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Chester County Press

OAHS junior selected to sing with All-National Honor Chorus

10/09/2013 02:56PM ● By Acl

Thomas Sumner

Oxford Area High School junior Thomas Sumner, son of Susan and Scott Sumner, was recently selected as a member of the 2013 All-National Honor Ensembles sponsored by the National Association for Music Education.

As a tenor 2 in the All-National Honor Mixed Chorus, Thomas will perform with more than 670 high-school students at a concert before an audience of thousands at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tenn., on Oct. 30.

From Oct. 27 to 30, the students will prepare music that they will perform under the direction of four prominent conductors: Dr. Peter Boonshaft, Miriam Burns, Rollo Dilworth and Rodney Whitaker. The mixed chorus will have approximately 350 vocalists.

The All-National Honors Ensembles, consisting of a concert band, symphony orchestra, mixed chorus, and jazz ensemble, are organized by members of the National Association for Music Education. Eligible students have qualified for their state-level honor ensemble program and competed against top students for a spot in these national honor ensembles.

Thomas is a member of the junior-senior chorus and chorale ensemble, and serves as vice president of the high school's chapter of the Tri-M Music Honor Society. As a sophomore, he was selected to perform at the Pennsylvania Music Education Association's District, Regional and All-State chorus festivals. He played the role of Prince Robert in last spring's musical production of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and as a freshman had a featured role in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying."

"I am extremely honored to be selected to sing in the All-National chorus," he said. "I'd like to thank all my music teachers for helping me improve as a musician each year as I went through the schools in Oxford."