The AHS chorus students earned “superior” ratings for all choir groups at a national vocal competition in Orlando, Florida from March 15-17. The competition, Festival Disney, was held in Walt Disney World for two consecutive days, but the chorus students spent four days away from home due to the 16-hour bus ride to and from Orlando. The Annandale Festival Chorus, which is a combination of all the choirs, won the “Best in Class” award.

Chorus director Jessica Lardin, who began planning the trip at the end of last school year, led 75 of her choir students to success last weekend. “It was a tremendous amount of work and I was glad to have the assistance of many chorus boosters parents, and also student leaders,” Lardin said.

“We prepared for the pyramid concert and festival very well, so that prepared us for Disney,” junior Stephen Oakes said, who is part of both the Men’s Chorale and Annandale Singers ensembles.

The students practiced hard and were not displeased with the results. “I think we performed pretty well,” senior Caitlin Hill said, who is part of the Annandale Singers ensemble. “I was surprised that our festival chorus got Best in Class.”

For most students, this was not an ordinary competition, it was also a chance to spend a few days at Disney World for the first time. “It was [our] first time in Disney and it went really well,” Hill said. “We had park hopper passes, which meant we could go everywhere, but we didn’t have time to visit everything.”

Many students enjoyed the experience of the theme park and rooming with their friends for two nights at a hotel. “It was a ton of fun,” Oakes said. “I wish the actual competition was in the morning because I nearly lost my voice on Space Man [from yelling on the ride] before the competition.”

Some students liked the freedom of exploring the park without having to always stick with the group. Others thought it was disadvantageous, as it limited opportunities for group bonding. “I was kind of mad that we didn’t have any group dinners or group excursions,” senior Max Talley said. “Everything was supposed to be on our own.”

The bus ride to the competition, which took 16 hours, provided some time for bonding but was generally a new and uncomfortable experience for some. “I hated not being able to get a good night’s sleep on the bus,” Hill said. “It made the rest of the day at the park really long and difficult, but the weather was perfect.”

In general, the students conducted themselves well and there was no trouble. “I am very pleased with the trip and how well my students represented AHS,” Lardin said. “They did so with pride and class.  I couldn’t be happier of their accomplishments.”