MUSCATINE, Iowa —Brynn Sweere is warming up for a special performance. The West Middle School eighth-grader will sing with the Opus honor choirs tonight at the C.Y. Stephens  Auditorium in Ames.

Each year, the Iowa Choral Director’s Association Inc. invites music students in grade 5-9 to audition for the honor choirs.

According to the Iowa Choral Directors Association Inc. Executive Board President Roger Henderson, 3,200 students auditioned for a place in the Opus program this year and Sweere was one of 720 students chosen.

“I felt super honored and excited when I learned I would be in the choir,” said Sweere, 13, the daughter of Mary Kent and Dale Sweere of Muscatine.

Four choirs of 180 voices each will be featured at this year’s event:

— Fifth-sixth grade Select Honor Choir.

— Seventh-eighth grade select Boys Honor Choir.

— Seventh-eighth grade select Girls Honor Choir.

— Ninth grade select Mixed Honor Choir.

Sweere auditioned for the Opus chorus through a recording of her voice that was submitted by her teacher Judy Wilson.

Since learning she was selected, Sweere, who sings alto II, has been practicing the music she will sing at the Opus concert. One of her favorite songs is the Brahms melody “Zieht es mir,” which she will be singing in German.

Sweere has been a student of River City Music and Dance studio for the past eight years. She also plays the piano.

Sweere said she looks forward to auditioning for the the high school level, statewide All-State chorus, which is selected to perform each year in Ames.

That event is presented by the Iowa High School Music Association and the Iowa Music Educator’s Association.

Online

Learn more about the Iowa Choral Directors Association at: http://www.iowachoral.org/