GENTRY -- The 45-member Gentry High School Varsity Singers mixed choir, under the direction of Trella Yates, made history on April 16 and 17 by scoring an overall "Superior One" rating from the judges at the Arkansas State Choral Performance Assessment at the University of Arkansas in Conway.
This is a first for a Gentry High School choir, according to Yates.
The choir qualified for the state competition in March at the Northwest Region Choral Performance Assessment. The choir then traveled to Conway earlier this month and sang "Cantate Domino" by Pitoni as an a capella piece, "Come Live with Me" with Martha Hawkins accompanying the choir on the piano, and an a capella spiritual called "Mary Sat A-Rockin" by Gilpin.
"We had a terrific trip to Conway, and I was so proud of how the students kept working hard to prepare for this event and of their great attitudes," said Yates. "They sang beautifully on stage and shined for Gentry," she added.
Yates has been choir instructor at the high school for 11 years and said of the success, "We finally got there and achieved our goal!"
This is the last year for Yates as high school choir instructor. She recently transferred to teach music at the intermediate school next year.
General News on 04/29/2015