group of students

LM Singers to County Chorus

Thirteen Lancaster Mennonite High School students qualified for County Chorus this year.  This is an exceptional number of students for one school, especially a school the size of LMH. Last year, 14 students qualified, reflecting a trend to have double-digit representation of LMH students in County Chorus.

Jerilyn Lapp and Olivia Kim qualified for Soprano 1;  Bethany Bronkema for Soprano 2; Willa Beidler for Alto 1; Kate Kindelberger, Ellie Stillman and Sydney Esch for Alto 2. Joseph Jing, Harley Foster, Javon Thomas and Noah Schnabel all qualified for Tenor 1, and Sangbin Lee and Ben Greenleaf for Tenor 2.

All the county’s music teachers serve as judges to select the top 200 singers for County Chorus. While that may seem a high number, it reflects only the top 25 students for each vocal part. Judges are looking for pitch and rhythm accuracy, good tone production and overall musicianship.

This level of vocal excellence in a small school is not a happy coincidence. All the qualifying students are members of LMH’s select vocal group, the Campus Chorale under the direction of Macella Hostetter.

“I have learned over the years that it helps to teach the two audition selections to all Campus Chorale members,” Hostetter said. “Then students have more confidence to audition.” Hostetter was available every day before and after school to help prepare students for the auditions, and many students took advantage of this extra help.

Hostetter also teaches sight-reading to the high school choir, a non-auditioned group in which most Campus Chorale members get their start before auditioning for Campus Chorale as juniors and seniors.

PHOTO CAPTION: Thirteen Lancaster Mennonite High School students qualified for County Chorus this year:   (front row, l-r) Noah Schnabel, Harley Foster, Ben Greenleaf, Willa Beidler, Ellie Stillman, Olivia Kim (back row, l-r) Katie Kindleberger, Jerilyn Lapp, Joseph Jing, Sangbin Lee, Bethany Bronkema, Sydney Esch, Javon Thomas