There’s a time to work and a time to play, and after a year of hard work choir has decided to have a moment of relaxation.

On Friday, May 18, choir held an end-of-year picnic after school at the Bardstown Community Park.

The picnic is an annual tradition that started 11 years ago. The event’s main activities are the choir awards ceremony and volleyball competition. The event is a group effort and gives choir members an opportunity to socialize with each other.

When choir director Carrie Gary started teaching at Bullitt East 11 years ago, she decided to have a unique end-of-year banquet for her choir students. Most club end-of-year banquets are fairly formal and center around giving out awards.
“We just decided it would be more fun and informal if we had a picnic, and celebrated and had a good time. There’s a benefit to having a fancy dress-up awards ceremony, but I don’t know, everybody does that, and this is just a little different,” said Gary.
The choir picnic has a more casual atmosphere and while awards are still given out, there’s plenty more activities available.

Awards were given to all who participated in 2018 Kentucky choir solo and ensemble, in which students can sing solo or in small groups and are graded by qualified judges on their performance. MVP and morale awards were given in advanced and concert choir classes separately. Students voted in their classes earlier in the week to determine who would receive these awards. Three MVP awards are given in each class for each choir section: soprano, alto and tenor/bass. This is given to the members who have shown the best leadership in their section. There is only one morale award for each class, and this is given to the student that others feel keeps a positive and uplifting attitude during the class.

Volleyball has also become a staple of the choir picnic over the years. According to Gary, about two years into the tradition, a few choir members decided to start a game of volleyball, which Gary also eventually joined. It soon became a large annual event with nearly all attendants participating. Not only do choir members participate, but also family members and friends who attend with members.

This closing event has caused some choir members to reflect on their past year in choir and how far they’ve come.
“I think it’s a great way to end off the year for singers, because they all get awards… I used to sit in Ms. Gary’s room before school started, and I heard people singing. I thought ‘Hey, I really wanna be a part of that’, so I joined. Before, I just didn’t know how to sing properly, but now after having Ms. Gary teaching me, I can sing a lot better,” said junior and first-year choir member Dustin Douglas.

Choir members all come together for this annual event, with different members providing food, and voting to collectively recognize their peers, making it a unifying experience for choir students.