A handful of Ordean East Middle School students were selected and sang with the American Choral Director's Association of Minnesota State 7-8 Honor Choirs. Female students Kristina Pauna, Mayson Whitlock, Elaina Benson and Maija Knutson performed with the State 7-8 Soprano, Second-Soprano, Alto Honor Choir. Male singers Paavo Passi and Brue Stingle, both seventh-graders, were part of the State 7-8 Tenor, Second-Tenor, Baritone Honor Choir. The students were among 150 students selected from 491 auditions.
During an all-day festival and concert in November at St. Andrew's Church in Mahtomedi, Minn., the honor choirs practiced and performed five songs each. The SSA Honor Choir's repertoire featured Joan Baez's freedom song "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around," while TTB Honor Choir's set list concluded with Jake Runestad's Swahili call-and-response "Dereva Ni Mungu."
