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Zegree prepping Nick Lachey choir for "Clash"

Dec. 12, 2007

KALAMAZOO--Music superstar Nick Lachey has tapped Western Michigan University's internationally renowned vocal jazz professor Dr. Stephen Zegree to rehearse his hometown choir for performances next week on a new television show called "Clash of the Choirs Holiday Challenge."

"Clash of the Choirs" will air live from New York on NBC at 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Dec. 17-20.

Zegree has been rehearsing Jive Records recording artist Lachey's choir and is arranging the music it will perform. He began rehearsals with the choir last week in Cincinnati and will head for New York on Thursday for three more days of rehearsals, prior to the live broadcast.

Lachey's choir will compete against hometown choirs put together by other music superstars, including Patti Labelle (Philadelphia), Kelly Rowland (Houston), Blake Shelton (Oklahoma City) and Michael Bolton (New Haven, Conn.).

"It has been fun working with Nick and the choir he selected," Zegree says. "Hopefully, the viewers will enjoy our performances and we will win."

"Clash of the Choirs" is a live, four-night musical event coming to NBC and has tapped the five musical superstars to embark on a musical challenge as they return to their hometowns to assemble an amateur choir and prepare its members to compete live in studio for the title of America's best choir. The show will feature music genres ranging from current pop hits to holiday classics. The choir hopefuls will be judged each night by viewers watching at home.

Jason Raff and Suzy Lamb will executive produce this BBC Worldwide Production based on a series format acquired from Scandinavian-based Friday TV.

Media contact: Mark Schwerin, (269) 387-8400, mark.schwerin@wmich.edu

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