Since the arrival of the newest head choir director, Mr. Mac Chestnut, in fall of 2013, the choir has been excelling to phenomenal heights: increasing the numbers in the eight choirs by almost four times the students, performing for the State Board of Education, travelling to State in Solo and Ensemble every year, watching many members succeed at the District, Region and All-State Choir levels, and achieving the highest rankings at UIL competitions consistently. As their final year of high school choir draws to an end, seniors Alex Cook, Maggie Glenn, Bethany Mikles, and Rachel Ward reminisced about their time in choir here, and the lessons that will travel with them in the fall.
The level of dedication that each member of the choir must maintain in order to continue their amazing successes is astounding.
“Just by virtue of being in a choir here, no matter what it is, hard work is required by every member. Anyone who pictures choir as a blowoff class is sorely mistaken,” Alex Cook, three year choir member, said.
Not only do choir members have to practice countless hours to perfect their pieces, but these hours are spent with much more than simply the lyrics.
“We work bell to bell learning notes and rhythms for 2 to 3 weeks, and then we move to diction. This can often take a week in itself, as choral music is usually in another language be it Latin, German, French, Spanish, or Italian. By the time concert the concert rolls around, we have to have the piece memorized, not just words, but all the musical elements we practiced as well,” four year choir member, Rachel Ward, said.
In all their hard work, the members of the choir still create lasting friendships and memories with both their fellow singers and their director.
“[No amount of hard work] can overshadow the countless hours of fun I’ve had with some of the best friends I’ve ever known in this choir. Like how I passed out on stage at our Christmas concert my sophomore year! That was embarrassing at the time but it’s all become fun to laugh about now,” Cook said, “I [can] say without a hint of hyperbole that I do not know who I would be without the WHS choir and our phenomenal director, Mr. Chestnut.”
Learning so much from the program and from their wonderful director, these choir studs have been able to impact the incoming classes and leave a legacy.
“At all district auditions this year, lots of the younger kids were terrified out of their minds about auditioning for the first time, so I made sure to tell them all the things I would have needed to hear before my first audition, and I was so proud to see them advance past the first round, it was like passing on the choir torch,” two year choir member, Bethany Mikles, shared, “WHS has shaped me into who I am and has given me the confidence to find my own voice.”
The time spent laughing, practicing, and making memories creates a lasting impact on choir members that seems only they can fully comprehend, and has prepared them for their futures.
“Experiencing the pure laughter and joy our choir family creates [is] indescribable,” six year choir member, Maggie Glenn, said. “Choir has equipped me with so much more than just musical notes. I have learned how to manage time, leadership and comfort of my voice and growth.”
With all the time in the choir room practicing, performing, and perfecting over the years, it is no surprise that all the members of choir are taking much more than their friendships and musical repertoires with them as they leave to attend college in the fall.
“Music will always be a part of my life. In college and afterwards, I don’t think I could live without it. The community and the experience are amazing, and performing is a feeling like no other. Music has shown me a way to express and challenge myself, and has been a safe haven for many years,” Ward said.