A new year, a new set of songs. The choir ensembles have already started preparing for their upcoming concerts making sure their music is to the T. The students will be tested on a scale of one to five. One being the best score they could get, five being the worst. The assessment tests their skills in sight reading, counting rhythms, solfege, and how they sing their songs together as an ensemble. If they blend well together, if each part can be heard while continuing to be heard as one.
Junior Rylee Cainglet, has been in the SRHS choir program since her freshman year going from beginner to advanced, and is making her way to the top for next year’s chamber ensemble. She is quite excited about this year’s festival music and for when it will be time to hit the stage.
“I am very excited for this year’s festival. Each choir festival is a different experience for me, and this year, I have high hopes. The songs are amazing and I really hope that we get amazing scores for it,” Cainglet stated.
Each choir has its set date for its pre-festival performances. The pre-festival performances are like a practice run before the actual festival. Students get to experience what it’s like to be tested on their skill set and will talk with one of the judges to score them, just like the actual festival. This gives the students a sense of ease letting them know how well they are doing and how well they could improve to be better. After the pre-festival, there is time to fix any errors they had and improve their scores for the big test.
While on the topic of music, Cainglet loves everything about it. From whimsical choir music, church music, Filipino music, etc. Over the years of participating in the SRHS choir, her favorite has been a piece from freshman year that isn’t a typical piece.
“My favorite song that I’ve sung in the choir so far is Weevily Wheat. It was a song that I sang during my freshman year for the festival,” Cainglet said. “I loved that song. It was such a tongue twister, but it was so much fun to sing. We also had to do a rhythm sort of clap, making it even more fun.”
Music is many people’s way to feel at home and express themselves and Cainglet wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Music means a lot to me. I come from a family that has been surrounded by music since the beginning. Music is my safe haven. I’ve been in choir since third grade, and starting in church choir, then working my way up. I already knew I wanted to be part of the choir when I got to high school, so I signed up right away, and here we are.”
The songs for each choir are very different for it is mostly directed for their skill sets and what best suits them. However, each choir has to have at least one song in a different language part of the regulations to participate in the festivals. All of the choirs besides the chamber are singing three songs with the chamber singing four.
These performances push the Mustang ensembles to further skill sets and mindsets. The songs are meant to test and challenge their abilities and they do that justice. It may not be easy, especially if it’s one of the little Mustang’s first time. But once that score is shown and given back, everything, all the tests, all the struggles, all the practice, becomes worth it in the end.
