Ali Cavazos/Memorial Media
Memorial choir's treble chorale earned a sweepstakes for their performance at UIL last week.
Memorial band, choir and orchestra all brought home sweepstakes at their UIL concert and sightreading evaluations last week.
UIL certified judges rate groups with scores ranging from 1 to 5, with 1 being “superior” and 5 being “poor.”
The performances are judged in three different areas. The first is tone, which is the overall sound and blend of the group. Technique is the accuracy, clarity and articulation of notes and rhythms. Finally, musical understanding is the incorporation of stylistic elements, such as dynamics and other markings in the score.
Because it was the first year, orchestra teacher Kevin Nguyen felt pressure to do well, but was relieved when they earned sweepstakes, which is when a group gets a 1 onstage and in sight reading.
“I have to give kudos to the orchestra kids this year as they have done a fantastic job in preparing and performing, especially since I am a new director to a majority of the ensemble,” Nguyen said.
Choir took three groups including the Maverick Singers, treble chorale and tenor-bass chorale to perform their three songs. All of them received sweepstakes after rehearsing the music beginning in January.
“I feel like it was a great start to our program and it’s something we’re always going to be able to look back on and be proud of,” Coons said.
Band’s wind ensemble earned sweepstakes and the symphonic band earned a superior rating onstage. All three music departments had spent long hours preparing for the contests, which were held at Legacy High School.
“The kids have been working really hard to bring home our first sweepstakes of our new school and set a precedent for maintaining greatness in the future,” Nguyen said.
The fine arts department will also be showcased Friday night from 6-8 p.m. when it hosts the “Creative Collective.”
The event will provide an opportunity for community members to learn more about Memorial’s fine arts programs and watch performances from different groups. It’s open and free to the public.
“I’m excited for the community to be able to come in and see all the awesome facilities we have,” Coons said.
Nguyen is excited for all audiences to experience what is going on in different fine arts disciplines.
“For example, parents of choir students usually only go to choir concerts, but not orchestra concerts,” Nguyen said. “Now, they will get an opportunity to see what’s going on in orchestra as they usually don’t attend our concerts. We will have multiple events going on simultaneously and encourage people to explore all of the diverse fine arts that we offer at Memorial High School.”