The members of our Upper School Honors Choir outdid themselves, when they performed at the Texas Private Music Educators’ Association (TPSMEA) Concert and Sight Reading contest. This event, which took place in Houston, was the culmination of several months of preparation. Our students competed with choral ensembles from all over the state of Texas and were awarded a “Superior” rating by the panel of judges.

In the first portion of the competition, the students performed three prepared pieces of contrasting styles. In the second (and more nerve-wracking!) portion, students were escorted into a room and were presented with a piece of music that they had never before sung. They were given approximately six minutes during which time, with the help of student section leaders, they analyzed the piece and determined the notes of their voice part using solfege names (Do-Re-Mi, etc). They then sang through the piece two times, once with piano accompaniment and once unaccompanied. The judges were impressed with the performance of our students, particularly as this was their first time participating in this event.

An added bonus to the weekend was that it provided us with an opportunity to bond with our “sister” Anglican Use Church, Our Lady of Walsingham in Houston. The clergy, staff and parishioners of OLW graciously provided us with rehearsal space on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. Following the contest on Saturday afternoon, the choir returned to Our Lady of Walsingham to sing for the Vigil Mass in their beautiful church. After Mass, the students enjoyed a wonderful meal provided by the parishioners of OLW, and then loaded into the vehicles for the drive back to San Antonio.

We owe special recognition and appreciation to Mrs. Chalon Murray, Assistant Director of Music, for her coordination of the weekend’s events and for leading the Upper School Honors Choir to victory.