Arlington High School Men’s Choir names new concert hall

January 26, 2021

The Arlington High School Colt Chorale Varsity Tenor / Bass Choir christened the new Arlington ISD Concert Hall at the Center for Visual and Performing Arts last week, recording a concert for the upcoming Texas Music Educators Association annual convention ( TMEA).

“The concert hall is absolutely beautiful,” said Mason Barlow, choir director at Arlington High School. “It’s beautiful to watch and play at the same time, which isn’t always the case. I know it’s something that Arlington ISD students will be proud to play for a long time to come, and we’ve been honored to be the first. “

The 1,250-seat concert hall has been acoustically designed to provide the optimal live performance experience, much like the Winspear Opera House in downtown Dallas. It is the culmination of a building full of art spaces at the cutting edge of technology. The latest Bond 2014 construction project, the CVPA opened its doors to students this month. In addition to the concert hall, the CVPA includes a 425-seat theater, classrooms, art and dance studios, an instrument repair center, an art gallery and a Steinway grand piano. Spirio model B in the lobby. The facility is also home to a number of high school fine arts courses including dance, AP music theory, piano, musical instrument repair, Art IV, and IB visual arts. .

“The opportunity to sing in the new performance hall was an honor and a privilege to do so,” said Wesley A., an Arlington High School junior in the male choir. “The venue is beautiful and was a wonderful place to sing. We were lucky enough to be selected to sing at TMEA, but being the first ensemble to perform at CVPA was an opportunity greater than anything else.”

The honor of being the first to perform in the CPSA was well deserved. The choir is one of 12 ensembles – and one of two tenor / bass choirs – that were selected from hundreds of applicants across the state to perform at TMEA’s annual convention. Usually held in San Antonio and attended by over 10,000 music teachers, the convention is being held virtually this year. Each guest high school ensemble can record a 25-minute concert that will be broadcast during the convention.

“We announced the invitation and started working on rehearsals in September,” said Barlow. “Our first rehearsals took place on the football field of our multi-purpose facility. The students were socially distanced in lawn chairs and blankets during the first weeks of rehearsals.”

Getting ready for the 25-minute concert took months of hard work and dedication from the 26 choir members.

“I was thrilled to have the opportunity to sing because last year was cut short, and I was even more thrilled to be introduced to the conference,” said John E, a member of the junior choir. “The songs were difficult and the rehearsals were long, but in the end we got there. “

“Everyone played an important role in making this happen for our choir,” said Wesley A .. “If one person wasn’t in the practice someday, it would throw the whole practice out of balance. Ultimately, we found young men who demonstrated commitment, ownership, loyalty, tenacity and selflessness every day. “

Hard work paid off. Last Thursday, the choir did its first rehearsal in the new concert hall and then returned on Sunday to record the concert.

“The recording made it feel like it was a real choir experience and I couldn’t think of a better way to end such a crazy year,” said John E .. “I am so grateful to everyone who has been a part of our choir’s journey and I am so grateful for this wonderful opportunity. I can’t wait to see our final performance online! “

The choir concert will be broadcast for the TMEA annual convention on February 11 at 7 p.m. to TMEA members.

This press release was produced by the city of Arlington. The opinions expressed here are those of the author.