By Eunice Kim • Statesman Journal
May 4, 2008
NEWBERG — Rachael Kent seemed calm as she sat in a hallway, chatting with her fellow choir members. That didn't mean, however, that she wasn't a little nervous about the performance ahead.
"I'm really excited," said Kent, an 18-year-old senior at McNary High School. "It's my last year, so I want to do really well. This is it."
Hundreds of students like Kent participated Saturday in the Oregon School Activities Association 6A Choir State Championships at George Fox University in Newberg.
Saturday's competition, also sponsored by U.S. Bank and Les Schwab Tires, saw 24 choirs from across Oregon vie for the state title, including groups from North Salem, McNary, West Salem, South Salem and Sprague High School. Sprague took second place.
"It's disappointing, but I'm still excited," Sprague junior Tommy Leinonen said of the school's second-place finish. "I'm still very pleased with how we did. I'm proud of my friends."
A choir from Salem-Keizer School District has been state champion — or tied for first — for the past 10 years. Sprague had won the last five, but it wasn't to be this year. Portland's Rex Putnam High took top honors. South Salem High took third, and West High tied for fifth.
The competition Saturday was the third and last day of the 2008 choir state championships. Michael Wallmark, associate executive director of the OSAA, said it was the culminating event for high school choirs.
"The very best choirs in the state have an opportunity to perform for judges to get feedback and to perform for each other," he said. "It's a way for them to be recognized for excellence, but also educated by listening to each other."
Choirs earned a spot at state by winning a district competition or scoring a high rating to qualify, submitting a tape of their performance to OSAA, and then getting selected by judges.
At state, each choir performed prepared selections for judges, as well as a piece they had never sung before. Choirs incorporated everything from rhythmic clapping to drumming into their 20-minute performances on stage.
McNary and South Salem's choirs drew standing ovations on Saturday.
"It's been really exciting," said South Salem sophomore Ellie Freeman, who was competing at state for the first time. "The energy in the audience was very inspiring."
Many students joined the audience after their performances and listened to the other groups.
"The competition makes it fun, but it's great to hear the other choirs and what they're working on," said Ryan Riffle, a junior at Sprague.
His twin brother, Richard, added, "It's amazing how many people have a great voice for singing."
Competing at state gave West Salem's choir a goal to work toward, said junior Daniel McConville, a soloist. It helped the group become closer.
McConville and many others agreed that the competition wasn't about winning.
"We all share the same beliefs," said Alexa Fornes, a senior at McNary. "We don't go to win or lose. We go to sing music together and perform for everybody. … It was very fun."