Chorus earns First Place Overall and multiple accolades throughout second year
Summit Charter School, a tuition-free K-10 public charter school in the Cashiers-Highlands Plateau, traveled to Charlotte on May 18 to compete against 15 schools in the nationwide “Music in the Parks” competition. Summit’s middle school chorus received a Superior rating, took first place in middle school choral, and earned highest choral group overall. Music in the Parks is a nationwide festival featuring performance opportunities for band, orchestra and choral performers. Each competition features exceptional adjudicator panels sharing their expertise with participants.
“I am ecstatic for our kids to reach this monumental achievement,” said Jesse Loyd, choral director. “This is only our second year of having a chorus at Summit and our students have blown both the community and their competition away. Music in the Parks provides a phenomenal opportunity for our chorus to experience a world-class stage with renowned judges. And as an added bonus, we rewarded our students with a fun day at Carowinds following their performance.”
Summit’s middle school chorus performed two songs: “The Water is Wide” by Ruth Elaine Schram and “The Drunken Sailor” by Emily Crocker. The award-winning performance at the Charlotte competition concludes an unprecedented season for Summit’s middle school chorus. Prior to sweeping Music in the Parks, the chorus participated in two performances in 2019, including a state competition and a concert at The Bascom in Highlands, North Carolina. Each performance received high accolades and was made possible by a grant from The Rotary Club of Cashiers Valley.
“This is a very proud moment for Summit and myself,” said Lloyd. “It is rewarding to see my students get recognized for their perseverance and dedication to music. I am so proud of what they’ve accomplished this year and hope their success continues to inspire them to pursue a love of music.”