Junior Blake Miller alongside partners sophomore Emily Eveland and freshman Emily Trump are running through their choreography from the song, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" before their big fall concert. Picture By Casey McDonald

By Casey McDonald

On Sunday, October 9, 2011 at 3 P.M. the PHS Choirs performed their annual Fall Choir Concert for friends and family.  Almost every day and evening, this group of students worked on their pieces of music since August, and they are ready.

Everyone has that one movie, one television show or  one song that is his/her favorite.  Within the three choirs, there are multiple songs with multiple favorites.  Junior Dakota Bradley said her favorite song was “Raining Men.” She continues on to say, “The dance was not too bad, and the song was actually kind of funny. Oh, and I had a solo!”  While sophomore Blake Milliser’s favorite was “Steam Heat,” because “there were a lot of cool dance moves in it,”  but junior Blake Miller disagrees, saying “Stuck Like Glue” was his favorite. Miller went on to say, “I feel like it was a song that a lot of people knew, and that they were able to get into, and enjoy.”

Preparation is a key into making everything as well done as possible.  Crimson Connection, the school auditioned show choir, had practiced during an August summer camp.  All the choirs had weeks to prepare for the concert.  Even the smallest things helped get them ready, like sophomore Eli Wendt who said, “I found my socks, so I didn’t get in trouble for bringing the wrong ones.”  Bradley said that they were vocally pretty stable, so they mostly  worked on the choreography. She also said, “Some songs are much harder than others. ‘Shop Around’ is the newest and most difficult piece.”  Miller said that he worked on all the songs and made sure that the notes were all correct, and that the harmonies were what they needed to be for them to sound the best they can.

Everyone has a different opinion on what his/her favorite part of the show was.  “Being on stage. I feel good up there,” sophomore Carrissa May said.  While Bradley said the performing was her favorite part, and it just showed all the work they had put into it, “and let all of the choirs shine.”  The seniors were featured as soloists in “Steal Your Rock ‘n’ Roll” this year.  Milliser added “I like before the concert practicing on stage. It is fun to show other choir students what we are going to do.”  Wendt said, “When it was a girls’ only song, the guys went backstage and we received a much needed break.”

Within choir, there are three different choirs that students can join to express their musical talent.  Counterpoint is an all girls choir;  Crimson is the audition show choir, and Chorale is the beginning choir mixed between girls and guys.  “I am in CounterPoint. I normally would have said I’d rather be in Chorale, but this year’s girls choir is great,” Bradley said. While Miller said that he is in Choral and Crimson, and “Choral is a lot more laid back, not as much dancing and the pieces that we sing are a lot easier. In Crimson, we are the show choir, and we have a lot harder pieces to sing, and we do a lot more dancing. Definitely two totally different classes.”  Wendt is in Crimson Connection, and he said it is different because they get to do a lot of extra shows before their big school performance. May said that she is in Counterpoint.

When it comes to performing in front of a large group of people, it could be nerve-racking.  The choir students all have different ways of preparing for their concert.  May said that they do warm-ups and “I did my makeup.”  Wendt said that he drinks water “because it helps to keep you sounding smooth and it gets really hot on the stage, so it helps to be hydrated.”  Miller said he just showed up and did the vocal warm up with Mrs. Glaub, “and talk to all the other classmates.”  Along with warming up like everyone else, Bradley adds that they fix little things in the choreography. Bradley also added “This year’s music selection is quite unique. This should be fun.”  While Milliser, on the other hand, just talks to his friends before hand.

This year, their choreography was taught by, not only Mrs. Glaub, but junior Gina Rodeghero, and seniors Cassie Gaines and Mandy McPherron.  “To be honest, I don’t think the choreography is that great, but I guess worked. I really like ‘Its Raining Men,’” Bradley stated.  Miller’s favorite work is from the song “Steam Heat” that they did in Crimson. Miller said the choreography, “was hard to learn, but now that we are better at it, I think it was a great piece in our show,” he said.  Wendt and Milliser both said their favorite is the step touch work “because it’s really easy!”  May said that “Raining Men” and “Shop Around” choreography was the best.

All three choirs performed a great concert for their friends and family on Sunday.  They were well prepared, did their very best, and showed everyone what they have worked on since the beginning of the school year.