Lyrics from an old folk song echoed through the Liberty Commons, with swaths of voices winding into each other. A break in the words ended in a chaotic buzz–the manifesting energy of a crowd of children. This was Choirfest Invitational, the lively night hosted by the Liberty Choir.
On Monday, February 5th, Choirfest took place at Liberty where feeder elementary and middle schools came to practice music for their combined concert in May.
“Choirfest is a really fun time getting to hang out with the other schools, and also teach them their parts and work with them,” senior Mia Williamson said.
This year, Liberty brought together about 400 kids and rehearsed two songs: “Turn the World Around” by Harry Belafonte and “Oye” by Jim Papoulis. Both songs, with a message of unity, acted as a call to action.
“We’d like to have our combined pieces to have some kind of message, bringing people together and being conscious of the world,” choir director Erick Price said.
This was all in preparation of Music Alive, the joint choir concert with the Liberty and all its feeder schools taking place in May. “Turn the World Around” and “Oye” are the opening and closing songs that all the choir students will sing together. Along with them, the separate school choirs prepared songs of their own for Music Alive.
Even though the night was built around younger kids, Liberty students also had their time to shine. Liberty Choir students got the opportunity to lead younger students by directing all the elementary and middle school students. Separating the younger choirs by voice types and leading sectionals are all done by Liberty students.
“Choirfest is something I remember doing since third grade, and you always look up to your high school leaders so much. For me, it’s really cool being in that position right now,” Williamson said.
By showing the transitions and connections between groups, Choirfest acts as a coming-of-age event.
“The students, through their experience here, learn what it’s like to be part of the choir family from elementary school, transitioning into middle school, transitioning into high school, and then beyond,” said Price. “Our main goal is to show progress from beginning to end.”
Despite leading a few hundred kids at once, and jumping around hoops like coordination and communication, Choirfest was rewarding. The younger students got an opportunity to showcase their singing skills, Liberty students got to demonstrate their leadership, and the choir teachers got to feel accomplishment from their students.
“It’s chaotic rehearsing all this,” Price said. “It’s full of energy, but it’s also joyous at the same time, to have all of them in our Commons with all of that booming, echoing sound.”
joyous at the same time, to have all of them in our Commons with all of that booming, echoing sound.”
“It’s chaotic rehearsing all this,” Price said. “It’s full of energy, but it’s also joyous at the same time, to have all of them in our Commons with all of that booming, echoing sound.”
“It’s chaotic rehearsing all this,” Price said. “It’s full of energy, but it’s also joyous at the same time, to have all of them in our Commons with all of that booming, echoing sound.”
