The Kingfisher Middle School choir was able to bring home “Superior” ratings from the OSSAA’s district contest for the second year in a row.

The group of seventh and eighth graders got the top ratings in both the performance and sight singing portions of the contest held recently at Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa.

There was one difference between this year and last, however, said Kingfisher Choir Director Diann Magnus.

“The challenge this year is that we added a bass section to the choir,” she said.

The performance portion features an accompanied piece and an a cappella piece.

All three judges gave KMS a “Superior” for their performance of “Tiger! Tiger!” by Mary Lynn Lightfoot and “How Fair A Rose?” by Jay Althouse.

In sight singing, the director and choir are given just a few minutes to learn and perform a song provided to them.

“We were successful in reading the song from the beginning,” Magnus said. “We fixed a couple of small problems and then we had this unknown song learned in less than 10 minutes.”

Members later competed in the solo and ensemble contest, also at NOC-Tonkawa.

Soloists Zaylynn Lopez, Breona McConnell, Olivia Reyes and Shelbey Osterholt earned “Superiors” and KMS beginning ensemble and select ensemble earned “Superiors” as well.

Select ensemble members were Zaylynn Lopez, Shelbey Osterholt, Olivia Reyes, Breona McConnell, Elijah Johnson, Caleb Hendryx, Zoey Padilla, Serenity Starr, Luck Strickland, Cale Leck, Jose Santoyo and Brevin Beggs.

Beginning ensemble members were Bianca Garcia, Makinsey Bengs, Lora Harris, Mylene Jones, Emily Warren, Padilla, Emma Price, Natalie Ellis, Strickland, Ryker Long, Santoyo and Beggs

The KMS quartet earned an “Excellent” rating with Padilla stepping in for a member who got sick.

Padilla learned the music on the way to contest.

“Zoey is an example of what students can do if they are music literate,” Magnus said.

The other quartet members were Jones, Warren and Reyes.

Choir members who took part in one or both competitions include Jayden Shaver, Harris, Janeth Navarro, Bengs, Garcia, Ellis, Starr, Jayanna Rex, Price, Johnson, Santoyo, Luke Strickland, Long, Leck, Breton Boggs and Hendryx.