Marble Falls choirs bring home sweepstakes honors from UIL

DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR

MARBLE FALLS — With the three top Marble Falls High School choirs earning “sweepstakes” at the University Interscholastic League contest, the district choir program made a clean sweep.

“Every choir in (Marble Falls ISD) earned a sweepstakes, and that is a big deal,” said MFHS choir director Bryce Gage. “It just shows how well we’re aligned from sixth through 12th grades.”

The Marble Falls Middle School choirs earned sweepstakes in March. On April 16, the MFHS Chorale, A Cappella Choir and Women’s Choir each earned a “1” in stage and sight-reading contests. With those 1s, they each earned the coveted sweepstakes honor.

“Earning a sweepstakes is so challenging,” Gage said. “The sight reading this year was just tough.”

During the sight-reading phase, UIL officials presented the choir with a piece of music the members had not seen before. The choir members and director got six minutes to talk about the selection.

“But we couldn’t sing,” Gage said. “We can only talk about it.”

The choir then performed the piece.

“After we sing it, we get two more minutes to talk about it — again, no singing, and then they get up and sing it again for the judges,” Gage said.

This year’s sight-reading selection encompassed six pages, making it one of the most challenging Gage recalls seeing in many years.

“It was a test of endurance,” he said. “But the kids, they did great.”

With both the MFMS and MFHS choirs earning sweepstakes at their contests, Gage said it shows just how strong the choir program has become across the board.

“This shows we’re all on the same page,” Gage said.

While the students can join the choir in high school, Gage pointed out they really benefit by jumping on board in middle school and garnering those three years of learning how to sing.

The recent accolades aren’t without precedence. The MFISD choir program has emerged and grown as one of the strongest in the state.

“It’s a standard of excellence that (MFMS director) Megan Goodman, (MFHS assistant director) Angela Williamson, (MFHS co-director) Jennie Lynn (Hodges) and I have set, and we’re not willing to give in on that,” Gage added.

The students don’t appear intimidated by the standards and work required. Next fall, Gage anticipates 200 students in the high school program — the largest number in his almost 10 years at the campus.

“And we’ll just keep doing what we’re going but always looking for new ways to improve and challenge ourselves,” Gage said.

daniel@thepicayune.com