The Arcadia High School (AHS) Choir hosted a concert on Mar. 25 at 7:00 p.m. at the Arcadia Performing Arts Center. The theme, as well as the name of the concert, was “Musical in Movies.” The pieces performed rotated around works done in films adapted from musicals, like Lion King, Annie, and The Woods. The show had about 80 people in attendance, and all the audience members were required to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken 72 hours prior to the show at the gate. Masks were optional but strongly recommended. Tickets were $10, and choir members were selling tickets, but the tickets were also available at the door. 

The concert featuring Concert Choir, Chanteurs, Ms. Connie Tu, the director, and Sandy Wu, the pianist, was a success and received great support from parents as well. 

The AHS Choir practiced for this concert two months in advance, with there being 33 Chanteurs members and 14 Concert Choir members. The Chanteurs members were divided into half, and as Ms. Tu said, it was a good leadership opportunity for students, because there were times when students from one group had to monitor themselves and commit to staying on task, while Ms. Tu was assisting the other group. They gained experience in how to work together as well as independently. 

In addition to the musicals-turned-into-movies mentioned earlier, the concert also featured pieces from West Side Story, Grease, and Disney Dazzle.

The Concert Choir was led by section leader Catherine Pei, and the Chanteurs were led by Oishika Chattopadhyay, Zayanah Rasyamond, Leo Tan, and Joceyln Zhu. 

Talking about her experience in Choir, especially the “Musical in Movies” concert, senior Chattopadhyay said that during their practices, they all have “learned so much and our musicianship has really grown.” 

She also talked about the choir in general, and called it a very “rewarding experience.”

“Our concerts are always incredibly fun, as we practice pretty hard in class and at after-school practices in order to make sure we’re ready,” said Chattopadhyay. “We’ve been able to have incredible opportunities as well, such as recently performing at Disneyland! Overall, it’s a really wonderful experience that I’m happy I get to be a part of.”

Senior Sofia Nagy said that “the main novelty about the spring concert was that it was the very first one since distance learning where there was dancing and singing (show choir).”

Succeeding this concert will be a concert on May 20, where AHS Choir will once again come together to put on a spectacular show, featuring jazz pieces and jazzy tunes. Tickets and flyers will be out sometime in May, so keep an eye out for that!

Lastly, if any of this interests you, then check out the open auditions Choir is hosting! No previous experience is needed to audition, and being part of Choir is the perfect place to not only fine-tune your singing skills but also go on fun field trips! For more information, check out the flyers posted around campus.