25 Decorah students get to play in honors music festival

(First row, left to right): Avery Dugger, Loden Henning, Rita Marie Guzman, Carli Galligan and Maria Mertzenich. (Second row, left to right): McKenzie Snyder, Gabrielle Cowie, Ashley Schwartzhoff, Linnea Kephart and Katelyn Yee. (Third row, left to right): Adam Knight, Nick Vande Krol, Sean Trewin, Brad Suhr, Lydia Hayes, Alison Schwartzhoff and Emily Gomersall. (Fourth row, left to right): Kaleb Michel, Connor Freeman, Reese Drenth, Charles Baldwin, Ford Nesteby, and Blake Taylor. (Not Pictured): Maggie Brandel and Sophia Rouse

25 Decorah students have gotten a chance to participate in the annual Opus Honor Choir Festival.

A total of 720 students statewide were chosen for one of the four Opus Honor Choirs.  Selections were made by means of a recorded audition.

Eleven Decorah High School students were chosen for the ninth grade honor choir--the largest number of students ever accepted from Decorah into this choir.  They were Carli Galligan, Rita Marie Guzman, Lydia Hayes, Maria Mertzenich, Kaleb Michel, Ford Nesteby, Alison Schwartzhoff, Brad Suhr, Blake Taylor, Sean Trewin and Nick Vande Krol.

12 Decorah Middle School students and two students from the Oneota Valley Youth Choirs were selected the other three choirs.  They were 8th graders Charles Baldwin, Gabrielle Cowie, Reese Drenth, Connor Freeman, Linnea Kephart, Adam Knight, McKenzie Snyder and Emily Gomersall; 7th graders Loden Henning, Ashley Schwartzhoff and Katelyn Yee; 6th graders Maggie Brandel and Sophia Rouse and 5th grader Avery Dugger.

9th graders Rita Marie Guzman and Kaleb Michel were also selected to sing in a small group of 12 singers who performed with the choirs during the festival concert.