Honors Choir Sings in Dallas

Last September, 5,000 students across the United States recorded auditions, vying for a chance to perform alongside the best singers in the country. Every two years, the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) gathers choir directors and singers from around the nation for a large conference. When I first heard about this opportunity, I was fascinated with the idea of being a part of the best choir in the nation. For me, the final push to audition came when I learned the conference was being held in Dallas, Texas.
 
While the audition process was hard, I knew I had to overcome the challenge in order to have a chance to go to Dallas. Auditioning entailed singing two songs: one rehearsed exclusively for the conference and one already known. I chose to sing the hymn “Seek Ye First” as the song I already knew. Going into the audition, I was thrilled, as it wasn’t in-person, meaning I could do as many takes as I wanted. With the help of Mr. Brata, I finally perfected the song and was ready to record my audition. At first, I struggled with the pressure of singing this hymn perfectly, but after just a few attempts I recorded the perfect take.
 
For the next few months, I almost forgot about the audition, going about my days as usual. But, one day as I was walking to class Mr. Brata pulled me aside. He told me that I had made it into the national choir. Almost immediately, I felt a sense of joy, as all my hard work and practice had paid off.
 
When I arrived in Dallas in March, I met different people from states all over the country, including Oklahoma, Rhode Island and Arkansas. Since it’s such a big deal, some international choirs and instructors come and perform for the teachers at the conference. Ms. Annabelle Mills, the Middle and Upper School Choral Director at St. Catherine’s, recalls a choir from South Africa that per-formed. She said, “That was a really cool performance because they did a wide variety of music, but in the middle of their set, they did this traditional South African gumboot dance.” A gumboot dance is a South African dance performed in Wellington boots, using them as percussion to go along with a song. 
 
Before I left Richmond, one of the things I was looking forward to the most was all the tourist attractions. Because of our rigorous schedule, we weren’t able to do much. But, Tal Horton ‘28 and I were able to make it to a Dallas Mavericks vs. Detroit Pistons NBA game. Although the Pistons won, it was amazing to be able to attend an NBA game for the first time.
 
Along with the long nights, difficult songs and stressful part checks, rehearsals were greatly enjoyable. One highlight of rehearsals was our charismatic conductor, Mr. Randy Stenson who has a deep passion for music. He’s been teaching music for over 20 years and currently instructs at St. Mary’s International School in Tokyo, Japan. Although some of the rehearsals, especially more toward the end of the event, felt like it took all day, he brought a certain energy that lifted the whole choir up, even if we all were ready to fall asleep.
In total, going to Dallas was a life-changing trip for me. During the trip, I elevated my singing ability, met new people and had my perspective on life changed by these experiences.