VWHS to host district band-choir contest

Submitted information

This Friday and Saturday, the Van Wert High School Music Department will host the Ohio Music Education Association’s District Band and Choir Contest.

Bands and choirs will come from across the region to perform for judges and receive ratings. Overall, 19 bands and 13 choirs, made up of more than 1,500 student musicians, will perform.

The contest will be held at the high school and Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio. Bands will perform in the NPAC Saltzgaber Music Hall while choirs will perform in the First Federal Lecture Hall. All performances are free to the public, while concessions will be available to benefit the Van Wert Band Parents Association.

Students from the VWHS Concert Choir, Sophomore Women’s Chorus, Freshman Choir, and Symphonic Band have been working very hard throughout the third nine weeks for this performance. Their time has been spent preparing their three required pieces. One of the three pieces is selected from a required list that determines the class, while the other two are selected at-large.

Local bands competing on Friday:

• 5 p.m. – Spencerville Concert Band, Class C
• 8:30 p.m. – Spencerville Symphonic Band, Class B

Local bands competing on Saturday:

• 9 a.m. – Parkway Concert Band, Class C
• 9:30 a.m. – Wayne Trace Concert Band, Class C
• 10:30 a.m. – Lincolnview Concert Band, Class C
• 11:30 a.m. – Parkway Symphonic Band, Class B
• 1 p.m. – Crestview Concert Band, Class C
• 2 p.m. – Paulding Concert Band, Class C
• 2:30 p.m. – Van Wert Symphonic Band, Class B

Local choirs competing on Friday:

• 5:20 p.m. – Van Wert Freshman Choir, Class C
• 5:40 p.m. – Parkway Choir, Class C
• 6 p.m. – Delphos Jefferson Choir, Class C

Local choirs competing on Saturday:

• 8:20 a.m. – Lincolnview Choir, Class C
• 8:40 a.m. – Spencerville Concert Choir, Class C
• 9 a.m. – Paulding Choir, Class C
• 9:40 a.m. – Van Wert Women’s Chorus, Class C
• 10 a.m. – Spencerville Women’s Choir, Class C
• 11:20 a.m. – Wayne Trace Choir, Class C
• Noon – Van Wert Concert Choir, Class B

Groups receiving a “superior” rating will qualify for state contest. While this is a competition bands and choirs do not compete against each other, but against a “standard of excellence.” There is no “winner” or “loser.”

It should also be noted that the public is invited to attend. However, those who do attend should be aware that OMEA regulations prohibit the use of any audio or video recording devices, including, but not limited to, cell phones, cameras (still or motion), tape recorders, or any other recording device. Failure to comply may result in disqualification of the school.

For more information on the competition, or any other VWHS music event, visit the Van Wert Band website at www.vanwertbands.org, “like” it on Facebook at “Van Wert Bands Information”, follow them on Twitter at @vwbands, or call the music department at 419.238.3722.