- Duplin County Schools
- Overview
2018 All County Chorus a Huge Success
KENANSVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA- March 29, 2018- Duplin County School’s best singers were invited to participate in the 2018 All County Chorus Clinic at East Duplin High School (EDHS). For two days, they worked hard practicing several choral pieces to prepare for a phenomenal concert. There were 65 students in the middle school chorus and 77 in the high school section. Their voices rang throughout the EDHS Fine Arts Building.
Duplin County was honored to have Dr. Carl Ashley direct and guide the high school honors chorus. He is a former choral director from Mt. Olive University and is now the Minister of Music at First Baptist Church in Goldsboro, NC. Under his direction, the High School All County Chorus performed five songs, including two in a foreign language. Learning different genres of music provided the students with a broad spectrum of growth in their vocal ability and repertoire. Accompanying the high schoolers was Vera Simpson, native of Wallace who teaches private piano and plays for Wallace Presbyterian Church. The students did a wonderful job with pieces ranging from “Down By The Riverside” to the traditional, yet moving piece, “America.”
The Middle School All County Chorus was under the direction of Duplin County’s own Ryan Southerland. Mr. Southerland is the chorus and band teacher at East Duplin High School and Beulaville Elementary School. For the first time in Duplin County history, he took his choral group to a music performance adjudication and they placed “Superior” in their vocal performance. He is a graduate of UNCW and has performed with Wilmington’s Opera House Theater Company. The students of the middle school chorus were also exposed to foreign language and songs from different genres. Their vocal abilities were challenged and enhanced, and their performance was enjoyed by all. The audience enjoyed favorites from “Forever Country” and Bruno Marr’s pop piece “Count on Me.” Accompanying the middle school was DeAnn Sholar, teacher at Beulaville Elementary School.
Also, in the lobby of EDHS, incredible artwork was shared by all the middle schools in the county. The guests of the concert enjoyed the display as they entered and left the concert. The students and teachers are to be commended for this display.
This year’s 2018 All County Festival was enjoyed by all those who attended and those who performed! It was a great opportunity for all schools in the county to showcase their cultural arts talents. Many thanks go to all the art, music, band and chorus teachers for their hard work in putting this event together. What a great way to celebrate “Music In Our Schools Month!”