The Conway High School West Concert Choir and Chamber Singers were formed in 1983 by current director David Langston. The groups have always displayed excellence in performance of choral literature from different periods and styles. The Concert Choir and Chamber Singers under Langston’s direction have amassed more than 100 first division ratings at region, state, and invitational festivals. The Concert Choir also has been awarded the prestigious State Sweepstakes Award four times, which is first division ratings at Region Concert, Sight Singing, plus first division ratings at the Arkansas State Choral Festival. Many of the group’s members over the years have placed in upper chairs of the All Region and Arkansas All State Choir’s. A few of Langston’s former students have gone on to successful music careers. Nisi Sturgis is an award winning Broadway actress and singer in New York City; Darryl Thomas is a singer in New York City; Shaleah Adkisson has performed at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida; and Greg Briggler toured with and performed with Davy Jones and Mickey Dolenz of the group the “Monkees”.
Langston is in his thirty-second year of teaching and his twenty-ninth year as director at Conway High School West where he conducts the Concert Choir and Cham
ber Singers. Under Langston’s direction, the Conway High School West Concert Choir and Chamber Singers have received First Division Superior Ratings in performance and sight reading for many years. The Conway High School-West choir students are always well represented each year in the West-Central All Region Choirs and the Arkansas All State Choirs.
Langston has been selected as the West-Central Arkansas Choral Directors Association’s Senior High Director of the Year four times. Mr. Langston has received this award as Senior High Director of the Year in 1993-1994, 1998-1999, 2001-2002, and 2007-2008. Langston is the Choir Director at Bob Courtway Middle School and Conway High School West.
Langston previously served on the Arkansas Choral Directors Association board as All State Chair in 1999-2000 and as Senior Section Chair in 2001-2002. Langston is an active clinician and adjudicator. He is a member of the Arkansas Choral Director’s Association and the American Choral Director’s Association.
Langston a native of and graduate of Mountain Home High School in 1975 received his Bachelor of Music Education in 1980, and Master of Music Education in 1984 from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas, where he studied choral conducting with John Erwin and voice with Richard Hopson.
Langston’s wife Frances, a piano teacher, is a retired Music Specialist of the Conway School District. Their daughter Kathryn is twelve years old and in the seventh-grade at Carl Stuart Middle School in Conway, Arkansas. Kathryn enjoys competitive dance and is an All Region violinist in the Carl Stuart Seventh Grade Orchestra. Mr. Langston’s brother is Russell Langston retired band director from the University of Central Arkansas. Langston’s sister is Darlene Dearmore that resides in Mountain Home, Arkansas. Also, Langston’s niece is Jan Cunningham, eighth-grade band director at Carl Stuart Middle School.
A parting statement from Langston as he is retiring from teaching at the end of this school year: “It has been an honor and privilege to have taught in the Conway School District these past thirty years. I have worked with some incredibly talented students which has made my job much easier. I have also, made some close friends over the years, I will always remember and cherish. Finally, I hope, I have had a positive impact on my students to not only influence them to be better vocalists and musicians, but to be better, more productive individuals that make a difference in their communities and in this nation.”