Senior, junior, and sophomore students involved in band, choir, and orchestra participated in state large group contests on Wednesday, April 13.

All of the groups at contest scored at least one outstanding I rating and two excellent II ratings. Both orchestra groups and the Southside choir scored three outstanding I ratings, the highest score a group can receive.

The students started practicing for contest at the beginning of the third quarter and in most cases went to after school rehearsals in order to fully prepare for contest.

After performing, many groups watched other groups perform, including ones from different schools.

“We watched three other groups and the chamber orchestra play. They all did really well,” Brooke Wardle, sophomore, said.

The groups were not able to select their performance time, and in many cases the groups were given “less desirable” times. The orchestra had to meet at school before 6:30 a.m. in order to get to the contest location on time and not disturb regular bus schedules. Their performance time was 8 a.m.

“The performance was really interesting because most of the orchestra was either really tired or really hyper because they had coffee right before we went to perform,” Wardle said.

The choirs, on the other hand, performed at 5:55 p.m., the last performance time of the day.

The solos and ensembles from choir, band, and orchestra all brought home superior and excellent ratings from state contests on Saturday, April 23, in Topeka. To qualify students had to receive a I, a superior rating, at the regional solo and ensemble on April 9.

Choir had ten soloist and five ensembles, band had ten soloists and five ensembles, and orchestra had three soloists and no ensembles, go to state.

The teacher chose the music that the ensembles performed. Students in ensembles worked during class and at after school rehearsals. Soloists chose the two pieces they performed and practiced months before contest.

Soloists had to work on their own time, but some soloists from choir have voice teachers that practiced weekly on the music they performed for contest.