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The Official Student Paper of Riverside Poly High School

Chamber Singers shine in Tennessee competition

Apr 22, 2015

CHOIR: Poly’s elite choir showed their talent on a national stage.

By Matthew Saenz, Staff Writer

School prestige for today’s high schools rests primarily in academics and sports. People determine the value of schools based on test scores or sports championships, the number of A.P. classes offered or the number of professional sports alumni. These fixations often obscure the visual and performing arts; however, the recent success of Poly’s Chamber Singers, the elite, audition-only choir, revealed the diversity of talent at Poly and thrusted the entire choir program into the spotlight.

From March 26 through March 29, Poly’s Chamber Singers visited Nashville, Tennessee, to compete in the Nashville Heritage WorldStrides Festival, a singing competition that brings top choir programs from across the United States together to compete and perform. This event was run by WorldStrides, a nationally-recognized organization that seeks to “provide access to perform in renowned venues and exciting destinations that help foster a lifetime of music appreciation,” according to the WorldStrides website.

This year, Chamber Singers competed in the festival and came away with many of the most prestigious awards offered. They won first place (gold) in the Chamber Choir Division with a total running score of 95.3 out of 100, and for receiving a score higher than 95, they received the Adjudicator’s Award as well. Perhaps most impressively, they won the Best Overall Choir award, and with their gold finish, became eligible to perform next year at Carnegie Hall in New York City with other gold-rated choirs in the nation.

These prizes were the culmination of several months of hard work, weekend rehearsals and daily practice. Colin Hendry (10) remembers spending countless hours practicing the different songs, attempting to perfect his tone. “I feel like we all had this singular goal in mind: to do the best we possibly could, and we definitely did. I couldn’t be more proud to be part of such an incredible team,” Hendry expressed.

Though this year’s achievements were impressive, the benefits of their success will pay dividends in the future. Prior to Nashville, the choir was an afterthought when compared to other Poly icons, such as the CIF-finalist football team. “Choir is not the same as sports in that we are not part of a ‘league;’ however, as we gain recognition, we will see more community support,” Mrs. Kristen Walton, the head of the entire choir program, expressed. Walton views this competition as the ideal place to showcase her students’ talents. “It offered great exposure for our choir program and department,” Walton said.

With their win, Chamber Singers became nationally regarded as a powerful singing group. They are invited to Carnegie Hall next year, but more importantly, Poly’s administration and faculty now know how talented the choir is. “I feel that this shows our administration the talent we have. Dr. Roe came to our performance and was blown away with what we could accomplish,” Hendry stated. As a result, Hendry believes that the Chamber Singers are firmly on the principal’s radar and that they received the recognition they rightfully deserve.

The Chamber Singers choir proved that talent is not limited to grades and athletic prowess but present through many unique avenues. All of these students prominently display their passion for this craft, and they were rewarded for their dedication. “Nashville is just the start,” Hendry opined.

 

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