Young voices recently joined together in harmony via a new musical initiative. 

The inaugural Tri-County Honor Choir convened last week, Sept. 29-30, for two days of rehearsal followed by an afternoon performance. The participating counties from District 2 were Decatur, Grady and Thomas. Participating schools were Cairo High School, Bainbridge High School, Grace Christian Academy in Bainbridge, and Thomas County Central High School.

“This honor choir is a collaborative effort designed by myself and my colleagues in surrounding counties,” Nicole Davis, TCCHS Chorale director said. “We wanted to offer a community building musical experience for our students. It has been a joy to work with like-minded professionals, planning this event out of love for our students and a desire to see them perform at the level we know they are capable of reaching.”

The honor choir was for grades 9-12 only. TCCHS had 14 participants: Charles Booth, Ellie Aspinwall, Sierra Law, Caleb Giddens, Britney White, Aspen Sloan, Jared Giddens, Stephen Sykes, Allison White, Aubrey Miller, Matthew Edmonds, Zion Jackson, Sheldon Ellis, and Tori Hall. Four other students worked behind the scenes to assist the production. 

The audition consisted of each student performing three scales, solo singing and sight-reading. Students selected to take part in the choir were asked to pay a registration fee of $30, which was used for music, lunch, transportation and a concert T-shirt.

“I was pretty excited that I got into the choir because it was the first time I ever really made it into something like this,” freshman participant Ellie Aspinwall said. 

Ninth-grader Charles Booth, who said a friend recommended he audition, admitted he was “kind of nervous” through the process and felt his audition was “OK.” 

“…I felt pretty happy because I didn't expect to get into the choir,” Booth said of his selection. 

Freshman Sierra Law auditioned because she thought it would be “a fun experience” and would look good on her college application. She felt her audition “went really well.” 

“With my name in the choir, it makes me feel part of something really big and important,” Law said. 

One of Davis’ goals is differentiation, and this choir is one way she could offer students who have exhibited advanced musicianship skills the opportunity to learn more challenging music within a select time frame. 

“I hope that preparation for the event helps them develop self-discipline and time management skills,” she said. “I hope they feel proud of themselves for auditioning and meeting the requirements to participate. I hope that they enhance their music abilities and increase their passion about music.” 

Booth said he learned “a few techniques for singing” “and the most relevant lesson he learned was “how to breathe properly.” 

Aspinwall discovered “it is pretty hard to learn new music by yourself” but that she can do it “when I try hard and stay on top of it while balancing my school work.” 

Law’s favorite part of choir participation was learning the songs because she loves to experience new things. 

“I have learned some parts of different languages through song,” she said. “I learned no matter how hard something is I can overcome it with practice and patience.” 

The culminating performance was held Saturday, Sept. 30 in the Cairo High School auditorium. The choir was conducted by Kody Wallace and accompanied by Michael Inlow. 

All songs performed were selected by guest conductor Wallace, who is currently pursuing his doctoral degree in choral music at Florida State University, Davis said. Pieces included folk songs from America and South Africa. 

One of the students’ favorite selections, according to Davis, was “Salmo 150,” which she calls “an exhilarating piece.” 

Booth’s favorite selection was “Through the Dark” because “the lyrics were very beautiful.” 

Davis’ favorite number was the show’s climax, “Ukuthula.” 

“It is a song of peace and community,” she said. “The students performed this song so passionately that the audience was stunned to silence after it ended.” 

Davis feels the event was a success and said ventures like this choir are a “positive reinforcement for student achievement.” 

“Audience members, who came from all three counties, excitedly approached me following the performance to tell me how much they appreciated and enjoyed the experience,” she said.

Davis said she and her fellow collaborators are excited for more such opportunities and they hope to include additional schools in future endeavors. 

Aspinwall hopes there are future honor choirs like this one. She encourages her fellow students to try out for any further opportunities. 

“They should do it because it’s an amazing experience for you, and it helps you grow in learning music and helps you find your voice,” she said. “Even though you might be scared to try out for different things like this honor choir, you should still try out and see what happens.”