Show Choir

The Kennedy High School Show Choir Premiere Concert took place this week, and it was a very big event. Show Choir is a very popular activity in my school and in schools around the area, so it is quite competitive. At the premiere concert the show choirs do exactly what the name suggests; they perform their full shows for the first time for an audience.

There are three show choirs at my school: Chaunteurs, Protege, and Happiness. Chaunteurs is the freshmen-only show choir, so no older participants are members of that choir. In preparation for the year, middle schools hold auditions for this show choir as a chance for current eighth graders to seize a spot and begin rehearsing over the summer. Directors from Kennedy go to each of the feeder middle schools and have auditions. The auditions generally have two parts: a singing portion and a dancing portion. If the prospect eighth grader demonstrates the required skill level, he or she is awarded a spot in Chaunteurs. Many students audition, but not everyone makes the cut. The directors have to choose their choir using students from multiple middle schools, so the chances are slimmer. 

Protege is the second show choir at my school. This group mainly consists of sophomores, but there are a few juniors sprinkled in the mix as well. I have never heard of a senior being in Protege, but that does not mean it is not impossible. Again, freshmen in Chaunteurs have to audition for the following year in order to secure a spot in Protege. Just because you made it into Chaunteurs does not guarantee you a spot in Protege for next year. In addition to the sophomores, the directors have to account for some juniors in the group as well. The auditions run basically the same as they did the previous year and students are selected for the middle show choir group. 

Happiness is the top show choir at Kennedy. Every incoming freshmen dreams of becoming a member of this group some day. This choir consists of juniors and seniors. Very rarely, there is an outstanding sophomore who is placed in this group as well. Happiness has been ranked the number one show choir in the nation multiple times and consistently achieves great success. Members of this show choir are easily recognizable by their famous yellow jackets. Happiness members wear their gaudy bright jackets whenever they have a performance later that night or a competition on the weekend.

All three show choirs began rehearsing in the summer and they have been learning and perfecting their show for many months now. The premiere concert was the first time all three groups performed their whole show for an audience. Competition season is right around the corner, so that will be the next set of performances the groups will be gearing up for!