This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Schools

St. Augustine School Choir Competes at Busch Gardens

Students traveled to Williamsburg, VA, to sing in a competition with 30 schools.

St. Augustine's Middle School Chorus wowed judges in Virginia.

The Elkridge school was the only one from Howard County represented at the Music in the Parks Choralfest at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA, on April 16. The competition included 29 other schools, said music teacher Bonnie Kabara.

Students performed “Gaudeamus Hodie” and “Pick A Bale of Cotton.”

Find out what's happening in Elkridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Judges awarded the chorus all excellent marks. They also received two above-excellent scores and one superior grade.

This was the first time participated in the competition.

Find out what's happening in Elkridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The middle school chorus is new this year, Kabara said, and so is she. She came to St. Augustine from Ascension School, where she taught for 23 years until it was closed at the beginning of the 2010–2011 school year.

St. Augustine School Principal Patricia Schratz hired Kabara to teach music and lead the middle school chorus. Last year, Ascension went to King's Dominion for the same choral festival.

Parents who attended said the competition was a great experience for the students.

“They did a wonderful job and represented St. Augustine's School in a positive light. I was proud of the efforts of Ms. Kabara and the entire chorus,” said Sherry Mobley, parent of seventh grade chorus member Emily Thompson. Mobley is also a teacher at the school.

Parents said they hope the chorus can compete in similar events in the future. Students reported that they enjoyed Busch Gardens throughout the day, especially after the competition ended.

Choir also has plans to perform at an amusement park. The choir goes to Hershey Park every year.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?