In the early morning of April 20, Pattonville’s Choir and Orchestra loaded on buses headed for Atlanta, Georgia for the Music in the Parks Festival. The groups visited the World of Coca-Cola and the Georgia Aquarium before performing for judges on April 21. The following day, the groups headed to Six Flags Over Georgia where they received their scores and awards.
Lucas Gerst, a senior who performed in the Chamber and Concert Choir groups, went into his first competition feeling confident.
“Before performing, I was honestly just chill. I was in my element, I’m with all my friends, we know the songs, and I feel good,” Gerst said. “No matter how good we were going to do, we were going to have fun doing it.”
In the Six Flags stands, the groups anxiously awaited the scores and awards. Two senior students from each Choir and Orchestra group were selected to go into the arena to receive awards, if any, and anticipate scores.
Groups were scored out of 100 points total between the two pieces they performed, averaged by two judges.
Symphonic Orchestra scored 97.5 and won first place in their division and of overall orchestras. Behind by .5 of a point was the Combined Orchestra with a score of 97, claiming second place in their division.
Treble Choir received a 95.5 and first place in their division. Concert Choir received a 97.5 and placed second in their division, only to Chamber. Chamber Choir scored a 98.5, not only taking first in their division and overall but being the only group to score perfect 10’s for their song, “Dashing Away With The Smoothing Iron” by John Rutter from one of the judges.
In individual awards, senior Partick Ferguson received “Best Conductor” for conducting Treble Choir’s piece, “Winter Stars” by Jimmy Baas. Senior Joey Stewart received “Best Accompanist” for piano for Treble Choir’s other piece, “In Paradisum” by Nadia Boulanger. He also conducted Concert Choir’s piece, “The Great Clear Twilight” by Austin Schend, and played clarinet for Chamber Choir’s piece, “Ubi Caritas” by Michael John Trotta.
During the anxious anticipation of the scores, some people were doubtful. Senior Miranda Lopez is in all three choirs and had her doubts.

“I was a bit pessimistic going into awards actually because I really thought we weren’t going to win. And then I was shocked,” Lopez said. “Well, not for Symphonic because they were so good and deserved it. But I think because I was in all three choirs, I’m a little biased to think that everything was bad.”
The Pattonville sections of the stands were cheering and screaming in support and shock of the awards and how well they had placed. Combined Orchestra Sophomore Charlotte Lohman said,
“I was so happy when I found out that we had all won first in our divisions, and if we were second it was only to another Pattonville group. I was so happy to hear that we had won the best out of orchestra and choir.”