For what’s believed to be the first time, a provincial first-place finish in choral speech has come home to Stettler.
A class of 30 Grade 2 students from Stettler Elementary School, under the direction of the teaching team of Donna Boyd-Stadelmann and Annette Hunter, claimed first place in the provincial choral speech category at the Alberta Music Festival in Edmonton on Friday.
Stettler performers have been fortunate in the past to win a number of first-place finishes in a variety of categories, both as groups and individuals, but until now, the top spot in choral speech had eluded them.
On the recommendation of the adjudicators of the Stettler Music Festival, the group advanced to the provincial competition held at the McDougall United Church in the capital city.
The Stettler group’s performance included the recitation of two poems, “My Mother Made a Meatloaf,” by Jack Prelutsky, and “The Song of the Whale,” by Kit Wright.
“The children came off the bus excited, with high energy and were ready to go,” Boyd-Stadelmann said. “And they were the first on, so that was good.”
Boyd-Stadelmann was pleased with the outcome.
“We had fun,” she said. “Everyone enjoyed it. The students were awesome.”
Choral speech is included as part of the language arts program at Stettler Elementary School.
LES STULBERG, Independent reporter