FOUR JHS SINGERS MAKE ALL-STATE

Four Jackson singers have risen to the top of Missouri's crop. The four Jackson High School choir members were recently elected for all-state choir honors.

Seniors Erika Beasley and Layne Beller and juniors Blake Burress and Zach Rice all made the grade this year. Beasley is an alto, Beller a high tenor and Burress and Rice basses.

The four found the competition for all-state choir somewhat intimidating, yet stimulating. All four obviously rose to the occasion.

"There was a lot of competition there in the group," Beasley said. "They were awesome this year. The altos were good, too. There was a lot of competition there also."

Jean Schweain, JHS choir director, has seen each of the four develop into top singers.

"Erika has been singing since she was little," Schweain said. "She also takes private voice lessons. In addition to signing, she serves as choir secretary and is very dedicated to her duties in that possession."

"It was good competition," Beller said. "Everybody there seemed to have real mature sounds and tone. They were very advanced in their fields."

"Layne has a really beautiful solo voice," Schweain said. "He has developed into the leader of our tenor section."

"I felt pretty confident at first, then after hearing everyone else, I wasn't so sure," Burress said. "I was happy in the end, though and I was happy with the way I performed."

"Blake has one of those rare, rich bass voices that make a choir sound good," Schweain said. "He's a fine musician, too."

"In the beginning I felt fairly confident," Rice said. "After rehearsing with the choir for two or three hours, I was kind of second-guessing myself."

"Zach is an excellent reader and musician," Schweain said. "He has a real clear ear for pitch and plays piano and guitar well."

All four have major roles in the upcoming Madrigal Feaste.