Nine Samo students attend All-State Honor Choir
Nine Samo choir students went to Pasadena to sing in the California All-State Honor Choir on Thursday, Mar. 22. Seniors Peter Harding, Christina Lamell and May Claire La Plante, juniors Eloise Graham, Caitlin Kerwin, Bret Hart, Preston Searfoss and Gretchen Sharp and sophomore Max Daggy all participated.According to choir director Jeffe Huls, participating in All-State is truly an honor.“[All-State] is made up of only the top high school singers from the state,” Huls said.According to Searfoss, the All-State Honor Choirs are comprised of the top students from regional honor choirs in California.“During Southern California Honor Choir auditions, the American Choral Director’s Association (ACDA) asked us if we wanted to be in All-State, and if you checked yes, they took your score from the audition and compared it to the others’,” Searfoss said. “If your score was high enough, and you checked yes, then you were accepted into All-State.”There are three All-State honor choirs, all men, all women and mixed, Searfoss said. The three groups congregated at Lake Avenue Congregational Church for a final performance on Saturday, Mar. 24.Some students were not new to All-State; Kerwin is returning to the honor choir for a second year, but was still excited.“The performance last year gave me chills during every piece,” Kerwin said. “I also made a couple of friends from last year that I [was excited] to see.”Kerwin says that honor choir helps singers improve their musicianship.“You get to work with great musicians from all around California,” Kerwin said. “It is incredible to be surrounded by people who are better than you and who work extremely hard.”Searfoss says that being a part of this choir demonstrates proficiency as a singer.“Overall, it is an honor. Being accepted into an honor choir means that you are one of the best high school singers in the state, in terms of your ability to contribute to your section and to the entire choir,” Searfoss said. “This choir separates the students who simply take choir for a relaxing period, from those who are truly dedicated to performing.”mgumbel@thesamohi.com