Southside High School - Southerner Yearbook (Fort Smith, AR)

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All-city festival, held in the Northside gym this year flj, was an important event for the choral department. Mrs. Mary Alice Nantz f2j was introduced as the head of the Southside choral department. The se- lection of music for the competition L32 was Let the People Praise Thee. David Redding and Ronnie Leonard are shown here MQ preparing to sing the selection. Dr. Alfred Skoog from the Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas, instructs Ronnie Leonard 552 on the correct way to sing a song. Preparation for regional and state competi- tion begins weeks, even months, before the actual events. H51 Mrs. Mary Alice Nantz, choral director, starts in September preparing the singers for such contests as Region and All-State. U1 Doan Bui and the girls' Glee Club rehearse a selec- tion for All-Region Choir tryouts held March 1. f8j Semester exams in music in- volve not only a written test but also singing ability. Springdale, Van Buren and Northside choral students stopped at South side en route to Jacksonville, Arkansas, for All-State Choir tryouts held February 445 f9j while Kelly King and Donna Evans, sophomores, focus their attention on last minute instructions I1 02. Afterwards, singers prepare to leave for tryouts fl 11. 12 lj

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WE MAKE YUM EEEL LUKE SHNEHNE If one read the ear s com lete schedule of performlaincels for tlie C O n C e S I C O n 1 e S 1' choral music groups it would look like the arrival and departure k b boards of the airlines at the e e p S I e r S U S y Municipal Airport. For example, the listing would include school concerts, public performances, special Christmas pro- grams, variety shows, regional contests, all-state competition, etc. The list could go on and on. To tackle such a schedule, the 100-member-strong choral department Was divided into three main groups, each specializing in certain repertoires. The Johnny Reb Singers, the most specialized group, was made up of twelve vocalists, both male and female, from the eleventh and twelfth grades. This group was in demand to sing for dinners and special meetings in addition to the regular concerts scheduled by the department. The Mixed Chorus Was made up of juniors and seniors as Well as soph- omore boys, while the Girls, Chorus was composed of girls from all three classes. Students and public alike probably got their clearest view of the versatility of the singers from all three groups when they attended the production of Southern Showboat, February 11-12. ln solos, duets, trios, and quartets, the choral stu- dents were a major part of the success of the production, singing songs from the various musical eras the United States has gone through. While performing in such activ- ities as Showboat, the singers also were preparing and participating in a more serious aspect of their work. For instance, the All-Region tryouts were held at Westark, November 13. Seventeen Southsiders placed in the competition with five of these making it into the top five of their fcontinued on page 1221 120

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CHORAL AND ORCHESTRA fcontinuedj 'Southern Showbooi' features singers from choral music in song and clonce sections. These included senior Pris- cilla Rhodes, first soprano, first chair, sophomore Kelly King, first soprano, second chairg senior Julie Hendrix, second soprano, first chair, senior Holly Cameron, second alto, first chair, and senior Van Martindale, second bass, fourth chair. These win- ners from All-Region took part in a choral clinic held in Russellville, November 5. For some, this competition was a first and had special meaning. Being a sophomore, I didnlt think I had much of a chance,', Kelly King explained. mllhere were 63 Sopranos trying out. On February 4-5, eleven choral members-those placing high enough in All-Region to be eligible to try out for All-State competition- traveled to Jacksonville, Arkansas, for this prestigious competition. Among the winners were Kelly King, first sopranog Julie Hendrix, second sopranog Holly Cameron, second altog Melissa Cattaneo, second soprano, and Van Martindale, second bass. The numerous honors won by the singers in state and region contests resulted from hours and hours of rehearsal and performance. Despite the work involved, the rewards seemed to compensate for the effort put forth. I think there are a lot of trying times, but in the end it's all worth itf, senior Priscilla Rhodes explained, summing up her three years in chorus at Southside. fcontinued on page 1245 122 5 6 Showboat. In the month of February that is what all Southside students heard. For some students it meant practice, practice, prac- tice fll f2,top1 Donna Evans, Marty Edwards, and Karen Patrick sing their selection at tryouts for the Showboat performance February I 1 and 12. Multi- talented Nancy Myers sings as well as plays the celeste f3J. After being chosen for the performance, Jimmy Moore, and Gary Hunt practice on stage after school I-42. A la Barbra Streisand, Julie Hendrix puts great feeling into I'd Rather Be Blue f5J. Melissa Cattaneo watches Linda Smith teach the do is and don 'ts ofdancing the Charleston 562.