Local audiences know that the Beaufort High School’s Voices are a joy to hear.
After all, they earned 2nd place at the Disney Jazz Festival in Orlando this past spring. But when you sing in a choral ensemble – especially one with 90 members – how does the individual singer know how he or she stacks up? Twenty-one members of the BHS Voices found out on November 11 that they stack up very near the top. That’s the number of Beaufort students who have been invited to join the prestigious South Carolina All-State Chorus.
Thirty-one BHS Voices were among more than 1500 students from 77 South Carolina public and private high schools who traveled to Columbia earlier in the month to audition for All-State. The students appeared in quintets before panels of five judges to sing a designated classical selection in complex 5-part harmony. The top scoring singers were then invited to sight sing individually from notation they had not seen before. Then they waited a week for final scores to be tallied. This year, 510 students were selected for All-State. Beaufort’s 21 “Voices” students are among those placed, which more than doubles the school’s representation last year.
Statewide, Beaufort High School ranks seventh in the number of students in All-State Chorus. Seventy percent of BHS auditionees were accepted compared to a statewide average of thirty three percent. BHS Choral Director Vic Varner notes “our philosophy is to encourage our highest performing singers who are willing to work hard to prepare for the auditions. Our success rate indicates that this is a good strategy. I am very proud of all our auditionees and to see so many of our kids achieve All-State recognition. It’s also great to see our entire chorus encourage and celebrate the efforts of the All-State kids. They understand how this reflects well on all of us.”
The All-State Chorus members will convene for a weekend in March at Winthrop University where they will work together to produce and perform a concert. Beaufort High School is the only Beaufort County school represented in All-State Chorus.
Beaufort High School Voices selected for 2010 SC All-State Chorus: Alex Amaya. Carter Baumhoer, Maggie Blevins, Katherine Brown, Eliott Chucta, Samantha Crandall, Kenny Davis, Logan Gannon, Emily Gault , Kevin Gornichec, Jackie Homyk, Tori Huffstettler, Madelyn Johnson, Hannah Lambert, Lynleigh McLain, Ashley Merritt, Stephon Sherrod, Chris Smalls, Rhonda Smith, Jason Walker, and Taylor Mason
BHS Voices Winter Concert
Preparations are well underway for the BHS Vocal Department’s Winter Concert on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, December 2 and 3. For the second year, the concert will take place at St. Peter’s Catholic Church. The 90-member BHS Voices will perform two sets, the first set will be classical Christmas selections, featuring Franz Biebl’s Ava Maria and the second set featuring two versions of White Christmas, both an acapella vocal jazz arrangement and a classic Drifters’ R&B version. The BHS Troubadours will perform a selection of traditional English holiday carols.
The Winter Concert begins at 8 PM, with doors opening at 7:30 PM. Tickets are $7 and can be purchased at the door, or by calling 322-2173.
