GREER — While the entire Student Body is focusing on football games and pumpkin spice, the Greer High School Honor Choir is cracking down in preparation for All-State auditions. 

The students are learning “Hallelujah, Praise The Lord” by George Frederic Handel and Walter Ehret, as well as practicing their sight-reading skills.

Approximately 25 students will audition for All-State Chorus in early November at Cayce United Methodist Church in Cayce, South Carolina. At the audition, students will sing in a quintet (five singers). Each singer will sing their “voice part”, in which they will be judged.

If selected, students will perform with other students in late February to early March at Winthrop University.

Greer High School is attempting to expand on its success at All-State Auditions. The Yellow Jackets qualified one singer in 2014-15. Senior Chandler Hyatt, a tenor, was selected as a Junior. Senior Alexis Eccles, a soprano, and two other students that have since graduated, were selected in 2013-14.

Hyatt said All-State Chorus is a wonderful experience. “It is was a really great learning experience,” Hyatt said. “Learing from talented, professional musicians.”

Greer High School Choral Director Sarah Hargett chose to mandate that all “Honor Choir” members audition for All-State this year. “Honestly, I think everyone in Honor Choir is capable if they set their minds to it,” Hargett said.

With this in mind, members of the “Honor Choir” are constantly working to perform at their best in November. Hargett said that preparing for such an event is time consuming. “There is a lot of individual prep,” Hargett said. “It is mainly the students preparing and me guiding their way.”