At the Festival Choir Invitational March 24, it was announced that the school board has approved chorus to be a subject in every school next year.

“Music is alive and strong,” Marysville-Pilchuck High School director and host John Rants said.

James Orr, director of the Totem Middle School choirs, said to the crowd of a few hundred, “Choral music in Marysville is getting stronger every day because of you.”

Rants mentioned that March is National Music in Schools Month and that there are many events as a result. Then next one will be March 28 at 5 p.m. at the Stillaguamish Senior Center in Arlington, 18308 Smokey Point Blvd. The Marysville Music Boosters presents, “For the Love of Music, An Evening in Paradise.” Proceeds go to the M-PHS music program Cost is $35 for dinner and auction. School music students will perform. For tickets go to www.mpmusicboosters.my-pto-org.

At the invitational, six choirs from four schools performed, ranging from grade school to high school.

Rants said he loves these kinds of concerts.

“You can see the growth and the level of professionalism,” he said.

Marshall Elementary, under the direction of Erik Eliason, opened the program with four songs, including Russian and Korean folk songs. Heather Moll played the piano.

Totem Middle School then had the next three choirs. The sixth-graders sang three tunes, including “Some Folks Do”; seventh-graders sang three songs, including “Starry Night of Winter”; and the eighth-graders did four songs, including “How Can I Keep from Singing?”

Orr said he challenged all of his choirs by having them sing one song in Latin.

“That was a lot of fun,” he joked, with the students shaking their heads no.

Marysville Getchell High School’s select choir performed three tunes, including the creative “Mironczarnia.” Their director and pianist is Brenda Durden.

The host school ended the festival with three songs, including “Three Madrigals.” Julie Crawford was on piano.