Choir students at RHS receive state honors

Several Russellville High School and middle school students received high choral honors recently, being named to the All-State Chorus, and one student was named the district’s outstanding choral student.

RHS choral instructor Emily Rush said all All-State auditions were done virtually this year, with students receiving their music and recording it themselves at home before submitting it.

“I’m really proud of them, especially under the circumstances,” said Rush. “To step up and do this in such an unusual year was great.”

Four high-schoolers and two middle-school students were named to the Alabama All-State Chorus, and one high-schooler was named to the All-State Show Choir.

At the high school, Avery Guinn and Morgan Jenkins were named to the four-part choir, and Sarah Kate Kiel and Kaitlyn Balding were named to the three-part choir.

For RMS, seventh-graders Lakin Derrick and Lily Cate Pace were named to the Middle School Treble Chorus.

Ella Burcham was selected from RHS to participate in the All-State Show Choir. Rush said being selected to All-State Show Choir is a huge deal because only 60 students are selected from across the entire state.

Rush said the All-State Show Choir performance will take place in April, and the hope is that it will be able to take place in person.

In addition to making All-State Chorus, Guinn was selected as the Alabama Vocal Association Tenor-Bass Outstanding Choral Student for District 1.

Guinn will represent District 1 and compete at the State Outstanding Choral Student Competition in March.

“There was a lot of work that went into that,” Rush said. “They had to sing a song, go through an interview process, submit an essay and get letters of recommendation.”

Rush said she does not know yet if the OCS Competition or All-State Chorus will be virtual, but she knows state officials are doing everything they can to make sure the students have the best opportunities.