The vocal music department participated in the large ensemble state festival this past week in Holton.

Director Tom Gifford took the Chieftain Singers, girls glee and boys glee groups to state, and all earned high marks.

“We took three choirs to compete and they all got 1 ratings, the top score groups can earn,” Gifford said. “This is a lofty feat and we’re really excited about it.”

This past year was the first time the Chieftain Singers achieved a 1 rating, and they followed up with another top performance. Girls glee, which is a combination of girls concert choir and the Chieftain Singers, competed for the first time in 2009-10 and earned a 2 rating a year ago. Boys glee consists solely of boys in the Chieftain Singers. Also competing for the first time this past year, the group earned a 2 rating in its first year in 2009-10.

The previous weekend, THS competed in the small ensemble and solos regional festival.

In total, six vocal soloists and a boys quartet earned 1 ratings and qualified for state. No singer or ensemble received lower than a 2 rating at the festival.

Boys quartet members are Elliott Brest, Bryson Hewins, Aaron McIntyre and Marcus Titterington.

Soloists earning 1 ratings were Taylor Clark, Christopher Tiner, Allie Packard, Bobbi Lindsay, Madison Derry and Rachel Sparks.

Soloists earning 2 ratings were Brest, Nathan Dowell, Jonathan Duvall, Lacie Falk, Christa Firuccia, Mallory Harrell, Madison Hunter, Beth Jobst, Bonnie Monahan, Dominic Pitts and Jessica Sommers.

Ensembles earning a 2 rating were the mixed quartet of Dowell, Falk, Firuccia and Keith Slater and the girls trio of Monahan, Kirsten Rudd and Amy Wilkins.

State band festival

The Tonganoxie High School band received a 2 rating at the state large groups festival this past week in Holton.

Director Charles Van Middlesworth said the band played the best it had ever played.

“Many students came up to me and said, ‘That was fun,'” Van Middlesworth said. “As a teacher, seeing the students enjoy what they are doing is very rewarding.”

The band opened the concert with “The Black Hawk Soars” by Robert W. Smith and closed with “Our Director March” by James Swearingen.

“It was a great experience for the kids,” Van Middlesworth said. “I was very proud of how our students performed, and our students represented Tonganoxie very well at State Large Groups.”

For the first time in school history, the band will have a percussion ensemble playing at the State Solo and Small Ensemble Festival on April 30 at Andover High School.

Here’s a list of all students who will be performing: Emma Stilgenbauer, Beth Jobst, Chris Hancock, Wes Williams, Ashley Henley, Dakota Pike, Zack Panick, Jennifer Stinson, Molly Welsh, RJ Reyes, Jeff Neal, Eva Drennan, Aaron McIntyre, Rachel Bieniecki, and Rodger Black.