The choir department had their first concert of the year Wednesday, Oct. 25. Each section of the choir sang at least two songs with special features throughout, such as the quartets and a big finale of the whole choir department at the end. The concert had a big turnout and all of the choir department’s hard work paid off.

The concert kicked off with the Jag Singers, the highest audition choir, section singing three songs, “A Song of Life,” “Fire” and “GO! Said the Star.” Senior Augusta Miller, a member of the Jag Singers and a member of the choir leadership team, discusses her favorite song sung at the concert.

“Definitely, “Go! Sold the Star” with Jag Singers. It was so great. Also Fire – I can’t choose between those two,” Miller said.

The concert then moved to bass choir and they sang two songs: “The Water is Wide” and “Journeyman’s Song,” with the descants being Jensen Fisher, Ozzie Hentges and Brodey Ross. Choir teacher Jessie Reimer highlights what went into choosing the descants for the bass choir.

“The three that were chosen for the descants have the range to sing that part, so that was kind of an easy choice there,” Reimer said.

Next up was the newly formed men’s quartet consisting of Drew Cormany, Yazid Vazquez, AJ Lauer and Zane Lauer, who sang “Daisy Bell.” Reimer reveals how much work each of the quartets put into their performance.

“The quartets are self made,” Reimer said. “They choose their own music. I will listen and give feedback, but they rehearse on their own.”

The Grace Notes went next and sang two songs, “Sing Out, My Soul” and a song with a special message behind it called “Paper Crane (Heiwa).” The song is about Sadako Sasaki, a Japanese girl, who was exposed to radiation during World War II and eventually was diagnosed with leukemia. The Grace Notes sang it as a symbol for hope and peace as the little girl folded 1000 paper cranes for good luck.

Next, the all freshman Treble Choir sang. They also sang two songs: “Kusimama” and “Riversong.” Miller highlights that one of her favorite songs sung at the concert was one of the Treble Choir’s songs.

“[My favorite song to hear] was the freshman choir song Kusimama,” Miller said.

The girls quartet, Sarah Coleman, McKinley Graves, Grace Cormany and Violet Hentges, took the stage next and began their performance with “Ebb Tide.” Then they moved to a memorial song for the Mill Creek choir director Carlita Pederson. They sang “Into the West,” a song she taught them when they were in middle school. Miller comments that Pederson is one of the reasons she stayed in choir.

“I chose choir and then I had Ms. Peterson,” Miller said. “Ms. Pederson was really great and she is the reason I stayed in choir.”

Sophomore Mya Franco, a member of the choir department, comments that her favorite song was “Into the West.”

“I liked the way there were a lot of emotions and I liked the way that they knew it very well and they all blended really well together,” Franco said.

After the girls quartet, Jag Chorale took the stage and sang three songs: “Omnia Vincit Amor,” “Hey, for the Dancing” and “Dance for Love.” 

Finally, the whole choir department sang the finale, “Bring Me” to wrap up the whole show. Reimer comments on how little rehearsal they had for the finale. 

“The only times we were all together were we had two seminar rehearsals and then the half hour before we opened the doors, but we only worked on the group piece during those times, so it was in our individual classes where we worked on transitions,” Reimer said. “We didn’t ever have a full run through of the concert until the concert.”

Franco really enjoyed the final number and thought everyone sounded really good.

“I really do like singing all together. I think we sound very good. I think we sound very blended,” Franco said.