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Over 2,300 of the best high school musicians tried out for all-state ensembles in March of this year. Less than 600 were selected. Chevalier and Ingalsbe attended a week-long camp this summer to practice and play with their respective groups.

The men's choir and the symphonic band will meet again in February and give their winter concert at Orchestra Hall.

Trisha Chevalier
Trisha Chevalier attended the symphonic band camp at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Her band was conducted by Dr. Timothy Mahr of St. Olaf University.

Chevalier spent seven to eight hours a day playing her clarinet, which was very damaging to her mouth. "It got really hard to play after a while," she said.

The symphonic band was composed of over 100 students from across the state. They played a variety of songs including the famous John Phillip Sousa march, "Liberty Bell." A song written by their conductor, "Noble Element," was Chevalier's favorite. Mahr dedicated the song to the All-State Symphonic Band.

Chevalier really enjoyed playing with such an advanced group of band students. "You didn't have to worry about people not practicing," she said. "They were all really good."

Chevalier had already met her section leader, Wanda Dagen, who conducts the band at Morris High School. She had been Chevalier's judge in 2000 at the solo and ensemble contest in Grove City.

Adam Ingalsbe
Sophomores and juniors are eligible to try out for all-state ensembles. Adam Ingalsbe was Paynesville's first sophomore to be selected for an all-state ensemble. He attended camp at Bemidji State University.

The men's choir, which consisted of 70 young men, including Ingalsbe who sang baritone, was conducted by Pete Eklund of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The group practiced together for six hours a day and broke into sectionals for another two hours a day. According to Ingalsbe, all of that singing was very hard on his voice. He had to drink a lot of water to keep his voice in top condition.

Ingalsbe's favorite song was "Finnan Haddie," a very enthusiastic song that the group performed with choreography. According to Ingalsbe, "Finnan Haddie" was a favorite ethnic dish made of milk and fish. The song is about a young boy who misses out on a romance because he smells like "Finnan Haddie."

One of Ingalsbe's favorite things was the talent show. To preserve the singers' voices, the choirs had to applaud using nonvoiced cheering. So instead of yelling and screaming, students clapped and rattled their keys. Ingalsbe's favorite nonvoiced cheer was banging on his chest like a cave man.

Ingalsbe's baritone section leader was Chris Fettig, the choir director at Bemidji High School.