MAGAZINE – Magazine High School’s choir is now among some pretty elite company.
The Rattler choir received First Division Superior scores for its on-stage performance and sight-singing during Saturday’s Region IV Choir Performance Assessment at the Greenwood High School Performing Arts Center.
“This win means a lot to me because this is a remarkable group of students that deserves to be recognized,” Magazine High School choir director Ashley Love said.
Magazine also qualified for the State Choir Performance Assessment on Monday, April 10, in Conway. It’s the first time the choir has qualified for the state assessment in recent history.
“The choir hasn't been this competitive since before my time,” Love said. “It comes down to the group of students in the choir, how serious they are and how far they want to go. I'm not sure if Magazine has ever taken its choir to state; that's not in my knowledge.”
Magazine competes in Region IV, which consists of schools in western Arkansas like Fort Smith, Greenwood, Morrilton, Conway, Ozark and Lavaca, to name a few. Love believes Magazine is the only Class 2A school to qualify for state from Region IV.
“It takes six days for all of our choirs to be assessed,” Love pointed out.
The Rattler choir consists of all sophomores – Nat Ervin, Trinidy Harding, Briare Harding and Kalynn Downs. All four of them are also part of the Rattler band, which received First Division Superior ratings in the Region VIII Concert Assessment last week in Van Buren, earning an invitation to the state assessment at Cabot High School on April 12.
“This group is made up of performers. They perform in band and Beta Club, and they bring their skill set to the choir and take the stage with amazing talent,” Love said.
“Kalynn does all of our piano accompaniment; most choirs hire a piano player. She received so many compliments on her playing skills, and if she wanted to be hired as a pianist to perform with competitive choirs in the future, she now has a foot in the door.”
Love said it’s a year-long process to prepare for the spring assessments.
“The choir starts practicing correct technique procedures at the start of the school year,” said Love, who also is the Magazine High School band director.
“The process is always ongoing, and this particular group of students has performed in one way or another for several years, giving them an advantage over the other choirs that participated in CPA (Choir Performance Assessment).”
The choir prepared two songs to perform on stage. It was judged on accuracy, balance, technique, style and presentation, among other things, as part of the scoring rubric.