodgett - Accompanist
 Cheri Cook-Blodgett has served as the accompanist for the Chorale since 1987. She brings to her position a strong sensitivity to the various musical styles performed by the group, and a true understanding of the role of the accompanist in a choral organization. Always up for any challenge, she has been featured in a number of our concerts as a solo performer and has accompanied the Chorale on piano, organ and synthesizer. Cheri also enjoys working with chamber groups, solo instrumentalists and vocalists, in musical styles ranging from classics to jazz, and frequently plays at weddings, musical theater and other events.
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