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Alex Honor Choir Sponsor: Landon Lewis Photos by Tammy Baker Vocalists Do Well in OSSAA District Competition
By Landon Lewis, Choir Director On February 20, 2010, nine singers from the Alex High School Honor Choir competed in the OSSAA District Solo Competition at Mustang High School. During solo competition, the singer performs alone with only piano accompaniment before a judge. The soloists work hard for weeks to prepare their songs, usually sung in a foreign language. < The soloists do not compete against one another, but against a set standard for a rating, which range from I – superior – to V – poor. AHS Choir soloists did extremely well at the District Competition. Jacob Otey and Hunter Scifres received superior rankings. The other seven Alex competitors, Amber Bartlett, Michael Cassmeyer, Bayli Hightower, Ericka Mainka, Jake Pearson, BJ Pettijohn and Zac Seely, all received excellent ranki Kathy Bonds, retired Blanchard High School Choral Director who now teaches at Middleberg, graciously served as accompanist for the Alex soloists. “We are doing things that no other small schools are,” Mr. Lewis said. “We were the only small school there among Moore, Westmoore, Norman, Yukon and Mustand, and were represented well. It takes bravery to sing a solo and these Alex students did an excellent job. We are all truly proud of the work they did and the manner in which they represented Alex Schoo
2009 Alex Honor Choir won big in big D... By Landon Lewis, Choir Director On May 21 and 22, 2009, the Alex Honor Choir traveled to Dallas to participate in the Sandy Lake Choral competition for the fourth consecutive year. The 2009 Alex Honor Choir delivered its best performance ever, receiving superior ratings from all three judges and bringing home the trophy for Outstanding Choir in Class A for the second year in a row. "When we took the Outstanding Choir trophy in 2008," Mr. Lewis recalled, "Mr. Heston asked me if we could do it again the next year. It was very exciting and a great relief to call him with the news that we had done just that. The 2009 Choir did awesome and it was an amazing feeling to read the judges' score sheets to the Alex students. The judges' comments were almost all positive with nothing really negative. The Alex Choir basically delivered a flawless performance." The judges at the 2009 Sandy Lake competition were from Oklahoma and Texas and asked Mr. Lewis how many students would graduate from Alex that year and how Mr. Lewis had managed assemble such a large choir in such a small school. Lewis explained to the judges, "I make music fun and the students become addicted to how it feels to perform. We live for it." The Sandy Lake Choral Competition is the nation's largest band and choir competition, hosting around 2000 bands and choirs througout the month of May each year. The Alex Honor Choirs of 2006 and 2007 were awarded superior ratings during the competition. It has become an Alex tradition for the Honor Choir to travel to Dallas for two days in May of each year. On the first day, the Choir performs at Sandy Lake Park before checking into their hotel and then going to Grapevine Mills Mall. After the mall, the student singers spend the evening in various activities at the hotel. The second day of the Choir competition trip is generally taken up with a big adventure. "We have gone to Six Flags and the Ft. Worth zoo," Mr. Lewis noted. "The trip is always the highlight of our year and, year after year, we cannot wait for competition time." The Alex Honor Choir plans on returning to Dallas for a fifth year in 2010 to bring home a "three-peat" of the Outstanding in Class trophy. |
"We are doing things no other small schools are”: Two Alex vocalists earn superior rankings  02-20-10: Jacob Otey and Hunter Scifres were awarded superior rankings in the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association (OSSAA) District Solo Competition at Mustang High School. Seven other students received high rankings as well.
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