By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer

PELHAM— After an impressive performance of the National Anthem at Military Appreciation Night Feb. 6, Pelham High School’s choir is preparing for an even bigger feat: The State Choral Performance Assessment.

Students from the Vocal I, II and III classes will be performing two pieces—“Agnus Die” and “Shenandoah”— from memory to be scored as an ensemble. Choir director Randy Duke said he’s hoping for a superior ranking.

“We’re just coming in every day focusing on warm ups, taking rehearsals seriously and just giving it everything we’ve got,” he said. “Then on top of that sight reading, sight reading, sight reading.”

In addition to the two pieces the choir is perfecting, Duke said the students will also be judged on their ability to sight read, or performing of a piece they haven’t seen before.

The students have been rehearsing their foreign language, working to unify vowels and training through positive rehearsals, according to Duke.

“They just have such an amazing sound…when we go to state, I’ve just told them that I always want them to do their best,” he said. “They are living up to that.”

Competitions aside, Duke said his ultimate goal is to prepare his students for college and for life. If a student wants to major or minor in music, Duke hopes he is preparing them for that next step.

The vocal academy, a branch of the fine arts academy at Pelham High School, allows students to participate in choral classes all four years in Vocal I, II, III and IV. =

As the classes progress, Duke said the difficulty of the music and the sight reading increases from a beginning level to an advanced one. He said Vocal IV is an a ccapella chamber and show choir that requires students to audition.

“At this point the next step, what I am preparing them for, is college and for life,” Duke said. “That’s what I do at the middle school, too. I want everything we do in here to be as musically rewarding as it is life applicable.”

Junior Daniel Bonham has been in chorus with Duke since he was in sixth grade. Now, Bonham said he is considering perusing a music degree at the college level with the help of Duke.

“He works a lot more with sight-reading and music theory, and he’s been giving us more challenging pieces this year than he did last year,” Bonham said. “I think last year was a learning experience for me.”

Duke said he is excited to bring this group to the State Choral Performance Assessment March 22, and they’ll be focused on rehearsal until their one chance to wow the judges.