Symphonic choir students felt the heat of fierce competition on Thursday, April 9th. Sweat beading under the bright stage lights as soft palettes lifted. Feeling the depth of a Do Re Mi as the group warmed up before their performance.

Northwest Oregon Conference Choir, or League, is where all choirs in the district compete for the chance to sing at State.

Symphonic Choir competed with a set of five songs, featuring the bright color in “Listen to the Land,” a melancholic tune from a Mozart piece titled “Agnus Dei,” reaching new heights in “Balloon Flower,” a united and energetic “Balleilakka,” and the bittersweet goodbye found in “The Parting Glass.”

An astounding performance that quickly snatched second place in performance.

Junior Jos Jones found “our set of songs this year is really good and it’s showcasing our range as a choir. It’s really interesting to see everyone work together on stage.”

Jones helped prepare for the event, helping schools get checked in along with score sheets.

Scores came from both the performance category and sight reading. Sight reading is when students are given a piece of music to sing without prior practice. Only about a minute is given to read each piece before it is vocalized.

Junior Ellie Crouch describes sight reading as “the language of music basically, all the notes, keys, and dynamics added together to create crescendo, decrescendo, forte, mezzo, music theory.”

Crouch recalls their time in the sight-reading room: “There are some moments where we kind of fumbled, but we don’t let them know that.”

Singers may have warbled throughout, but through the daily practice seen in class, the group can come back to the music and finish strong. Claiming a 2nd place spot for sight reading.

Wilsonville qualified for state with ease, the group reaching a stage of connection never felt before. Symphonic choir, now rehearsing with determination to contest even higher stakes on May 8th at OSU, held the Choir State Festival.