Singing songs in the Windy City: the Chicago choir trip
By Caleb Parker
Photo of the Voice of Owasso provided by Sakura Robinson
The Owasso Choir has been known for their level of caliber in the world of vocal music. From belting phenomenal ranges in Veteran’s Day Assemblies to representing their hometown internationally, the choir has proven their excellence and prestige time and time again. Now, they had the opportunity to go to the Windy City to perform masterful vocal symphonies—and hit the mark in every category imaginable.
April 3 marked the date the Voice of Owasso would travel to express their unique style and character, and they did just that. After leaving Owasso in the evening, they would drive an all-night trip to Chicago to display their vocal abilities.
Owasso Choir Director Mindy Bettridge explains the level of competition the choir faced in Chicago.
“The competition is called ‘Festivals of Music’ and it was [the choir’s] Chicago contest. We [were competing] against choirs from four other states, and we had two groups go: our chorale and our treble choir,” states Bettridge.
After waking up on the bus ride to busy city streets, the choir was determined to succeed. Upon their early arrival, the choir had to instantly prepare and practice through their pieces before their performance later that day. After warming up for a mere couple of hours, the Choir was ready to showcase their different pieces. The Owasso Treble Choir sang “After the Rain” by Sarah Quartel and “Nothin’ Gonna Stumble My Feet” by Greg Gilpin, while the Chorale sang “Salmos 150” by Ernani Aguilar and “The Music of Stillness” by Elaine Hagenburg.
Unsurprisingly, the Owasso Choir performed with exceptional expertise and received awards that even surpassed their own expectations of themselves.
“Both of those groups got superior ratings from the judges … and we won the best overall of all the choirs,” smiled Bettridge.
Bettridge continued, however, explaining that there was a “Kindness Award,” formally known as the “Esprit de Corps Award,” that was given to one select group during the entire event.
Festivals of Music explains that it is an award that “recognizes the participating organization that displays an exemplary attitude of positive support and outstanding personal behavior throughout the festival weekend.” The organization continues to denote that “personal integrity, quality character values, a desire for excellence, and a spirit of cooperation serve as the cornerstone qualities … of the award.”
As I spoke with Bettridge, her face continued to shine with great pride when she told me that the choir had won this outstanding honor of character.
“There’s choirs, bands and orchestras that compete in this, and … they watch everybody from the time they walk in until the time they walk out, and just observe their general demeanor,” Bettridge explained. “It’s more meaningful … to me as their teacher than a music award because I knew they were going to do well with music. [It’s] nice that people can see and appreciate that they’re just really great people.”
Picture of choir directors at the awards ceremony, provided by Selene Mack
Senior Genevieve LeMaster describes the value of the trip, describing how impactful it was to listen and surround themselves with other groups’ music.
“It is always helpful to listen to other musicians, regardless of style [and] regardless of their medium,” states LeMaster. “When we were in Chicago we went to Andy’s Jazz Club, and we were able to watch some live jazz performers do their thing. And especially being in jazz choir, there was nothing that [could] match live music.”
The Field Museum in Chicago was where the Choir prepped for their performances and received their awards. For Lemaster and other students on the trip, this was one of the most memorable places in Chicago—including the soul-singing jazz club they attended, which gave the Owasso Choir students a chance to let their hearts feel the melodies.
“I got up and looked around and literally everybody was so focused … and it was really, really fun to see people get up and like, dance around and just be able to interact with those people [at the club],” recalls LeMaster.
Picture of the Owasso Choir and their awards, provided by Sakura Robinson
When the Choir returned from their trip, they had more to reflect on than just their own vocal prowess. Their maturity earned them an award that would always remind them of who they should be as people, and not just singers—a characteristic warmly applauded by the community of Owasso.