While some spent spring break basking in the sun on a sandy beach or relaxing for a week on the couch, Dawson County High School’s Chamber Singers spent five days at the happiest place on earth, Disney World.
The group participated in Festival Disney, an annual event that is an all-Disney-produced competition for instrumental, choral and auxiliary groups from schools across the country.
As a result of their trip, the chamber singers came home with three awards: Mixed Choir Best in Class, Concert Choir Silver Award and Festival Disney Superior Award.
“We had a great time and I am so proud of them [chamber singers],” said Spencer Wright, chorus director at the high school. “They have worked hard all year long and were very deserving of the awards they received.”
Wright noted that the group was just shy of a first place award.
“The one school that scored higher than us was a 5A school who scored a 97.7 in the concert choir competition. We are a 2A school, and we scored a 97.3,” Wright said.
“It was that score that won us the ‘Silver Mickey,’ the Concert Choir Silver Award. It was an amazing feat for us to do that well,” he added.
Seniors Caleb Faille and Zach Smith both said the trip was enjoyable and rewarding at the same time.
“I’m glad that we were honored with the awards that we got,” Faille said. “We have all worked hard and it’s a great ending to my senior year.”
Not only have the chamber singers been named as winners and received awards, last month members of the girls’ trio and boys’ quartet, whom are also chamber singers, were region champions and placed at the state level.
The boys’ quartet placed first in region and second in state, and the girls’ trio placed first in region and fifth in state.
Members of the quartet and trio were described by Wright as musically gifted students whose voices blend well with each other.
“Each year, when auditions for the quartet and trio are held, I look for the best combination and blend of voices out of the chamber singers,” Wright said.
“Anyone of the chamber members has the talent to sing in the quartet or trio, I just try to focus on putting together those whose voices blend together the best.”
Zach Smith has been a member of the quartet for the past 3 years, and plans to pursue a music career once he graduates.
A six-time Allstate Chorus participant and 2008 Governors Honors participant,
Smith says that he started singing in church at the age of seven.
“Singing is what I love to do. It’s what I’ve always done, and I hope to someday make it big as a praise and worship singer,” Smith said.
Wright said that it has been a blessing to have been a part of Zach’s life.
“It’s not often you have a student like him, that comes in and just gets it. He understands what it’s all about, words cannot express how proud I am of him, and I wish him all the best in the future.”
E-mail Elizabeth Hamilton at elizabeth@dawsonnews.com.