The four auditioned co-curricular choir ensembles got together to perform fall repertoire for the third Annual Co-Curricular Choir Preview Concert.

On Nov. 25 in the Lyceum , the concert previewed four co-curricular ensembles, Chamber Singers, Da Capo, Fusion, which separated to become Nine and Solace, and Scat That!, Robert Shellard, Choral Director and Director of Chamber Singers and Fusion, said. In addition, Compass, a student-run barbershop quartet, performed, Shellard said. The concert, aside from performances, collected cans at the door for the Northfield Township Food Pantry’s canned food drive, Shellard explained. Before 2022, the co-curricular choirs performed only at an end-of-year concert, so the Preview Concert was added as an opportunity to sing more, Shellard said.

“The goal [of adding the Preview Concert] was to create a halfway point that allows them to show off repertoire that is [not] necessarily [for] the variety show or the Fall Choir Concert,” Shellard said.

Dan Gregerman, Instructional Assistant for the Grit Lab and Director of Scat That! and Da Capo, anticipates the concert every year because he loves helping his singers prepare. 

“I always look forward to watching the students [show] what they [have] worked [so hard] on,” Gregerman said.

Students dedicate a lot of time throughout the year practicing and rehearsing their songs, senior Anna Pataky, Chamber Singer, said.

“I look forward to [rehearsal] every week,” Pataky said. “It [is] my favorite part of the entire [concert] process.”

Junior Gretchen Willamson, Fusion and Solace singer, thinks the concert is a fun experience where she gets to show off what she loves to do. She enjoys performing with fellow singers who share her passion, as well as sharing her passion with the audience, Williamson said.

“The Preview Concert is [is] a really good time to see the choir programs [for] anyone [who is] interested [in them],” Williamson said.

The Co-Curricular Choir Preview Concert benefits the students by helping them focus on their future singing and growth, Shellard explained.  

“A lot of times when [they are] in rehearsal it feels difficult to motivate [themselves],” Shellard said. “This concert provides that motivation and I [am] excited to see how they grow because of it.”

Gregerman hopes all the groups can continue to grow in quantity and quality for the future, while continuing to preserve the concert’s purpose.

“Our goal is to have everyone leave the concert with a smile on their face,” Gregerman said.