Front Row (L to R): Stephanie Horton, Hannah Williams, Blakely Graham, Alexis Hodges, and Ginger Watkins
Center (L to R): Meghan Mayes, Lydia Ogle, Devin Absher
Back Row (L to R): Matt Gainey, Jacob Weaver, Ty Nease, David McConnell, Nate Watson, Kerry Elmore, Corey Combs, Jason Brewer, Anthony Douglas

Fourteen Seymour High School students have added their names to the growing list of choir students to make the All-East Tennessee Choir.  They are Jason Brewer, Corey Combs, Anthony Douglas, Matt Gainey, Blakely Graham, Alexis Hodges, Stephanie Horton, Meghan Mayes, David McConnell, Ty Nease, Lydia Ogle, Ginger Watkins, Nate Watson, and Hannah Williams, Devin Absher, Kerry Elmore, and Jacob Weaver made first alternate. 

Over the past 19 years, 226 SHS students have made the All-East Tennessee Choir.  This year Seymour High School had the highest number of students in the county to make the prestigious All-East Choir from all the schools in the East Tennessee area. 

SHS Choral Director Jean Burkhart said  it is very difficult to make the choir and most schools have fewer than seven students who are chosen. 

Seymour High School Choral Director Jean Burkhart leads the choir is a vocal exercise. (THE HERALD/ JOE KING)

To qualify each student has to prepare two pieces of music and audition alone in front of a panel of five judges.  After the student sings in front of the judges, he/she has to go before two more judges and sight sing a piece he or she has never seen before.  The scores are then added together to make the student’s final score.  If the score is high enough, the student will make the All-East Tennessee Choir. 

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