Through March 31 to April 2, Emerson Choir will take the stage this week as they compete in the UIL competition. The five ensembles have spent more than two months preparing their contest pieces, refining tone, blend and musical expression in anticipation of the annual evaluation.
“This is what we’ve been working toward all semester,” Choir Director Elijah Lopez said. “UIL is our opportunity to showcase our sound, discipline and growth.”
Each group will perform a set of prepared pieces for a panel of judges and will be evaluated on sight-reading, a portion of the contest that tests students’ ability to perform unfamiliar music on the spot. Scores from both segments contribute to the final rating.
“Sight-reading is stressful but we’ve practiced it a lot,” Chorale member Ishta Nadikota, 10, said. “It feels like everything is coming together.”
Rehearsals have focused on musical precision as well as emotional interpretation, with an emphasis on the importance of connecting with the audience and adjudicators.
“Technique matters, but storytelling matters just as much,” Lopez said. “We want every choir to walk in confident and leave knowing they gave an expressive and meaningful performance.”
The five choirs vary in size, experience level and repertoire, allowing a wide range of musical styles to be represented at the competition. Both varsity and non-varsity are competing, and each choir has set specific goals for success.
“Our goal isn’t just a rating,” Nadikota said. “It’s about performing at our best and showing how far we’ve come since the beginning of the year.”
As the performance dates approach, choir members continue to fine-tune their pieces, balancing nerves with excitement. The students have been working on their repertoire for so long, and UIL is both a competition and their last chance to perform their pieces.
“It’s definitely stressful, but it’s also exciting,” Choir Officer Lakshitha Bathula, 12, said. “We’ve put in so much work so it means a lot.”
The choirs will compete on different days throughout the week, with results announced following each performance block. Regardless of the outcome, students and directors alike view the competition as a culmination of months of dedication and collaboration.
