Five GMHS Choir students were selected to participate in the 2024 CMEA All-State Honor Choirs. Luke Ranicar, Camden Bouley and Kiara Badowski were selected to perform with the All-State Mixed Choir under the baton of Dr. Arienne Abela while Sierra Ashe and Haritha Ramesh performed with the All-State Treble Choir conducted by Dr. Jamie Hillman.
Chosen after a rigorous audition process, these students spent three days in Hartford, singing music with accomplished singers from across the state. It is such an honor to be selected for the All-State choirs—they perform such beautiful, challenging music—you really have to be a topnotch musician. And there is no difference in level between the Mixed and Treble Choirs, one is not better than the other. The Mixed Choir students get to perform in a large, mass choir of about 220 singers, so it is a very powerful, rich sound. The Treble Choir is somewhat smaller at 120, but the difference in timbre and repertoire makes it incredibly beautiful and rewarding.
Both choirs performed music from a variety of genres, cultures, and languages including songs in Arabic, Tagalo, Latin, English and Afrikaans. Junior soprano Kiara Badowkski said, “Having the chance to be a part of something so special was truly amazing. I felt inspired by all the talent I got to sing with—it’s the people I met that made this experience one of a kind!” All five students are members of the GMHS Concert Choir and Chamber Singers and also recently performed in the GMHS Winter Coffeehouse as well as the GMHS production of Footloose.