For the third time in five years, Mississippi’s voice will beheard in the Big Apple.

Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say “voices,” since MississippiSchool of the Arts is sending a group of its most talented singersto New York City to sing at Carnegie Hall on Tuesday night.

MSA Director Suzanne Hirsch said the choir’s being chosen tosing at Carnegie Hall again is an honor, but it is also greatmarketing for the school that is becoming a point of reference forBrookhaven when it comes to assets.

“Naturally we create a national awareness that we exist,” shesaid. “We’re still young, this is our seventh year of operation,and for us to be able to go and do this already, that just showsthat our talent is rising every year.”

While the students are in New York, they will tour New YorkUniversity and Julliard in between their rehearsals. While thegroup has toured Julliard in past trips, the visit to NYU is a newopportunity, Hirsch said. And while they’re at NYU, they’ll get tosee an opera rehearsal.

“This means a lot to the students, it really opens their eyes towhat’s beyond the state, and allows them to see a major city wherethe arts are really alive,” Hirsch said. “Even if they don’t lookat these schools for undergrad, they might think about it for theirmasters’ degrees, and this way they’ll know what it looks like.

The students will be a part of a five choir, 300-voice ensemblein the performance. And in addition to MSA’s choir, vocal musicteacher Pat Rice has been invited to be the soloist.

The group leaves Brookhaven Friday at 3 a.m., and they will tourthe colleges Friday when they arrive in New York. Saturday they’llhave a chance to see the city, and they will crack down on therehearsals Sunday and Monday.

Tuesday afternoon will be the last rehearsal, and theperformance will take place Tuesday evening.

“This is just one example of the many great things that comefrom MSA,” Hirsch said. “Being invited to do these things isexciting for the students, but it’s exciting to the parents too,because they can say, ‘My child has performed at Carnegie Hall.’Not many people in high school that can say that.”