For the first time in Choir Director Kris Tranter’s career at Baldwin, the school will host this year’s PMEA Choir Festival.

“Top singers from all across Western Pennsylvania will be participating in the concert. It should be a really good event,” Tranter said.

This year 135 students were selected from 35 schools in the Western Pennsylvania region to participate in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association event, which will be held Friday and Saturday at the high school.

To be chosen, students submitted a recording of them singing “The Star Spangled Banner,” and the top singers were picked by a panel of judges.

The seven Baldwin students selected to participate this weekend are freshman Max Pratley, sophomores Starlett Sawchak, Newlyn Bonidie, and Christianna Martinez, and juniors Rebecca Murray, Bradyn Stephenson, and Jordyn Dawley.

“I’m very excited to sing in front of the judges,” Stephenson said. “This is my first time doing something like this.”

The guest conductors for this event are Dr. Christopher Kiver and Professor Jayne Glocke, both from Penn State University.

In Friday´s portion of the event, students are given the same five to six songs to learn by themselves and sing in front of judges as an audition for feedback.

Saturday will consist of the concert taking place at 2 p.m. in the Baldwin auditorium.

Tickets will be sold for $5 at the door.