Pair earns berths with state chorus
By: Bill Greenwood
It really is a small world.
The New Jersey Music Educators Association’s All-State Chorus accepts only 343 high school students from throughout the state. However, South Brunswick High School senior Raymond Kuehner, 18, who made the chorus for the first time as a baritone 2, found he had an unexpected connection to one of his fellow singers.
"It was funny because my cousin, (Lauren Berchtold, of Absegami High School in Galloway), made it, too," he said. "She’s from South Jersey, and I had never actually met her before because her family lives so far away that they don’t get a chance to get up here too often. It was a very interesting experience getting to know her and her side of the family."
But uniting lost family members is not the purpose of the chorus. It’s an organization that brings together the best high school singers in New Jersey for two performances, one at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, which was held Nov. 10, and another at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, which was held Sunday.
This year, two seniors from South Brunswick High School, Raymond and Daniel Lalumia, 17, who sings tenor 2, made the chorus and immediately embarked on a journey that helped them discover not only how to sing but why they sing, according to Raymond.
"I learned a lot about music and singing through our director, Dr. (Hugh) Floyd, (director of choral ensembles at Oberlin College in Ohio)," he said. "He really helped us learn what music was about."
For both students, the experience began in May, when tryouts for the chorus were held. Hopefuls were required to perform a solo, sing along to a tape of a quintet piece and sing a number of different major scales as well as a chromatic scale. When they found out they were accepted in June, the two were both excited, and Raymond was a bit surprised.
"I really hadn’t thought that I was going to make it because I thought I had messed my audition up," he said. "That morning was also the morning of the SATs, so I had taken the SATs, and I was all nervous, and I really didn’t think I had a good audition. But it turned out I had a pretty good audition.
The two then embarked on a series of intense rehearsals for the show. Raymond said the chorus members were tested on their music at the end of each practice, and if their performance was not satisfactory, they were required to test again at the next rehearsal. If they failed once more, they were asked to leave the chorus.
"It was definitely a pretty intense couple of months making sure I knew my music," he said. "Thank God I didn’t fail any of my tests, but it was always one of those fears."
After three rehearsals, the chorus headed down to Atlantic City from Nov. 8 to Nov. 11. There the singers practiced for two days before performing their first concert, which consisted of 10 pieces, including Stephen Sondheim’s "No One Has Ever Loved Me" and George Frederic Handel’s "Coronation Anthem No. 4."
"Atlantic City was probably the hardest cycle of the whole entire All-State (experience)," Daniel said. "You had to go in there knowing a lot of your music, but it was quite a fun experience."
However, their hard work paid off, and the audience at the Boardwalk Hall gave the chorus a standing ovation, said Raymond.
"It was very gratifying having that (ovation) because it’s one thing to sing because you love it, and it’s another thing to sing for others," he said. "I can sing in my shower every day and love it, but to have others show their gratification for you singing for them, it’s just an amazing feeling."
After soaking in the accolades, the chorus headed to Newark on Sunday to perform at the NJPAC.
"The way the sound resonates in that facility is just amazing," Daniel said. "It travels so well, and it sounds amazing. I wish I could’ve sat in the audience and listened to the performance."
He said the audience reacted in much the same way it did in Atlantic City.
"The audience was so proud, and at points, they were yelling out," he said. "It was just amazing how they reacted. They were very excited to be there, and they were congratulating us in a very awesome way."
Now that the 2006 All-State Chorus has completed its run, Raymond and Daniel both said they were grateful for the experiences they had and the things they learned. For Daniel, who sang with the chorus in 2004 and was accepted but unable to perform in 2005, it also was a great way to bring his high school career to a close.
"It was a very good highlight for my senior year," he said.

