On April 14, over 30 choir students competed in a solo and small ensemble festival. The festival, which was sponsored by KSHSSA, was at Blue Valley High. Students from across the choir, band, and strings department competed in musical performances; obtaining ratings I through V. I being, ‘outstanding,’ and V being, ‘ineffective.’
Although Freshman Paige Dvorak, a concert choir and choralette student, was satisfied with the choralette’s rating, she was disappointed with concert choir’s rating.
“I wasn’t happy with concert choirs rating because I think we weren’t fully focused,” Dvorak said.
Freshman Kendall Miller, a concert choir and choralette student, was happy with her ratings. Miller said she was overjoyed by the choralettes’ rating, she was also grateful for the kind judges and their constructive criticism.
“The first judge told us to stay confident on our cords and hold out our pitch and my second judge told us to stay with our tall vowels and balance out a little more,” Miller said. “I was so excited and felt so blessed to be singing with my choirs!”
Sophomore Bailee MacDonald, a choralier singer, performed in the festival. MacDonald said she was happy and surprised with her rating, she was aiming for a III, but getting II was even better. MacDonald also said she enjoyed watching the expression of the judge while her choir (and her) sang.
“After the performance the judge said, ‘would you like to sing it again?’” MacDonald said. “And she wasn’t being sarcastic.”
Choir director, Susan Scheibler, has now done the festival for a second year. She explained for the first time since the school has opened, she let chorale, concert choir, and choralier singers compete in the festival. Scheibler said last year she let only chamber members compete in the festival.
“I thought they were pretty accurate, and we obviously came out pretty good,” Scheibler said. “But it’s always a crap shoot—one judge, one day, subjective opinion, etc.”
Scheibler also said she was pleased if her students’ performances and thought everyone did a good job, it was also hard for her not to conduct.
“It can be a challenge, but I also enjoy just listening to what our musicians can do on their own,” Scheibler said. “It’s so cool to see how much they really are able to do together… they just listen and sing up.”
The festival contained 15 chamber singers who received a rating of I. Individually, chamber men and women small ensembles received a rating of I. 19 concert choir singers received a rating of III. Concert choir girls, known as the, ‘Blue Valley Southwest choralettes,’ received a rating of I. 9 choralier singers received a rating of II and 26 actual soloists received ratings no more than IV. Soloist and ensembles who received a rating of I, will be going to state in Emporia High School on April 28.