ORIGINALLY WRITTEN
The Goessel High School band, choir and Elbiata Singers competed in the 2006 Big D Classic Music Festival sponsored by American Classic in Dallas, Texas, April 8.
The band received 248 points out of a possible 300 points and was awarded the trophy for an excellent rating in Class 1A competition, which included schools with an enrollment of 194 or less.
The Elbiata Singers received 288.3 points and was awarded the 1st place trophy and Outstanding Performance Trophy in the Class 1A madrigal choir competition.
The choir received 289 points and was awarded first place in Class 1A.
The choir also brought home the Outstanding Performance Trophy and missed the Outstanding Festival Choral Group trophy for all classes by 0.8 points. A school with an enrollment of more than 1,985 students won the award.
Kyle Unruh was among five students to receive the Outstanding Soloist Award. The judges were asked to listen to soloists in the orchestra, band and choirs, and if individual students are “exceptional” in their ensembles they are to pick the top four or five. Judges awarded medals to four instrumentalists and one vocalist.
Other highlights of the Texas trip were visiting the JFK Sixth Floor Museum, dinner at the Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament and Six Flags.
A highlight was the choir performing at the Oklahoma Symbolic Memorial Bomb Site on the way home.
The public can hear the music that was performed in the Texas festival at their annual community barbecue and spring concert on May 16. The annual event is the only fund-raiser the music department sponsors to pay for trip costs such as the Texas trip.
The dinner will be in the cafeteria beginning at 5:30 p.m. The concert in the auditorium will begin at 7 p.m.
The band program is directed by Bud Meisel while Greg Bontrager leads the vocal department.
