For four years, Autumn Marshall has been a valuable member of the Montgomery County High School Honors Choir, participating in four Eastern Missouri Conference concerts and being a member of the Northeast Missouri District Choir twice.

But in five months, Marshall’s outstanding high school choir career will come to an end.

“It’s been a wild roller coaster over the last four years doing this,” the Montgomery County senior said. “Part of me is glad that it’s over because I get to move on and do other things and it’s going to be in my heart. It’s coming to an end and I can live with that. But I’m sad to go and leave everybody. It’s a little emotional for me.”

Marshall participated in the Montgomery County R-II Winter Choir Concert for the final time on Dec. 20. She was part of the Honors Choir that included Addison Brower, Rachel Harris, Eden Hoffmann, Dakota Marion, Sara Meyer, Grace Thier and Karlee Westmoreland.

“I love it,” Marshall said. “I look forward to it so much.”

Marshall has been singing in the school choir since she was a sixth-grade student at Montgomery County Middle School. This year, she is the only senior on the Honors Choir.

“At first, I didn’t know it was totally for me,” Marshall said. “Your voice changes. Your whole tone of your voice changes and puberty hits. But when I decided to go into it in the seventh grade, my voice started changing and I started changing in general. It just kind of clicked.”

Marshall has worked with music director Pam Walton all seven years. She said Walton has been a major influence in her life.

“She’s been the most amazing person to me,” Marshall said. “She’s like my mother. She’s always been there for me.”

When she was a sophomore, Marshall joined Hailie Dixon and Pae’ten Blake as the only MCHS representatives on the NEMO District Choir. The following year, she was the school’s lone representative on the district choir.

Marshall said she plans to compete in contests during the spring and hopes to turn in a strong showing.

“If I get a 1 score in the contest, then I get to go to state,” Marshall said. “I do believe in my sophomore year, I went to two contests and I got a 1. Then, I got to go to state and I got a 2. Last year, I went to two contests with a miscellaneous ensemble and a soloist and got a 2. I didn’t go to state, which was kind of upsetting.”

Marshall competed in her fourth and final EMO concert at Wellsville-Middletown High School on Nov. 13. She was recognized for participating with the EMO choir all four years.

Marshall also performed at the Musical Celebration of Christmas at Mineola Baptist Church in each of the last two years. She sang, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” and “Christmas Day” in the Dec. 17 concert.

“I did it last year and it was so much fun,” Marshall said. “I had a blast working with the whole crew and the whole band. So I decided to do it again this year and it was just as much fun.”

Marshall is undecided on her college plans. She said she hopes to continue singing in the future.

“I might be going into nursing,” the senior said. “I’m not totally sure about all of the schooling because school has never really been my thing. But I think I want to get my general education (out of the way) first, then see where I want to go from there.”