![In the spotlight | “I was trying to act scared by all of those paparazzi flashing the cameras at me. I was feeling excited and I had a lot of energy doing it. At first I was very stressed out but in the end, it was all worth it. I had a lot of fun and I loved [performing]” Rhapsody in Blue tenor sophomore Kiersten Tyra San Diego said.](https://whshoofprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/1CE6CC81-53F7-409A-A48E-22C12474264F-1200x800.jpeg)
Choir presented their concert, “Prelude to Spring,” on Wednesday, Feb. 5 and Thursday, Feb. 6 at the Performing Arts Center (PAC).
The concert started with the Chamber Singers, Mustang Singers, Treble Choir, Men’s Ensemble, Rhapsody In Blue and featured special guest, the Suzanne Middle School choir singing “Salaam Aleikum,” a traditional African folk song. Throughout the show, the combined choir sang different classical and folk music.
Several songs during the concert had a story behind it such as “Dahil Sa‘yo” by Mike Velarde Jr. and “Ani Ma’Amin” by arranger Stephen Coker. “Dahil Sa‘yo” is a Tagalog song about love and feeling sorrow when a loved one is not around. Chamber Singers soprano freshman Sophia Teodosio, alto 1 sophomore Angela Mei Unayan and Chamber Singers and Rhapsody in Blue soprano 1 senior Kathryn Montoya who are all fluent in Tagalog taught their peers how to sing it.
“Ani Ma’Amin” was a Hebrew song that many Jewish people sang during the Holocaust, and featured guest violinist from the Symphonic Orchestra as junior Gabriel Gonzalez performed it alongside Chamber Singers. The show concluded with a competition piece by Rhapsody In Blue called “Shattered Spotlight” arranged by Jordan Robinson and Nicholas Prior.
To prepare for the concert, the choir groups had practice during school and depending on the group, after school practices. For example, Rhapsody in Blue had practice every Friday from 3:45 to 6:00 p.m. while the Chambers Singers had practice every Wednesday from 2:45 to 4:00 p.m. All choir groups also gathered together for four hour rehearsals on Monday and Tuesday prior to the concert.
“Our rehearsal was a big help. It allowed us to hear what our songs would sound like in a bigger space when we actually have to sing it to people,” Chamber Singers and Men’s Ensemble tenor senior Justin Maestas said.
Throughout practices and rehearsals, the choirs faced some difficulties. Proper rhythm on a difficult song and having perfect pitch and sound were a few of the challenges different students had.
“Combining singing and dancing at the same time is really difficult because you have to remember your harmonies as well as the choreography. It gets very physically tiring singing and dancing for multiple songs in a row,” Rhapsody Blue alto 1 sophomore Lyla Friedl said.
Practice has been an essential part in overcoming the difficulties these choir groups have faced. Practicing by themselves or in groups has helped them to improve on their performances.
“I overcome difficulties by practicing a lot. With more practice, it makes me know my entrances and memorize my pitches,” Mustang Singer soprano sophomore Myles De Los Reyes said.
Before the show started, several students practiced backstage as others motivated each other.
“We encouraged each other a lot before we performed. We warmed up together and also gave words of encouragement,” De Los Reyes said.
Overall, the show was an opportunity for choir students to bond with their peers.
“The choir performance was great. Much better than most opening nights. No show is ever perfect, but it was still a great show,” Maestas said. Ω
