Area talent was on display at the Jerome Westheimer Performing Arts Center as area elementary and middle school choral students performed in a Circle the State with Song concert.
The event Tuesday evening capped a day of practice with Clinician Jace Caldwell, who serves as the Director of Choral Activities for Bixby Public Schools and accompanist Michelle Mason, who serves as the Lone Grove Public Schools Choir Director.
Springer Choir Director and Region H Coordinator Lucy Hicks said Circle the State with Song is a yearly event. Kids begin working on the music in September with nominees for the festival to be submitted to the Oklahoma Music Educators Association by October.
“Schools can send only a certain number of students,” Hicks said. “So, depending on school size. So, a small school like Springer, we were able to send up to 12. Lone Grove, Plainview, the elementary school can send 12 and their middle school can send 12. So, some schools may have 24 students represented.”
Students in the fourth through eighth grade are eligible to participate. Schools taking part in the festival included:
- Ardmore Middle School
- Lincoln Elementary
- Jefferson Elementary
- Dickson Middle School
- Dickson Elementary
- Oak Hall Episcopal
- Lone Grove Middle School
- Plainview Elementary
- Plainview Middle School
- Marietta Elementary
- Marietta Middle School
- Stratford Middle School
- Sulphur Elementary
- Springer Elementary
- Springer Middle School
Hicks said students learned seven pieces of music, which typically includes a foreign song, a spiritual song and a folk song among the selections.
Songs performed this year included:
- Sing Me a Song!
- Snow on Snow
- Risseldy, Rosseldy
- Dover Beach
- Los Pollitos Dicen
- Here Comes the Sun
- Eneza Upendo
Hicks said a lot of the preparation for the concert takes place at school with everyone coming together on the day of the concert to work with the clinician.
“We kind of prepare the kids and he makes them a unified choir when they get here,” Hicks said. “They all learn the same music and the teachers, during the day, we work sectionals so we will work voice parts, get notes from him and we just perfect the music they have been working on. In the evening, they present a concert for the community.”
Participating students:
Soprano
Addison Chavers
Alabama Wilkinson*
Alaina Stites
Alexis Eads*+
Allison Santibanez
Aubrey Fowler
Austyn Ackerson
Bentlee Dutton
Blakely Craddock
Brook Collins
Capri Finch**
Collin Richardson*
Destiney Van Huss
Jacie Brown
JoJo Cronley
Kailyn Gillenwater
Kamilla Morris
Kimber Coffey
Kylie Phelps
Layklen Wilkinson
Leilani Barnett
Lexi Melendez
Lexi Neill
Lilah Miller
Lillian Scott
Lillyan Thomison
Maddie Caton
Makayla Hogue
Michaela House
Niko Samples
Olivia Monroe
Paislee Sampson
Phoebe Hill**
Ransom Coulter
Rikki Sloan
Robert Noer
Sadie Tucker
Sarenity Malone
Shiloh George
Sophia Piggee
Stevi Moiser
Trinity Polzien
Zion Richardson
Zoey Holland
Soprano Mid
Abbigail Bui
Addelyn Quick
Addy Gonzalez
Ahalya Mysore**+
Alexandria Ezeobele
Audrey Rutledge
Ava Warner
Ben Gilmore
Bentley Blanchard
Brooklyn Mejiz*
Charley Swearingen
Devan Cruz
Emily Harmon
Emma Carmona
Emmy Brooks
Esme Nguyen
Hadleigh Vaughn
Hailey Hackathorn
Harper Roberts
Ingrid Mattson
Jacee Gothard
Jensyn Whately
Leilani Tomlinson
Lilly Rogers
Lily Taliaferro*
Lucero Sanchez
Macie Coble
Mackenzie Rodriguez
Madison Henry
Makyna Mays
Mollie Webb
Nadalee Kennedy*
Parker Rennison
Piper Newman
Raina Lucas
Rubi Agundis
Ryleigh Melton
Ryliee Lindsey
Samantha West*
Serena McCallister
Serreana Velasquez*
Sofia Gentry
Sophia Shanholtzer
William Mitchell
Alto Mid
Addie Hice
Alayna Quesada
Allison Barnes
Amia Scallion
Arabella Niehus
Aspen Johnson
Avery Perryman*
Blair Landgraf
Brayleigh Phillipe
Christopher Hall
Elisabeth Rogers
Emma Hollander
Emmaleigh Rushing
Grayson Savage
Grayson Vanbuskirk
Jade Faberlle-Ortiz*
Jaxee Stokes**
Jaxon Bamburg
Jill Curtis-Bowers++
Kaliah Collins
Kambria Windham*++
Kenlye Foster
Keyoni Hargo
Kinsley Houchin
Kylie Chitwood**
Layla Lampkin
Liam Perkins
Lila Cunningham
Lillian Richards
N’dihgo Young
Rue Lang
Scarlett Kimbrough
Tanner Garrett
Vanessa Steffans
William Roring
Zoie Boydston
Alto
Addison Beaver
Aliyah Rahhal
Anna Gore
Annie Mitchell
April Denham
Ava Bell
Brooke Roach
Brooklyn Gadberry
Cameron Taber
Camille Fields
Carl Young
Chayton Perryman
Cora Hunter
Devon Hood
Dominic Phillips
Elli Ackerman
Emma Stephens
Emmy Whitehead
Genevieve Johnson
Greyson Arnold
Hayden Hooper
Henley Berry++
Jacelyn Taylor
Jackson Oblander
Jacob Howard
Jolie Baker
Kaelyn Burroughs
Kaylen Gooden
Keith Kovach
Kenzlee Cooper
Kylin Kimes
Laila Fields
Lincoln Wright
Mandalynn Gerlach
Marco Hernandez
Max Faltyn
Niqo Young
Nolan Muniz
Phebe Warren
Samara Coronado
Sofia Urueta
Sullivan Russick
Sydnie Hartman
Tripp Hodges
Trooper Wilson
Warren Roberts
Wyatt Wilson
Ximena Limon
* 3 Year Medalist
** 4 Year Medalist
+ Children’s All State
++ JH All State
