This Saturday November 23rd, six choir members will make their way to North Crowley High to compete for the annual pre-Area round of the All-State choir auditions. Since early September, these singers have been preparing for the chain of competitions with the goal to make the All-State choir at the end of January.
Seniors Jaque Reyes, Abbie Korenek, and Carly Good, along with juniors Ryan Boerner, and Sarah Rhodes, and sophomore Lilly Holcomb are set to compete among the best singers in the area. What started out as a couple hundred singers competing in their respective parts has narrowed down to an excruciating 12. This weekend, only the best five will be allowed to move forward.
“It’s been hard, but it’s doable,” sophomore soprano Lilly Holcomb said. “There is definitely no room for error.”
All participants are expected to master several pieces for the auditioning process and come in the audition room prepared to sight-sing a piece they have not seen before. Soprano Abbie Korenek admits that being expected to sing pieces in many languages has made her mature both as a person and as a singer.
Even after attending summer camps and practicing since June, these singers recognize that their efforts have brought forth a talent they did not know they possessed.
“After all the practice and auditioning, I think we really have gotten to know ourselves vocally,” soprano Jaque Reyes said. “You really don’t know what your voice is capable of until you’ve done this. Personally, I absolutely shocked to see what I could sing. It was awesome. ”
Although this will be choir director’s Mr. Chestnut’s first year at WHS, he commends the immense dedication his new students have demonstrated.
“I am very proud of these kids and how hard they worked to get this far,” Chestnut said. “It’s exiting to see their hard work pay off.”