Judges gave superior ratings all around for the three Queen of Angels choirs at the "Trills and Thrills" contest at Roseville High School.

On May 23, participants in the boy's, girl's and mixed choir sang two songs in front of two judges, who tape recorded their opinions during the music for a sort of play-by-play commentary to be given to the teachers afterwards. They also filled out a sheet with comments for the choirs.

"It's great to work towards a goal with a contest and to have someone else tell you what to do and give you some comments," director Jane Koch said.

Koch said one of the things judges often notice about the Queen of Angels choirs is their poise. She said the group is "well-disciplined."

"It's not just how the kids sound, but how they look and present themselves," Koch said.

Another thing that impressed the judges is the confidence of the students. She said the students, the boys in particular, are not at all afraid of being a part of the choir.

"That's one of the things the judges say. We have so many boys in junior high that are willing to sing," she said.

Koch estimates there are 28 boys in the choir at Queens.

The superior rankings are especially impressive, Koch said, considering the broad difference in choir-members' ages.

With a choir made up of fifth through eighth graders with different levels of experience and different voices, it is challenging to get them all to mix their voices properly.

However, she said, the older kids are great leaders, and all of the members show a lot of dedication to the choir.

With 7:10 a.m. practices once a week, Koch said choir is "quite a commitment from the kids and their families."

Each choir received a plaque for their performances, which will be placed in the music room.

Matt Merritt can be reached at 434-2214 or by e-mail at :mailto:matt.merritt@austindailyherald.com