On November 13, Lambert High School’s Chorus took part in the Georgia Music Educators Association’s (GMEA) District 9 Honor Chorus. The two-day event brings together selected singers from across the region for intensive rehearsals and performances. It ends with a final concert that showcased high-level choral music and the hard work of every student involved.
Certainly, the event is of an extremely high caliber. Students work with professional directors and tackle music far beyond the typical classroom repertoire, which raises the expectations even higher. Even though District 9 is a much more individual experience, Lambert singers take on the challenge with little hesitation. They show up prepared and ready to meet the standard set by some of the most experienced choral directors in the region.
“A lot of preparation happens on your own outside of class time,” Lambert senior Ehi Oche explained. “During class we focus on rehearsing our chorus pieces but there are resources available to us if we do need help learning our District 9 pieces.”
However, Lambert Chorus students are no strangers to this level of excellence. Just last month on October 3, they participated in the Georgia chapter of the American Choral Directors Association’s (ACDA) invitational event at Kennesaw State University. For this competitive opportunity, Lambert Chorus submitted an audition tape last year and learned over the summer that they had been accepted. From August to October, most of their rehearsals centered on ACDA music because the expectations at this conference are incredibly high.
Though events like these can be nerve-wracking and stressful, many chorus students have found them incredibly rewarding and important for their growth as singers and as people. The long rehearsals push them to develop stronger technique, but they also teach discipline, teamwork and confidence in their own abilities. For many, these events are some of the only chances of getting to work alongside talented peers from across the region and learning from professional directors.
“District 9, honor chorus and All State all teach you how to learn numerous things at once and handle the pressure of performing at a high level,” Lambert senior Sahana Mandal added. “These are skills that you use in your day to day but also as you go into college whether you do chorus or not.”
For many seniors, these are competitions that they have participated in since freshman year, making this year’s events rather bittersweet.
“As a senior, this year feels a lot more meaningful,” Oche added. “ It’s my last time participating in District 9, so the experience feels more special and reflective. This year, one of my pieces, called ‘no time’ is one of my absolute favorite songs ever. It’s a piece we all first sang at Lambert as freshman so it’s a really emotional song for all of us to sing at District 9. It’s kind of like a full circle moment that shows us how far we’ve come since four years ago.”
Lambert Chorus’ hard work this semester is clearly paying off. Events like District 9 and ACDA push them to the very best and become experiences that they will always remember. As the semester continues and new performances approach, their dedication, resilience, and love for music will propel Lambert Chorus students far, both in the rest of their time at Lambert and going forward.
