Education
Top choristers to present concert at Don Smith Performing Arts Center
Music will fill the air Saturday evening as the 224 students making up the all-district and all-region choirs are presented in concert at the Don Smith Performing Arts Center.
The concert will take place at 7 p.m. at Cleburne High School and is the finale to a day of music clinics for choir students who represent the 33 high schools included in Region 7.
“What makes me so excited about hosting this event in our town is this gives our folks the opportunity to experience a performance by the top choir students in this section of the state,” said CHS choir Director Pam Elam. “So often the concerts are held at Weatherford or Granbury. It’s great to have it here in Cleburne.”
Among the high school voices to be performing Saturday will be Cleburne students James Guenthner, Hailey McNutt, Matt Sisk, Kelly Blevins, Conner Fuller and Tim Reyes, who are members of the all-district choir.
Cleburne’s all-region choir members Caitlin Carver, Ashley Rodriguez, Michael Bailey, Marcie Allison, Daisy Horta, Seth Cunningham and Blake Wright, hope the concert will conclude with good news.
They audition in Crowley on Friday for the third round of the Texas Music Educators Association all-state choir.
The results will be announced Saturday evening, with qualifiers advancing to the fourth and final round of competition.
“Last year was my first year to be in choir, and I just wanted to experience the audition process,” Cunningham said. “This year, going to state is something I really want. I’ve participated in UIL solo and ensemble at the state level. I think being named to the all-state choir is the next step for me.”
Carver made it past all-region as a freshman. Now in her second year in choir competition, she wants to improve on her record.
“I went as far as being named the second alternate at pre-area,” Carver said. “It was a good experience as a freshman. This year, my goal for every round is to place higher and do better. Last year I was 10th chair in the soprano II section of the all-region choir. This year I am fifth chair.”
John Elam, a 2002 graduate who will receive his master’s degree in piano performance from Baylor University in December, will serve as the accompanist for the all-district choir.
The concert’s musical selections are broad, ranging from the spiritual, “Joshua Fit the Battle,” to the English folk song “I’m Seventeen Come Sunday” and Handel’s “Coronation Anthem #2.”
The two choirs will also perform together, with the Combined Men’s group presenting “Ave Maria.” The Combined Women will sing “Cantate Domino.”
Region 7 includes schools from Weatherford east to Alvarado, west to Brownwood and as far south as Ballinger and includes all of Fort Worth. Michael Dean, director at Trinity High School, will directing the all-district choir, and Dr. Alan Hightower, choral director at Sam Houston State University, will direct the all-region choir.
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