Choir robe wearing high schoolers from Orono and other section 2AA schools filled the auditorium with song on Monday night, as part of the MSHSL section 2AA Large Group Vocal Contest. Orono’s Chamber Choir and Concert Choir performed three songs each, while Tri-M and NHS students volunteered at the annual state event, which was hosted by Orono High School this time around. Director of Vocal Music Nichole Brenna was the main coordinator, ensuring that the contest ran smoothly.

Each choir would start in the choir room for warmup, move to the auditorium for their performance and finish off in the band room for a clinic, in which one judge would deliver feedback and even conduct the choir.

“The rest of their performance year doesn’t really look like this–their audience is different,” Brenna said, “There are four judges …  scoring this that are not their choir director.” Senior Emma VandenEinde said it was a helpful self-evaluation for Chamber Choir, especially for one of the songs that will be performed at the next choir concert.

Orono’s competition included Mound Westonka, Shakopee, Dassel-Cokato, Delano and Buffalo High School—although competition only loosely describes the Large Group Vocal Contest, as there were no real winners or losers. Four judges rated each performance, making note of tone quality, intonation, rhythm and technique, among other aspects. Evaluations were scored out of 40, resulting in an overall rating of the choir: Superior (35-40), Excellent (20-34), Good (22-27) or Fair (21 or below). Choirs competed in either Category 1, 2 or 3; Category 3 had the most difficult songs to perform.

Orono’s highest choir, Chamber Choir, competed in Category 1 and received a “Superior” ranking, while the second highest choir, Concert Choir, competed in Category 2 and received an “Excellent” ranking. In Chamber Choir’s performance of “The Water is Wide” arranged by Stephen Paulus, senior Sonia Driskill, a harpist of 12 years, performed a harp accompaniment; in the last song “I’ll Tell My Ma” arranged by Erik Jones she had a vocal solo as well.

“It really comes down to being in love with what you’re doing and letting that emotion overcome any nervousness,” Driskill said.

The event was aided by Tri M and NHS volunteers who gathered scores from judges, kept the hallways quiet and lead choirs where they needed to go.