The Magrath Elementary School choir is celebrating a major accomplishment after earning a Superior rating at the Lethbridge Music and Speech Arts Festival and receiving a nomination to represent Lethbridge at the 2026 Alberta Provincial Music Festival.
On April 27, the MES Choir, made up of 85 students in Grades 3 to 6, performed in Class 262 - School Chorus and received an outstanding score of 92. The nomination to provincials marks only the second time in the choir's history that the group has received the honour.
Under the direction of Joshua Sherwood and accompanist Alex Stringam, students have been rehearsing since September, meeting weekly after school and dedicating extra time during recesses as festival performances approached. Sherwood has directed the choir for nearly a decade and said the nomination is meaningful recognition for the students and the effort they have put into the program throughout the school year.
"This has been a really good group," said Sherwood. "It's neat that someone outside of our school and community is recognizing how talented these students are."
The choir first performed at the Cardston Kiwanis Music Festival before advancing to the Lethbridge Music and Speech Arts Festival, where they performed at Southminster United Church. Their adjudicator, who travelled from Vancouver for the festival, recommended the choir for provincial consideration.
Grade 6 student Addy Balderson, who has been part of the choir for four years, said music has always been an important part of her life.
"I just love singing. I sing all the time at my house," she said.
Balderson said one of her favourite parts of choir is the opportunity to express emotion through music and movement.
"I really love how we can express strong songs and express feelings and just the power of it," she said.
Fellow Grade 6 student Brylin Lowry said the choir has helped students grow together over the years.
"We've definitely gotten better as a group," said Lowry. "We've learned how to collaborate our voices together, and it's pretty phenomenal how much better we've gotten as a group."
Both students also spoke about the welcoming, supportive atmosphere within the choir.
"Mr. Sherwood is awesome," said Lowry. "He's great at conducting us, and he's so kind and gentle when we need to work on something."
Although the choir will not be travelling to Edmonton for the provincial festival, the group now has the opportunity to submit a recorded performance for adjudication at the provincial level, allowing MES students to showcase their talents on a provincial stage.
