Senior Leigh Mullis was awarded the Choral Director Award from Bainbridge High School Choral Department Director Claritha Jacobs during the spring concert Tuesday at the First Methodist Church.

“This person, from day one, has had her heart in this program,” Jacobs said of Mullis, who will attend Florida State University’s College of Music on an out-of-state tuition waiver.

During the awards portion of the program, Jacobs was very complimentary of the students saying that after her fifth year as the choral director, her students have truly excelled in their singing ability and their musicianship.

For example, five out of the six students competing in the All-State competition received scores of 12 or lower, with a score of 10 being perfect.

“It was the happiest weekend this year,” she told the audience.

Another example was that two sophomores from BHS—out of 101 students statewide—attended the All-State Reading Course where they spent nine hours sight reading music, which Jacobs said was pretty tough.

Another new twist in her program on Tuesday was the premire of two student conductors—Mullis and senior Morrell Bell. Jacobs said this was the first time that she used student conductors since being at BHS.

“I’m so proud of Leigh and Morrell,” she said. “They found out a few things about being out front.”

The performances

The concert started with the Bella Canta Ensemble singing “Lift Thine Eyes from Elijah,” with some members of the ensemble in the back of the parish hall and the other half in front.

The BHS Chorale performed next with “My Soul Longs For You, O God,” “Like An Eagle” and “It Don’t Mean A Thing,” with the students and the audience snapping their fingers.

Mullis, a soprano, then sang a solo, “Non Posso Disperar.” She won first place in the 2009 Georgia High School Association’s Regional (GHSA) Girl Solo.

Deltrice Turner, Ross Duncan, Xavier Bell and Andrew Cooksey, who won first place in the GHSA Regional Boys Quartet, sang “The Animals Are Coming.”

The all-female Bella Canta performed four songs: “Jonah,” “Heart, We Will Forget Him!” “Go and Tell John” and “Gate Gate.”

Bell then performed a solo, his first-place 2009 GHSA Regional Boy Solo, “Ev’ry Time I Feel The Spirit.”

The third-place GHSA Regional winning Girls Trio—Aleshia Samuel, Aerin Kirkland and Patrice Trower—sang “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.”

Amanda Locke performed a solo during the Concert Choir’s performance of “All My Trials,” and Tiffany Kouts performed a solo during the choir’s “Esto Les Digo.” They chorus also performed “Down To The River To Pray,” “Come To The Music” and the finale was the “Echo Song,” which was performed following the awards presentations.

Concert awards

The following are the 2009 choral department awards:

Service Award—Ieasha Robinson, Niki Harter, Morrell Bell, Aleshia Samuel, Patrice Trower, Grace Nettles, Leigh Mullis and Deltrice Turner.

Choral Spirit Award—Lindsey Kennedy, Allison Whitaker, Courtney Jenkins, Kristen Penton, Keilon Wade, Brittany Fisher, Tiffany Kouts, Joy Alexander, Victoria Cannon, Herbert Peterson and Darren Good.

Most Improved Singer Award—BHS Chorale, Jonathan Clark; Bella Canta, Capria Miller, and Concert Choir, Allison Bulger.

Honor Musician Award—BHS Chorale, Rachel Harrell and Keilon Wade; Bella Canta, Aleshia Samuel and Patrice Trower; Concert Choir, Leigh Mullis and Morrell Bell.

All-State Chorus—2008, Morrell Bell, Xavier Bell and Aleshia Samuel; 2009, Joy Alexander, Morrell Bell, Xavier Bell, Capria Miller, Leigh Mullis and Aleshia Samuel; 2009 All-State Reading Chorus, Xavier Bell and Aleshia Samuel.

GHSA Literary—First-place girl’s solo, Leigh Mullis; first-place boy’s solo, Morrell Bell; third-place girl’s trio, Aleshia Samuel, Aerin Kirkland and Patrice Trower; first-place boy’s quartet, Deltrice Turner, Ross Duncan, Xavier Bell and Andrew Cooksey.

Choral Senior Award—Four years, Grace Nettles, Leigh Mullis, Morrell Bell and Ross Duncan; three years, Andrea Stubbs, Ieasha Robinson and Patrice Trower; two years, Amanda Locke and Victoria Cannon.

Choral Director Award—Leigh Mullis.