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MHS Glee Club finishes 2nd in nat’l competition
The CNMI made history once again at the national level after the Marianas High School Glee Club Rhythm N’ Harmony won second place in the group musical category at the recent national thespian festival in Lincoln, Nebraska.
MHS principal Cherlyn Cabrera confirmed with the Saipan Tribune yesterday this latest recognition for the group, which competed against delegates from other states last June 25.
The CNMI sent 29 delegates to the national competition this year. Of that number, 12 are members of the glee club. These students, Cabrera said, are expected to arrive today.
Cabrera said she received a text message yesterday from Harold Easton, the group’s musical director and chapter director for the Thespian Society in the Western Pacific Islands, telling her the good news.
She said she is very proud of the students’ achievements but wasn’t surprised when she learned of the victory. Cabrera cited the diligence and perseverance of the students and the time and efforts they put in for the national show.
She said the club’s members are not only musically inclined but also do well in their academics. Most members even want to pursue music as a career in the future, she added.
The MHS Glee Club was formed in 2010 and won the CNMI’s first choral competition in April 2011. In March this year, the group emerged as the overall champion in the Tumon Bay Music Festival in Guam, bringing home the competition’s Sweepstakes Trophy.
This year mark the group’s second time to compete at the national event.
Cabrera told Saipan Tribune that club members, who participated in numerous fundraisers and shows on island, serve as a great inspiration for many students. She recognized the school’s “good partnership” with other organizations and groups such as the Friends of the Arts, which helps enhance the skills and talents of members.
The club is led by musical director Paul Dujua of Friends of the Arts, MHS choral group director Ruthie Fruit, and Easton.
By Moneth Deposa
Reporter
