All of ETHS’ vocal ensembles will come together this Feb. 19th to perform in the second annual Vocal Showcase, featuring an award-winning original song.
The concert will feature a professional live band and 40-50 students who belong to three curricular choirs and several extra-curricular vocal ensembles.
The choirs include the Advanced Vocal Ensemble (AVE), an auditioned ensemble open to 10th-12th graders; ETHS Choir (Concert Choir), a choir open to all grade levels and all experience levels; and A Cappella, an extracurricular open to all singers. They also include Lake & Dodge, an advanced jazz ensemble; Vocal Jazz, an extra-curricular open to all singers; and Harmonia, an advanced treble ensemble.
Every vocal ensemble will perform in at least two songs for the first half of the performance. The second part will feature student-led specialty acts, consisting of solos, duets and small groups that auditioned for the show.
The theme last year was “There’s More to Love,” which focused on songs about all kinds of love. This year, the theme of the showcase is “A Night With the Stars,” said Sarah Zegree, the high school’s director of choirs.
“The music will consist of songs about or made famous by celebrities, songs about fame and dreaming big, and several songs simply about stars,” said Zegree, adding that the show will include pieces by artists such as James Taylor, Madonna, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley. “The song styles are so diverse, so there’s going to be something for everyone to enjoy.”
Zegree selected the songs for the curricular choirs, while extra-curricular ensembles and student-organized groups came up with their own ideas with input from Zegree. The performances will range from ballads to swing jazz classics like “Fly Me to the Moon.” Some of the ensembles will also perform together.
“We also have an original song that’ll be performed at the concert that just a few months ago won a state composition award,” mentioned Zegree. “It will be one of the first times in front of a live audience, so that’s exciting.”
The choir also plans to perform part of the song “Corcovado” (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars) in Portuguese, according to Ava Kamae, a junior who began singing vocal jazz as a sophomore. The 1963 song is by Stan Getz and João Gilberto, featuring Astrud Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim.
“It is always fun to sing in another language, despite its challenges,” said Kamae. “The best part of vocal jazz is hearing all of our unique voices come together to make one beautiful sound.”
Junior Tinsae Geyer, a member of the Advanced Vocal Ensemble and Choir Executive Board President, who oversees all choir events and is involved in planning the showcase, will also perform songs, including “I Wanna Go Back” from the movie “The Notebook” and “Another Day of Sun” from “La La Land.”
“I’m most excited to be performing a duet with my friend Kate Flint,” Geyer said. “The hardest part of choir is learning the music, and the best part is getting to show what we’ve learned during concerts.”
Along with the excitement, however, comes the matter of endurance, especially for singers who are involved in multiple ensembles and will take the stage more than once.
“That takes a lot of energy [and] a lot of vocal health work and confidence,” Zegree said. “Getting through the whole show for a lot of students will be hard but worth it.”
General admission is free, with dessert, hot chocolate, and coffee available for purchase. VIP tickets offer on-stage seating, along with desserts and drinks. Proceeds will go to support student scholarships for bi-national tours and vocal lessons.
