Varsity and non-varsity choirs competed at the UIL Region 16 contest April 8 and 9 at WTAMU Mary Moody Hall and Fine Arts Complex. Varsity had women’s, men’s, and mixed choirs, while non-varsity had one mixed choir. All four choirs earned a first division rating on their contest pieces and sight reading. The Symphonic and Honors bands will compete at the UIL Region 16 contest April 15 at Randall High School. Symphonic will compete at 8:15 a.m. and Honors will compete at 1:50 p.m.

Band and choir members have been learning and practicing music since January.

 “Truth be told, contest is stress,” head band director Mike Sheffield said. “It gives us a big goal and a big deadline, but it’s one of the best performances we give all year. We push so that we can really hit that high level of performance, to give us something memorable and to give our audience something memorable as well.” 

Bands are required to have a marching piece, and choirs are required to have an accapella piece. Two other pieces are selected by directors to showcase different styles and tempos. Both head directors of band and choir said they select pieces they believe will play to the strengths of the individual sections and the choir or band as whole.

“I don’t pick music for judges,” head choir director Brandon Farren said. “I don’t prepare for judges, I prepare for us. As a director, my favorite part is watching the students light up whenever they sing and do what they were made to do. The judges just happen to be in the same room.”

Both the band and choir held clinics with WTAMU professors and other music directors at CHS while preparing for contest. Sheffield helped the varsity choir on a rhythmic Haitian piece by discussing the percussiveness of the music and the meaning behind it.

“Contest for me is a show of all the hard work and dedication we’ve put in, but it’s also a great chance to really come together as a family,” senior Christian Farren said. “I work hard for contest because it’s contributing to family, to something bigger than myself. I love that feeling.”

Students said the directors inspire them throughout the preparation time for contest. Directors said the students efforts also inspire them to keep going.

“I hope that a student walks away from my program being able to read music,” Brandon Farren said. “Once they learn how to read music, they see music for what it is. It’s an eternal gift that God’s given us that binds us together and that we have forever. What a better thing to do then give a kid the gift that God gave me?”