33 Decorah students are taking part in Thursday's Opus Honor Choir Festival

Decorah Middle School Students Selected for Opus Honor Choir: Front row (l-r): Libby Phillips, Bethany Hanson, Margret Zook, Chloe Sheffield, Kaitlyn Bjork, June Breitenbach-Dirks, Mikayla Hiner, and Will Duder. Middle Row (l-r): Gabriel Hiner, Brady Bohner, Shlok Patel, Liam Chamberlain, Oliver Brummel, Amelia Wadsworth, Kealy Hines, and Ezra Vorvick. Back Row (l-r): Naomi Simon, Elayna Hook, Gwenyth Thompson, Elsa Johnson, Kamryn Steines, Ezra Harman-Wood, Mara Branum, and Caleb Krieg.

33 Decorah students are participating Thursday in the 34th annual Opus Honor Choir Festival at Iowa State University.  It's the second highest number of students the Decorah community has ever had involved in the Opus Honor Choirs.  720 students will perform as part of the four Opus Honor Choirs. Selections were made by means of a recorded audition.  Thursday's concert begins at 4:00 p.m. in C.Y. Stephens Auditorium in the Iowa State Center in Ames.

This is the 14th year Decorah has had students audition for the Opus Honor Choirs. During the past 14 years more than 350 students from Decorah have been accepted through recordings submitted by Dean Beckman, Jason Rausch, and community youth choir directors. This year, 24 students were selected from Decorah Middle School by recordings submitted by Dean Beckman. Nine students were selected by recordings submitted by Jason Rausch at the Decorah High School. The following students were accepted to sing at the Opus Honor Choir Festival:

6th Grade: Kaitlyn Bjork, Mara Branum, June Breitenbach-Dirks, Will Duder, Ezra Harman-Wood, and Mikayla Hiner

7th Grade: Oliver Brummel, Liam Chamberlain, Kealy Hines, Elsa Johnson, Caleb Krieg, Chloe Sheffield, Kamryn Steines, Gwenyth Thompson, Ezra Vorvick, Amelia Wadsworth, and Margret Zook

8th Grade: Brady Bohner, Bethany Hanson, Gabriel Hiner, Elayna Hook, Shlok Patel, Libby Phillips, and Naomi Simon

9th Grade: Ella Grouws, Alexandra Kane, Sally Laybourn, Morgan Moen (alternate), Michael Njus, Daniel Skrade, Hope Stahl, Gareth Sweet, and Rorie Wiedow

In addition, one student was selected as solo finalist for the final concert. Eighth grader Gabriel Hiner was selected as a solo finalist for the 7th and 8th Grade Bass Clef Honor Choir.

Decorah High School Students Selected for Opus Honor Choir: Front row (l-r): Ella Grouws, Hope Stahl, Morgan Moen, Rorie Wiedow. Back row (l-r): Gareth Sweet, Sally Laybourn, Daniel Skrade, Michael Njus.

DMS Student Alexandra Kane was also selected (not pictured in group photo).