A record number of over 20 students at Oxford high School have been selected for the Mississippi all-State Honor Choir. Oxford’s choir director, Wiliam Ardrey, is excited to see so many of his students participate this year.
“The choir is a huge opportunity for my students to showcase their talents on a bigger stage,” Ardrey said. “It is the highest accomplishment a chorister can achieve in Mississippi.”
Junior Alice Dabbs is one of many students who was selected for the All-State Honor Choir. Dabbs is the number one ranked second soprano in Mississippi this year.
“I was super excited,” Dabbs said. “I wasn‘t expecting it, so I was very shocked to earn this award.” Dabbs has participated in Mississippi’s Honor Choir before, but the new title has become an incentive for her to be more of a leader.
“It is encouraging, and I have a lot more motivation to be a more active member of the choir,” Dabbs said.
Unlike Dabbs, senior Sam Lewis is going to the All-State Choir for the first time.
“I am interested to see what it is about,” Lewis said.
He was ranked as the fourth-best baritone in Mississippi.
“Honestly, I was kind of surprised,” Lewis said. “I didn’t think my audition was fantastic, but I’m glad that it was good enough to warrant a title.”
Work went into students, like Dabbs and Lewis, earning these titles. The auditions for the All-State Choir are unique because they are not required for all choir members, but rather for self-motivated students who want to sing at the next level. Ardrey feels as though his students are prepared to succeed in the All-State Choir.
“A lot of the preparation is up to the students,” Ardrey said. “For the audition, I buy the music, but it‘s up to them to learn the music and prepare themselves.”
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the choir tryout process permanently. It eliminated in person auditions and switched to fully online. “After COVID, they‘ve been virtual, so you
must submit a voice memo of you singing a random song,” Dabbs said.
The songs vary depending on your section in the choir. These sections include first and second sopranos, first and second altos, tenors, baritones, and bases.
“You get some music pieces, and there’s one specific to tenors and bases,” Lewis said. “You learn them and send back a recording of you singing it.”
Students are also required to sight read to make the Honor Choir. Students receive a piece of music they’ve never seen before and have to sing it on command. Despite the difficult audition process, students have really enjoyed participating in the past.
“I went to it last year, and it’s a lot of fun,” Da bbs said. “All of my friends are going, so I will have fun.”
Ardrey has been sending Oxford’s top choir performers to the All-State Choir even before the pandemic.
“This is the seventh year we have had students compete,” Ardrey said. “There was not a choir in 2020 because of the pandemic, or in 2021.”
Ardrey was delighted to have the most students from OHS in seven years audition and make the honor choir this season.
“We had 22 who made it this year, which is the most we have ever had,” Ardrey said. “I am really pleased that we had that many people who made it and that we had so many kids ranked in the top 40 in Mississippi.”
