FONTANA, CA – Students in Summit High School’s Madrigal Choir will put on the performance of a lifetime, letting their voices shine at the prestigious California Music Educators Association’s (CMEA) All-State Honor Festival and drawing the curtain on a two-year long dream turned reality.

The All-State Honor Festival is a prestigious opportunity, with the CMEA choosing only six or seven high school choirs to perform from the entire state. Only schools that received a superior rating from a festival the previous year were eligible to apply. These choirs were invited to send an audition tape of their music from previous concerts, along with an essay describing the program and the choir’s accomplishments.

“It is a tremendous honor to be selected to perform at this festival,” Madrigal Choir Director Tyler Bettge said. “My students will get to perform in a beautiful, cutting-edge concert hall with incredible acoustics and a back wall that opens to further extend the audibility. It will truly be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Summit High’s Madrigal Choir will begin learning its song set for the festival next semester, which will consist of three to four songs of varying styles and languages. The choir will then travel to Northern California in April, where they will enjoy time exploring San Francisco before their All-State Honor Festival performance at Sonoma State University’s Green Music Center on April 26.

“I’ve never performed in anything as prestigious as this festival,” Madrigal Choir President and senior Tuan Ho said. “I’m really looking forward to feeling the atmosphere of the concert hall and experiencing the excitement of performing at such a huge event.”

Ho is currently applying to various four-year universities in preparation for his graduation this spring. While he does not plan to major in music while in college, he said music will continue to play an instrumental role in his life moving forward.

The Madrigal Choir has received numerous accolades and honors over the last year; it was invited to sing the National Anthem at a Rancho Cucamonga Quakes game, chosen to perform at Riverside’s Festival of Lights and placed third at the Heritage Festival to name a few.

“I am so proud of my incredible choir,” Bettge said. “They’ve worked so hard to get here and we can’t wait to bring the roof down at the All-State Honor Festival in April.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

FUSD_MADRIGAL1: (From left to right) Summit High School’s Madrigal Choir members Daniela Hernandez, Zoie Allen, Nylah Lopez and Zada Allen warm up for rehearsal with Madrigal Choir Director Tyler Bettge. The Madrigal Choir was selected to perform in the prestigious California Music Educators Association’s (CMEA) All-State Honor Festival in April. The CMEA only chose six or seven high school choirs out of the entire state to perform at the festival. The Madrigal Choir was eligible to apply for one of the positions based on the Superior rating they received from a festival the previous year.

FUSD_MADRIGAL2: (From left to right) Summit High School’s Madrigal Choir members Lanise Vernon, Amari Pickering, Nanami Solid and Ashlyn Tanny practice for an upcoming performance. The Madrigal Choir has received numerous accolades and honors over the last year; it was invited to sing the National Anthem at a Rancho Cucamonga Quakes game, chosen to perform at Riverside’s Festival of Lights and placed third at the California Music Educators Association’s All-State Honor Festival to name a few.