Copper Hills High School choir director Marc Taylor is singing the praises of everyone who contributed to his concert choir’s successful performance at the Utah Music Educators Association Mid-Winter Conference. The Jordan School District Transportation Department, which coordinated six bus drivers and some unconventional logistics, and CHHS Principal Rae Garrison, who employed some creative budgeting and problem solving, helped make it possible for the 114 member choir to take a one-day trip to and from St. George for the prestigious performance.

“We had all kinds of little roadblocks, but every time we hit a roadblock, Providence came through, and prayers were answered and problems were fixed,” Taylor said. “We had all the support we needed from our admins to get this done, so that was a beautiful thing. My principal went to town helping us out. And I am so thankful to Transportation for helping us out. Praise to Transportation because they were so nice and accommodating.”

Copper Hills High School’s concert choir was one of just five Utah school choirs selected to perform at the conference for school choir directors and music educators. CHHS’s Madrigals Choir was previously chosen to perform in the virtual 2021 UMEA conference.

“If you audition, and you get in, you’re earmarked as one of the best choirs in the state,” Taylor said.

He said there’s a lot of pressure to perform well in front of colleagues from the entire state. 

“I have to come up with a program that’s going to challenge the students, but is doable for them to excel, and then, in some cases, be a model choir for other music teachers to see, and that is a lot of pressure,” Taylor said.

Taylor reported that the performance, which took place Jan. 31, received many compliments. He praised his students for their hard work. The choir spent six months learning the eight songs for the program.

“This is the advanced class, so all of the students have had the training that they need to succeed,” Taylor said. “And then we spent many, many extra hours having them go home and practice certain things, or extra rehearsals that we’ve had to do after school.”

Korbin McCurdy, a senior, said there was a lot that went into their preparation—learning the music, practicing diction on the lyrics and exploring the songs’ sentiments.

“We take some time in class to look at the meaning of the song and what we’re actually trying to convey with any emotions or volume,” he said.

Taylor’s program, “Our Musical Roots,” featured madrigal, folk, gospel and modern folk art music pieces—music styles which Taylor said have “built our modern popular repertoire.”

“One of the reasons that I chose the music that I did was some of these pieces of music have been done in the past by choirs, and they’re not done so much anymore,” Taylor said. “So in some ways, I’m going back to some of our choir roots here to be like, ‘Hey, do you remember this piece?’ ‘Oh yeah, it’s a good one,’” Taylor said.

Senior Axl Lyon said his father recognized one of their songs, ‘Shenandoah,’ as one he sang in his high
school choir.

Lyon said preparing for the performance was worth the hard work because it was such an honor to be selected. He praised his fellow choir members for their
teamwork.

“It’s like a large family,” he said. “Everyone seems to know each other, and they’re all friends, and I think that’s why we’re able to work so hard and work so well together.”

Brailynn Pettit, a junior, praised the choir’s talent.

“We’ve got a lot of talented people and we all figured out how to work together and listen to each other to help us sound better,” she said. “We’ve had no drama—we’re all very uplifting of each other—and we all have a good ear, so we all just can balance with each other.”

The choir is going on tour at the end of this month to perform with and learn from professional
choirs in NYC. λ