The saying “sing your heart out” is taken very seriously for this choir.

 Bullitt East choir takes a trip to Oldham County Art Center to sing in front of a panel of judges.

Around 55 students left early Thursday morning to sing several songs in front of three judges. Advanced choir and concert choir sang separately and were graded separately. “South African Sweet”, “Sing to the Power”, and “Peace Like a River” were three out of the five songs sang.

The judging panel consisted of two teachers, one of which was retired, and a college professor. They determined a “grade” by using a scale from distinguished to novice (novice being a lower score). Advanced choir earned a distinguished, and concert choir was not officially scored but received positive comments from the judges.

For the next month, they will be preparing for the spring concert and senior graduation. The spring concert will be on May 18 at Saint Xavier church. On May 23 they will be singing the National Anthem for graduating seniors.

With the honor of receiving a distinguished from the judges, advanced choir is eligible to enter the state competition. However, with much work and practice to come it is unlikely they will attend.

Carrie Gary is the vocalist teacher behind the magic that is made in the choir room, “I am very happy with the results,” said Gary.

Both groups of singers worked hard in preparation for this competition, “We prepared for three months in advance,” said Brianna Harris, a member of the concert choir.

These groups have sung in front of many people before in concerts and school events, but for some, it was the first time singing with judges as an audience. “It’s scarier to sing in front of judges because they know what they’re doing,” says Joey Perkins, a member of the concert choir. This was certainly a learning experience for everyone.