Spring Branch ISD Featured News

The MHS Meistersingers, the varsity mixed choir at Memorial High, competed recently during the Texas Renaissance Festival, beating out 20 other high school choirs in the Large Mixed Choir Division for a first-place trophy.

The group’s win marked the first appearance at the special-event choir festival for the MHS Meistersingers. The Meistersingers competed against high school choirs from Austin, Houston, the San Antonio area and other surrounding school districts.

The Texas Renaissance Festival, which dates back to 1974, is held over nine weekends in October and November. More than a half million festivalgoers regularly visit the site in Grimes County, about 55 miles northwest of Houston.

The medieval festival operates on 50-plus acres. It’s well known for its costumed actors, walking performers, themed weekend celebrations, artisans, shops and music, dancers and special public reenactments ranging from medieval jousts to free-flying bird shows.

The MHS Meistersingers won first place performing on a festival grounds stage during an Early Music Festival for middle and high school groups, held on Nov. 7. 

“This was the first time Meistersingers has competed in this competition, and we are so proud to have come out on top, even against several past competition winners,” reports Memorial High Director of Choirs Lawrence Johnson.

Meistersinger is a German term for “master singer,” and the term was used to describe a member of a German guild who performed lyric poems, early music composition and unaccompanied art song during the 14^th through 16^th centuries.

Memorial High Choir students in recent years have won numerous local, regional and state awards, including prestigious All-State recognitions.

Members of the MHS Meistersingers include: Mina Azad, Eric Bavaro, DeCory Brown, Lydia Bryant, Laura Carrasco, Angela Choi, My-Lien Dang, Rober Diaz, Diona Evers, Laura Fields, Joseph Finck, Max Gao, Mason Guzman, Logan Hallock, Payton Hill, Connie Lee, Connie Lee, Elizabeth Lee and Daniel Lim.

Student members also include Connor Moore, Colin Norton, Taylor O’Hara, Alex Papin, Emily Read, Reagan Sepulveda, Carter Smith, Maisa Syed, James Tesarek, Sophia Trifilio, David Trippon, Crystal Wang, Chandler Weber and Reece Wilkinson.