Sequoyah High School Student Organizes, Conducts Choir Performances

Editor's note: the following story was submitted by Sequoyah High School's Briana Outlaw.

John Haas, a Sequoyah High School senior, delicately conducted a choir of his peers that captured the essence of tranquility and elegance for his senior project.

He carefully selected 12 fellow students who were musically experienced and gifted to participate in his choir, named SÅNG, and three a capella pieces for these choir members to perform. The three pieces that Haas chose were Happy Together, Elegy, and Ubi Caritas, and the angelic voices and euphonic harmonies in his choir produced an electric and exquisite performance.

"From the moment I thought [the project] up, I decided this was the project I would do and honestly, I think it was ambitious and I don’t think anyone has done this before at Sequoyah," Haas, an extremely dedicated individual, stated. "So with that in mind, I knew it was going to be a challenge, but I was bound and determined to make it happen because I knew what I wanted.”

SÅNG practiced and recorded their performances at Woodstock's St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, and Haas reported that the church's sanctuary was the perfect setting for his choir, for the acoustics that the sanctuary provided were phenomenal.

Haas expressed that “getting to sing in that environment was ethereal to say the least.” Access to SÅNG’s recordings can be found John Haas’ YouTube channel.

Photo 1: students during SÅNG’s first rehearsal are (from left to right) Janet Miller, Nikki Johnson, Corinne Wallock, Evan Calatayud, Alan Stein and Andy Whittle

Photo 2: John Haas, right, and his project facilitator, Kacy Bishop

Photo credits: Briana Outlaw