Local Students Performing at State Music Festival

The outstanding performance of Northeast High School's concert choir and vocal ensemble at this year's Anne Arundel County High School Choral Festival have won the groups a chance to perform at the 2011 Maryland State High School Choral Festival at Morgan State University in Baltimore.

The festival will take place on April 29 and 30 at the university's Murphy Center, though the Northeast performers have yet to be assigned a specific date.

"You had to receive an average rating of 'superior' to move on to the state festival," said Northeast High School Music Director Sarah Jester. "Our concert choir and vocal ensemble both received that."

The students performed three pieces, one of which was a warm-up and two were adjudicated. They were also tested on their sight-reading abilities.

"(The state festival) isn't really a competition," said Jester. "It's celebrating the music within our counties. They'll get to see students from other counties and their performance will be rated again there."

Jester added that the bar would be raised in terms of judging criteria.

"What might have been a one (the best possible score) at the county level is more like a two," said Jester. "A one is something harder to achieve. They have to clean up those spots that were rought he first time through so it's more polished."

Jester said that she's excited for her students to have the chance to perform in the state festival.

"The kids will get to sing in a beautiful auditorium that has excellent acoustics," said Jester, who added that the students' superior performance would look excellent on college applications.