On Feb. 20, PV hosted its annual choir tour. The Leading Tones high school jazz choir and Junior High Chorale Choir traveled to each elementary school with the goal of encouraging elementary school students to join choir.
The choir tour performance started off with the Junior High Chamber Chorale singing two songs, followed by Leading Tones singing two songs. After the two ensembles, the sixth graders in sixth grade choir joined for a mass piece.At each school, members of any of the ensembles who went to each school are recognized.
Prior to the event, Leading Tones director Meg Byrne told the ensemble that camaraderie between the Junior High Chorale and Leading Tones is to be encouraged, especially during the lunch break at Hopewell Elementary School and any down time between setup of equipment and Concert Chorale’s set. Byrne stressed the importance of this since many members of Chorale will be freshmen at the high school. The high school students accepted the challenge and succeeded in building relationships over small activities during the lunch break.
One way the students built relationships was through a simple hand game called “raw macaroni”. A few high school students began the game, and within moments half of the gym was taken up by junior high and high school students playing the game. The high schoolers were spread all throughout the crowd, encouraging conversation with the younger students.
Madison Wells, a senior participating in her second year of Leading Tones, shared the importance of the event.“It’s always a good opportunity to show the junior high kids that high schoolers aren’t scary,” Wells said. True to her word, Wells actively started up conversations with both the junior high and elementary students all throughout the tour.
The purpose of the choir tour is to promote the involvement of younger students in any kind of choral activity.Though these efforts of camaraderie are rarely tangible, the impact is lasting. Many members of Leading Tones remember when they were once young choral students. Wells said, “We like music just like them and we’re all in the tour together. It also gives them something to look forward to when the do come to the high school.”
