BCHS Vocal Students Earn Top Marks at District Music Festival

DEER LODGE, MT — Beaverhead County High School vocal students turned in an impressive performance at the 2026 District Music Festival in Deer Lodge, earning numerous superior and excellent ratings across solos, duets, ensembles, and choir performances.

BCHS students competed in 37 entries, along with two choir performances, and brought home a large number of Superior “I” ratings.

Among the top honors, all BCHS choir ensembles received Superior ratings. The Treble Chorus, Men’s Chorus, Women’s Ensemble, Men’s Ensemble, Teen Tones, and Mixed Ensemble all earned Superior marks during the festival.

In choir performances, both the Treble/Teen Tones Chorus and Men’s Chorus received Superior ratings in performance and sight-reading categories.

The school also had strong showings in trio and quartet competition. Superior ratings were awarded to the Men’s Senior Quartet featuring Dansie, Platt, Stanton, and Valach, along with the Burton, Ferguson, and Lovaas group.

Students earning Superior ratings in vocal duets included Burton/Lovaas, Clarke/Pape, Ferguson/Kidd, Florence/Kenealey, Jorgensen/Kenealey, Kenealey/McLaughlin, Kidd/Lovaas, Lovaas/Valach, Malesich/Warren, and Platt/Valach.

Superior vocal soloists included Briana Burton, Cooper Clarke, Tania Currie, Sheridan Ferguson, Leah Kenealey, Hannah Kidd, Emma Lovaas, Lily Malesich, Kyle McLaughlin, Stephanie Pape, Sawyer Platt, Casey Stanton, Chris Valach, and Amelia Warren.

Festival totals for BCHS included:

18 vocal solos, with 14 Superior and four Excellent ratings

12 duets, with 10 Superior and two Excellent ratings

Three trios/quartets, with two Superior and one Excellent rating

Four ensembles, all receiving Superior ratings

Students earning Excellent ratings included Karlaanne Barta, Kaelyn Cowan, Raelynn Hauck, and Alexcis Jorgensen in solo competition, along with Barta/Cowan and Bergeson/Cowan in duet performances.