Choir Festival Gloria.

Choir brings home the gold.

Last 5 stories in Arts and Entertainment

• Letter from the Editor: New Features - September 1, 2010
• Do you have "The Vibe"? - August 27, 2010
• Farewell From Northern Neighbors - February 20, 2010
• Goodbye Isn't Forever - January 11, 2010
• Sounds of the Season - December 18, 2009

Other stories that might interest you...

• Sounds of the Season
• Literary Rally
• The Experience of a Lifetime
• Rockin ROTC
• Thespian Road Trip

April 7, 2010 • written by Ellen Beaucoudray  
Filed under Arts and Entertainment, Student Life, featured, top story

Every year, Mrs. St. Cyr’s choir classes travel to Covington to compete in the annual Choir Festival. Festival brings together many schools to compete at district level. Schools who earn a score of “one” earn the chance to compete at the State competition. This year,  Slidell High came out first over all.

After the Christmas concert, Mrs. St. Cyr selected three pieces of music for her first and fourth hour classes to learn. The pieces were Festival Gloria, For the Beauty of the Earth, and, a resurrected piece from the Fall Concert, Nothin Ganna Stumble My Feet. After many hours of rehearsal, both during and before school, the Slidell High Choir made the trip to Covington. First to perform meant that all members of the choir had to be to school in their tux or dress by 7:15 a.m., so that the buses could roll out at 7:20. After a short warm-up, the choir performed in front of three judges, who rate the performance as they see fit. The highest score received is a ”one,” and the lowest is a “five.”

After the judges tallied up the scores, and gave the all clear, the choir moved  into the sight-reading room. Sight-reading is when the entire choir is given a sheet of music, and as a group, they have to learn it in eight minutes or less. Mrs. St. Cyr worked daily in this area with both her classes. The choir reads the notes on the sheet,  puts those notes with the lyrics, and then sings it to the best of their abilities. This exercise tests how well a choir can work as one unit.

After all was over, and a long while of waiting on the bus, Slidell Choir received it’s scores: “ones” across the board, and one “two.” They had scored best over all, and walked away with the trophy.

Little celebration was had, for now it is time for the choir to prepare for it’s annual Spring Concert on May 28. All are welcomed to attend. For more information, see Mrs. St. Cyr.