The state’s best youth vocal talents gathered in Montgomery over the weekend for a one-of-a-kind performance, and voices from Russellville were among them.

RCS vocal students Patrick Crummie, Destiny Cooper, Elizabeth Pierce, Leah Nix, Sydney Burcham and Madeline Cooper lifted their voices in song along with the best high school and middle school talents from across the state at the Alabama Vocal Association’s All-State Choral Festival March 2-4 in the capital city. The students were selected following a rigorous audition.

“People have told me before that it’s all the best people in Alabama in the same room, and it’s overwhelming. I’m excited,” said Madeline Cooper prior to the weekend performance. Cooper, as a seventh grader, in her first year of eligibility to audition, was attending for the first time. She said the audition process was nerve-wracking – to put it lightly.

“I was scared to death,” she said. “I thought I was going to go in there and faint.” She had almost the same reaction when she found out she had made the cut. “I had a panic attack in the middle of my parents’ bedroom.”

Destiny Cooper, like several of her fellow students, is a veteran attendees of the festival.

“I like it a lot. I like learning different music,” she said. “I have a lot of people who go there every year, and we motivate each other to do it every year.”

RCS Choral Director Emily Rush said the bonds of friendship that are developed are one key to why this is such a great program. “They have made friendships that extend beyond our school system because of a common love.”

But it’s far from a weekend of a hanging out and goofing around with friends. The three-day festival is built around an intensive rehearsal schedule leading up to performance time.

“It’s hard work. You can’t even speak by the end of it,” said Burcham. “It’s great though. It’s my favorite thing in the world.”

Crummie agreed. “I just love going and being in a group of people who love singing.”

Several of the students were also invited to participate in the All-State Show Choir festival, held in January. Pierce, Nix and Burcham were all part of the show choir event; Crummie was selected but was unable to attend because of illness.

“I thought it was a good experience, especially to meet new friends and get different perspectives from other directors,” Pierce said. “The choreography part of it was really cool.” Her favorite song selection was “Pinball Wizard.” “It was so much fun. It was so upbeat.”

Nix, who attended for the second time, said it was fun to be able to return for another year.

“I saw people who were there last time. Making friends there is really fun because you relate to them because they like the same things you do – they just love music,” Nix said. Her favorite song was “Thankful.”

The students were recognized at the February Russellville City Schools Board of Education meeting for their achievement.