Andrews choir to take the stage at state convention

ANDREWS With the flick of his wrist and wave of his arm, Michael Matlock will direct a group of 52 high school girls to the Texas Music Educators Association Convention in February.

At 8 a.m. every morning since August, the 52-member women’s choir at Andrews High School has been preparing the seven songs they will perform at the convention in San Antonio.

Matlock, choir director at Andrews High School, said it was a huge honor when his A Cappella Women’s Choir was selected last spring to perform at the convention on Feb. 9. He said he had to submit two years of recordings to the association in order to show a consistent performance level.

“I’m looking forward to the fact that the state will hear a 3A choir,” he said, adding the convention performances are typically dominated by 4A and 5A high schools. “Also, (it’s) the opportunity for Andrews to be represented, in particular these young ladies.”

He said in his nine years directing the choir at Andrews, this is the first time Andrews has been selected to sing.

“They’ve worked very hard for this and it’s humbling to direct them,” he said.

In preparation, Matlock said he selected seven very different songs to fill the allotted 25 minute performance to make the performance interesting.

The students are enjoying the songs.

Brianna Shouse, a senior in the choir, said she feels something differently with each performance song. She said whether the song happy and fast-paced or slow and somber the feelings are strong and, “it’s always passionate.”

“It’s a break from daily work” she said. “You get to stand up there and sing and do something you love.”

Ruby Flores, senior in the choir, said performing at the convention would be a big accomplishment for the team considering they are the only 3A high school performing.

“We definitely have something to prove,” she said.

Ruby said she is already nervous for the performance,

“My hands fill up with sweat just during practice,” Ruby said.

She said the team has been practicing the seven songs they would sing at the convention since the beginning of the school year.

“We all enjoy singing so much,” she said. “It provides an escape from the daily stresses.”

She said she enjoys the unity as a choir during some of the songs which evoke so much emotion, “you can tell whole choir is feeling it.”

Briley Waldroop, a senior in the choir, said at school showing too much emotion usually is not considered “cool,” but in choir it’s different.

“It’s your chance to be emotional,” she said.

Other students agreed.

Whitlee Woods, a senior in the choir, said she tries to give everything she has with every song she sings with the choir.

“When I sing I go to a different level,” she said. “I feel like I can release everything when I sing.”

@OAschools

Choir performance songs:

• Guadete! Arranged by Michael Engelhardt.
• Exaudi! Laudate! Arranged by Beverly A. Patton.
• Domine fili Unigenite by Giovanni Pierluigi Palestrina, edited by Don Malin.
• The Bells, arranged by John Leavitt and based on the poem from Edgar Allan Poe.
• Will ye go, lassie, go? A traditional Scottish folk song, arranged by Michael Neaum.
• Go Where I Send Thee! A Gospel arranged by Paul Caldwell and Sean Ivory.
• I Got Rhythm by George and Ira Gershwin; arranged by Carl Strommen and John Higgins.