Slippery Rock University is hosting a competition Saturday during which singers will flex their vocal chops in hopes of earning the annual Chad Williamson Memorial Scholarship.

The 29th annual competition for the vocal scholarship is free and open to the public at 4 p.m. Saturday in Swope Music Hall.

Colleen Gray, professor of music and head of voice studies at the university, said that while the 26 student performers will mainly interpret classical compositions, guests could find entertainment in hearing those songs performed to the best of their abilities.

“To see these students perform their skills in the classical developments is exciting,” Gray said. “It is still entertainment, but it is mostly classical selections.”

According to SRU, the competition started as a way to memorialize Williamson, a Slippery Rock Area High School graduate who planned to study music at SRU, but was killed in a traffic accident prior to his freshman year.

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