Students in five choirs from Canyon High competed at contest April 18-19. The varsity men and women’s choirs, Choral and Chambers earned sweepstakes, a score of all ones, and Troubadours scored a one in sight reading and a two onstage.

A panel of three judges rate each choir on a scale of one to five, with one being the best and five being the worst, in two categories: stage performance and sight reading. Head choir director Brandon Farren said he and assistant choir director Kellie Harter have been preparing the choirs for five months.

“UIL is based upon a matrix of requirements you need to meet and then everything beyond that is up to the director and the choir to find their music niche, their fingerprint on it,” Farren said. “To prepare the choirs for it you’ve got to do all the basics like pitch, rhythm, phrase, intonation, dynamic contrast and rhythmic precision.”

Each choir prepared three songs for the on stage performance. Farren said choirs need correct notes, correct rhythms, the right style for that time period of music, musicality, emotional content and spiritual involvement on each piece.

“Before I walk onstage for contest, usually I’m thinking mostly about my choir, what this means to them and how this is a culmination of so many months of hard work,” Farren said. “I’m thinking and praying about letting the music speak through us and having a moment that we will remember for the rest of our lives.”

Senior Katelyn Snell said she has become a better sight reader through participating in contest and connects with music more easily.

“After the girls finished performing, I was in tears,” Snell said. “All I could think about was how I wanted to live forever in that moment. When we sang in the mixed choir, I was just filled with such utter joy at the music we had just made and I was stunned by the response of the audience.”

Farren said sight reading is more the analytical side of music and stage is more the creative side of it.

“Sight reading is all about accuracy, so that’s all about pitch, rhythm, then any kind of musicality is kind of bonus and that really sells it,” Farren said.

Farren said before going on stage he gives his choir words of encouragement.

“What I tell them depends on that choir,” Farren said. “It’s not the same thing every time, but it’s always about being true to ourselves, being true to our music and being true to who we are as a choir family. It’s just about us coming together and making something beautiful.”