Four Tyrone Students Qualify for Regional Chorus

The Regional Chorus concert is March 22nd at 7:00 P.M. at Glendale High School.

By Lindsey Walk, News Editor|February 22, 2019

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Photo Courtesy of Olivia Reese

Four TAHS students who are moving on to Regional Chorus. Left to right: Tyler Beckwith, Brent McNeel, Ethan White, Lindsey Walk.

At the District Chorus Festival in Somerset on February 6, four Tyrone vocalists were excited to hear their names announced among those who will move on to the Regional Chorus Festival at Glendale High School.

“

I was so excited [to be moving on], it’s such a great experience to go to Regionals and I was so happy to be joining three talented students from Tyrone.

— Brent McNeel

Moving on to Regionals is very competitive. Students were up against other vocalists from 39 other schools in pursuit of only 12 spots in each vocal section.

Of the nine who auditioned, the four moving on are senior Ethan White, and juniors Tyler Beckwith, Brent McNeel, and Lindsey Walk.

“I’m excited to spend time singing with my fellow vocalists,” said Beckwith.

To prepare for regional chorus, the students have to learn another folder with twelve songs to learn. At Regionals the vocalists are auditioned on two parts of any of the twelve songs. The vocalists don’t know what they will be auditioned on, just like at districts.

The students will once again be auditioned on pitch, rhythm, tone, technique, and musicianship.

The auditions for states and the preparation leading up to the audition is extremely stressful.

“It’s definitely a lot more stressful [than auditions for Regionals] because the competition is a lot harder because now you have the top twelve from two districts auditioning for only a few spots,” said McNeel, “I was so excited [to be moving on], it’s such a great experience to go to Regionals and I was so happy to be joining three talented students from Tyrone.”

At Regionals, only the top four students in each section will move on to States. This competition is a lot harder because, at Regionals, students compete against the top twelve from not only one region, but two.

This years guest conductor for the festival is Dr. Anthony Leach, a retired professor of music education from Penn State University.

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[I’m] excited for myself and also excited to see the success that our school had with four qualified students.

— Ethan White

The students will sing with their region of 40 schools and another region during the festival.

The festival is from March 20th through the 22nd. The concert is on March 22nd at 7:00 at Glendale Area High School.

The TAHS students are beyond excited to experience this opportunity.

“[I’m] excited for myself and also excited to see the success that our school had with four qualified students,” said White.