On Friday, December 6th the annual Downhome Christmas Parade was held in downtown Ringgold, where Heritage High School’s Chamber CHoir, featuring many All-State choir members, performed Christmas carols as part of the parade festivities. The parade began at around 6:00 pm, after they started by lighting the Christmas tree in the heart of the Ringgold Citizen’s Park. As the tree was lit, the Chamber Choir sang a series of Christmas carols on a stage across from The Spot Creamery and Southern Charm.
This annual tradition began a few years ago when the organizers of the parade invited Mrs. Jennifer Hamilton and the Heritage Choir to perform. Some songs that they performed were Christmas classics such as “O Christmas Tree,” “Jingle Bells,” “Deck The Halls,” and “What Child Is This?” They already knew these songs well since the Chamber Choir performs them each year for various other holiday events.
Outside of their parade performance, the choir has also seen six members make it past the first audition rounds of the GMEA All-State Choir. These students are Lydia Colquette, Caleigh Jackson, Hannah Johnston, Cadin Minjarez, Julia Petteys, and Maddox Weaver. The audition process includes singing Italian arias, sight reading three music examples, and singing scales.
Overall, the Heritage High School Chamber and All-State choir have had many impressive achievements so far this school year, and are on track to see many more achievements in the future. The six students who made it past the audition rounds, are just a few of the extremely talented people you can find at Heritage High School. The HHS Choir will hopefully see many, many more of these talented students, and continue to participate in the parade again next year.
