The choir UIL competition will be held on March 29, 30, and 31. During this competition, choir students will demonstrate their artistry and technical understanding of singing combined with other skills that they’ve learned throughout the year. 

“The UIL competition is a yearly event where the district invites schools from over the district to compete in expressing how much you have grown over the years in Choir,” Non Varsity choir student Morgan Rycroft said. “We are all tested in our knowledge about sight reading. In other words, reading music.” 

In order to compete in the UIL competition, choir classes are required to pick two or three songs to perform on the stage. According to choir director Michael Buntyn, Chorale (Varsity Mixed choir) will perform Seal Lullaby by Eric Whitacre, O Occhi Manza Mia by Orlando di Lasso, and Yo Le Canto Todo El Dia by Brunner. Bella Voce (Non Varsity treble choir) will perform Poet Sings by Stroops, Illumina Oculos Meos by Palestrina, and Bonsa Abs by Johnson.  

“And so there is kind of like a place where everybody loves what they do, so we always try to [give] kids their best education in every area possible both academic and extracurricular” Said Buntyn. 

Buntyn said he expects his students to collaborate and listen to one another to create a fine piece of singing. 

“Singing is not a talent, it’s a skill you can define, especially when you are working with other people,” Buntyn said. “[When] singing in choir, everyone must listen to each other and everyone must work together and they have to match exactly what the other one around are doing so that they can end up with this wall of sound.” 

The UIL Competition is a chance for students to enjoy the feeling of singing that has more significance than the glory of trophies. 

“Competing by itself isn’t really about trophies,” Buntyn said. “It’s about creating great music. My expectation is that we really work for artisan mastery of what we’re creating.”