After years of hiatus, show choir has returned to the stage, allowing students to mix singing and choreography in their performances.
Bringing back the group allows choir teacher Claire Minnis to reinvision how choir will be represented at the school by bringing in well-known music and less traditional performances, she said. Minnis said that students’ enthusiasm about the changes and willingness to participate helped bring the choir to life.
“What we’re doing currently is we’re reimagining what our flagship ensemble can be at Rockwood Summit. Our flagship ensemble is the one that represents Summit out in our community and beyond. This year we’re taking our top mixed choir and we’re infusing it with jazz and popular music, adding choreography, and one person per mic to bring exciting and maybe familiar music to our audience,” Minnis said. “We have exceptional singers in our top mixed choir this year, and they were really excited about new and exciting music so we’re making it happen.”
The ensemble will perform at concerts with the school’s other choirs, the first of which will be held on Oct. 12, but junior Sienna Walton said that the group will take part in other activities as well.
“We’re going to this thing called Acappellooza. We’re going to practice songs for our fall concert, go carolling later in the year, and working on All District choir,” Walton said.
While it is still not classified as show choir in the school system, choir teacher Claire Minnis said the choir is coming back revamped.
“It’s not called show choir in the curriculum. It’s called one voice choir for us, and it the curriculum it shows up as mixed chamber choir. It’s not the exact same show choir that someone might have seen ten years ago, but it’ll be similar to it with some new ideas too,” Minnis said.
The class hasn’t been offered since the 2018-2019 school year. Junior Oliver Stratton said that he was excited for the opportunity, but a little on edge with restarting the choir. However, he said he has become more at ease with the idea because they are not trying to imitate the previous choirs.
“I enjoyed singing in choir last year and signed up for a fun experience to be able to learn more dancing and be able to sing more jazzy stuff,” Stratton said. “[I was] a little nervous, but I’m not nervous because it’s different than it what it was, plus I’m pretty sure every single student here wasn’t involved in it before. I’m excited to get it back up and running and be a part of it,” Stratton said.
Walton said she is especially excited to be a member of the show choir because it was a longtime goal of hers.
“It’s awesome because it’s something I’ve wanted to do for so long, and now that I get to do and I’m bringing it back is like a full circle experience almost,” Walton said.
