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CHS musicians compete at IHSA State Solo and Ensemble contest

Posted March 11, 2015 11:00 pm

By Jim Beers For The Herald Tribune

Chester High School music students traveled to Carterville for the IHSA State Solo and Ensemble contest on March 7.

CHS registered for and participated in 42 different events, bringing home 29 first place ratings, 12 second place ratings and one third place rating.

At the high school level, the state contest is only one solo and ensemble contest. At the grade school level, students begin at the district level and can earn their way to compete at the state level.

Ratings are somewhat different at the high school level also. First place ratings are deemed as "Superior." Second place ratings are considered "Excellent," while third place ratings are considered to be "Good."

There were nine instrumental entries from CHS students, six of which were solo performances and three which were ensemble performances. Of the six solo performances, there were two first place ratings and four second place ratings.

Of the three ensemble performances, there was one first place rating; one second place rating and one third place rating.

In summary, instrumental entries earned three first place ratings; five second place ratings and one third place rating.

Chester also had a total of 33 vocal performances, 23 of which were solo performances and 10 ensembles.

Of the 23 solo performances, CHS brought home 17 first place ratings and six second place ratings.

Of the ensemble performances there were nine first place ratings and one second place rating. Vocal entries earned 26 first place ratings and seven second place ratings.

Chester students who earned first place instrumental solo performance ratings were Montana Rose, flute and Mitchell Colonel, trumpet. There were four second place Instrumental Solo Performances - Justin Stehl, trombone; Allaynah Price, clarinet; Deanna Hohgrefe, flute and Gwen Sterrett, flute.

CHS also had three instrumental ensemble performances. Mitchell Colonel, Zach Zappa and Lance Bohnert earned a first place rating for their trumpet ensemble "Trumpet Voluntary."

Avry Sebastian, Melissa Myers, Amber Carnahan and Brooke Wahl earned a second place rating for their clarinet ensemble"Badinage and Allegro."

Finally, Olivia Moore and Amber Carnahan earned a third place rating for their mixed woodwind ensemble "Echo."

There were also 33 vocal performances; 23 which were solo events and 33 which were ensemble performances.

Of the vocal solos there were 17 first place ratings and six second place ratings. First place vocal solos were Madi Kueker, Lucas Doiron, Brenden Heins, Brandon Sauerhage, Josh Miller, Mitchell Colonel, Justin Stehl, Mikayla Atchison, Avry Sebastian, Chloe Wallace, Faye Hathaway, Destiny Hecht, Kayla Simcock, Montana Rose, Amber Carnahan, Mackenzie Griffith, and Jackie Hopkins.

There were also six second place ratings - Allaynah Price, Brooke Wahl, Zach Martin, Kylie Liefer, Cassie Everding, and Deanna Hohgrefe.

The Chester musicians further competed in 10 different ensembles, nine which were first place ratings. Those who earned first place ratings were Amber Carnahan and Avry Sebastian for their vocal duet "For Good."

Amber Carnahan, Deanna Hohgrefe, Madi Kueker, McKenzi Rucker, Mikayla Atchison and Rachel Clendenin competed in a Treble Ensemble "The New Girl in Town."

Josh Miller and Mackenzie Griffith sang a mixed vocal duet "Think of Me." Chloe Wallace and Elizabeth Heffernan performed "For Good" and earned a first place rating.

Other first place vocal ensemble ratings were Trent Doiron and Jackie Hopkins who sang "A Little Fall of Rain." Alec Burdel, Brandon Sauerhage, Brenden Heins, Dustin Lilly and Josh Miller performed a bass ensemble "Sweet Caroline."

Also earning first place ratings were the brother duet of Lucas and Trent Doiron who sang, "Oh What a Beautiful Morning."

Justin Stehl and Brooke Wahl performed a mixed ensemble,"A Whole New World" and Alex Westbrook and Alex Phillips sang the treble ensemble"In His Eyes."

Allaynah Price, Jenna Whal and Miranda Mueller performed a treble ensemble"Think of Me" from the Broadway musical"Phantom of the Opera." They earned a second place rating for their performance.

In addition to the individual and ensemble awards earned for solo and ensemble performances, Chester High School also earned IHSA Music Sweepstakes points for each point earned at the state contest.

Sweepstake points from the solo and ensemble and organizational contests are combined to create one, total point total for the year.

Schools are ranked and organized into an IHSA Music Class System; much like how sports teams are assigned to a class based upon the number of students attending the respective schools.

Chester High School falls in the Class C category, which is schools with between 184 and 341 students. CHS scored 210 Sweepstakes points in the contest and currently sits in a tie for eighth place in Class C.

The top three schools in each class are awarded trophies at the end of the year after all of the numerous state and organizational contests are completed.

The Chester High School Concert Band and Swing Choir will travel to Nashville High School for the 2015 IHSA Organizational Contest Friday April 17.

The CHS Band will perform as a whole while being judged by a three-judge panel. Likewise, the entire Swing Choir will compete and be judged by a three-judge panel.

Awards will be assigned by performing groups based upon the point totals earned in several judging categories.

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