Senior Andrew Berkemeyer had the honor of performing for a second year in a row in the New Jersey All-State Choir concert. The concert was held at the historic Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on Nov. 20.

“The scale of this choir was just massive; we had 245 members, some of them nationally recognized singers,” Berkemeyer said. “I’ve always thought that the best singers were the best listeners, because they can match their neighbors and it creates a very even sound, so with 245 of great listeners we had an incredible sound.”

Berkemeyer performed several challenging pieces including the traditional Latin prayer “Regina Caeli,” the Czech opera “The Bartered Bride” and “Threads of Joy” by Dr. Amanda Quist, the conductor of the choir.

The audition process was virtual. Singers were required to submit audio recordings of scales, a solo song and themselves singing in a quintet. For the quintet recording, four other voice parts played while the auditionee sang.

The all-day rehearsals for the All-State Choir were held over the course of one weekend. They were also rigorous, with practices beginning at eight in the morning and ending at ten at night. “It was a lot of singing, but it taught me quite a bit about vocal health and technique,” Berkemeyer said.

In addition to being a repeat All-State vocalist, Berkemeyer is also a six-time Morris County honor choir member and a four-time North Jersey Region Choir member.