On March 3rd, Canyon Choir held their third official concert this year. The spring show’s theme was music from around the world. Choir has spent the last 3 months preparing for this concert and working very hard. There have been many tears, voiced frustrations on our road to learning new music and many last minute rehearsals, but all of the students pulled it off well and everyone’s hard work paid off.

Since the cafeteria has been closed here at Canyon, the show was held at Canyon Hills Presbyterian Church. The setting made for a different feel of the show and lead to some audience members not being respectful. The lights were on in the church because there were no stage lights to put on the choir. Some students say they saw parents on their phones during the show which is very disrespectful to the students who have worked so hard on this performance. During “Per La Gloria” Advanced Trebles Aria song, two girls, identified as Canyon students, began loudly clapping in the middle of the song interrupting the performance. The choir program strongly suggests and asks that the audience wait to applaud until Mrs. May has given the signal with her hands down at her side. Two boys in the front with a skateboard also continually interrupted the performance by kicking the board to the point where Mrs. May had to ask them to stop after a song.

Even though some audience members were distracted, the show was still amazing. The beginner Treble clef choir joined with Advanced Treble to do a traditional Kenyan Song “Jambo” to open the show. This show was different because it was very intimate so the use of gathering around the audience was used a lot more than it usually is. The advanced choirs, Chamber Singers and Advanced Treble performed the Gaelic song “ An Oíche” which they will sing next month on their tour with Villa Park to Ireland as the Golden State Choral. The song was very moving and as a performer even though it’s a difficult song with some work still to be done on it, it was beautiful and very moving. 

Every choir sang a song in a different language and English. A personal favorite was Bass Clefs “ Yellow Bird.” They used their ties to mimic a bird flying and even pulled out bananas and eating them during a break in the song which earned many laughs in the audience. Another song that got a laugh was the Barbershop Quartet doing the 1954 classic Sh-Boom when they shouted “CHS Yes!” in the middle of their song. 

Every Choir joined at the end and performed a Brazilian folk song “Trȇs Cantos Nativos dos indios kraó” which had the choir join around the audience and do choreography. The audience was encouraged to close their eyes as they were to experience sounds made by the choir as if they were in an Amazonian rain forest. The song made students get up close and personal with the audience by moving towards them and clapping loudly to them which surprised the audience. Finally they closed with the traditional Irish song “A blessing” based on a traditional Irish blessing “May love and laughter light your days and warm your heart and home. May good and faithful friends be yours wherever you may roam.”

Choir’s final two shows of the year, Pop Showcase, will be here in the cafeteria on May 21st and 22nd.  Stay tuned for an update about the advanced choirs tour overseas in Ireland!