Members of the Hays High School Treble Choir, seen here with Director Nancy Cavendish rolled to a 2011 Sweepstakes showing in the Region 18 UIL Concert and Sightreading Contest at the Hays CISD Performing Arts Center with a perfect string of first division ratings from all six judges. (Photos by Jim Cullen)
The Lehman High School Mixed Chorus poses with Director Daniel Arredondo following the awarding of their Sweepstakes trophy for a perfect roll of six first division ratings from judges in the 2011 Region 18 UIL Choir Concert and Sightreading Contest. The Sweepstakes trophy finished off a four-choir “Sweepstakes sweep” for the Lobos, all four with unanimous first division ratings.
by JIM CULLEN
In yet another dramatic demonstration of the excellence expected of – and delivered by – Hays CISD music programs, the Lehman High School and Hays High School choirs recently swept their way to a number of Sweepstakes trophies in the Region 18 UIL Concert and Sightreading Contest. The drama continued over an additional two days as the district’s middle school choir programs demonstrated from where all that talent will be coming in years to come.
Lobo Director Daniel Arredondo – himself a hometown product of the program and, in fact, a former student of Hays Director Nancy Cavendish – perhaps had the most to relish for his choral students in this year’s annual test of Concert and Sightreading. Lehman swept four Sweepstakes trophies in four tries, two in varsity competition and two in non-varsity. All four were with perfect strings of six judges’ first division ratings.
Hays High performed with three groups, celebrating a perfect set of six judges’ first divisions for their Varsity Treble Choir, winning Sweepstakes, as well as a first division in Sightreading for the Varsity Mixed Chorus and a Sweepstakes for their Non-varsity Treble Choir. Poignantly adding to the post-competition emotions was Director Nancy Cavendish’s announcement of her coming retirement.
In the middle school competition that completed the week of beautiful local sounds emanating from the PAC, Dahlstrom fielded a pair of Sweepstakes entries, Director Tanna Bills guiding varsity and non-varsity groups to gold. Both Wallace, under Kelley Reyes, and Barton, under Katherine Moore, fielded varsity treble choirs that added to the Sweepstakes haul. At both Chapa and Simon, choirs celebrated a Sightreading first division under directors Adam Poynor and Adrian Reyes, respectively.
