Oceanside CA. Will be lit!! Burbank, john Boroughs , Los Al and Brea! You have by far 3 of top 5 show choir around the country competing in this. I can’t wait!!!
To all those unable to attend Fairfield this past weekend, I strongly encourage you to make the trip to southern Ohio next year. I promise it is worth it.
Congratulations to Burbank and thank you for traveling to Ohio. Thank you to Mr. Mercer and the Fairfield choirs for a great evening!
Once again, the true winner at the Crystal Classic was the audience. What an amazing day of musicianship and entertainment! Here are my thoughts after watching both prelims and finals:
Ross:
Boy, Ross never dissapoints. You can say that other groups that day were more polished than them, but you cannot say that they didn’t have one of the funnest shows that night! They remind me a lot of Loveland. A GREAT set of songs, an AMAZING band, and guaranteed to give their audience a good time. For having less men than other years, they really deliver. I also must say that their ballad soloist really moves me. So great. I’ve been told by several members of Ross that they’re adding a women’s group next year along with acquiring Jared Voss and Tori Burns as choreographers, so that just shows even more signs of Ross stepping up their game. For the time being, I look forward to seeing how they do at Wapakoneta! Very well done last night.
Whiteland:
Very beautiful vocals. It seems like a lot of people forgot how much of a vocal powerhouse Whiteland is. I feel like more energy could’ve been put into their choreo, but their vocals definitely compensate for that. Personally, I thought they should’ve scored a little closer to Marysville, but it was a great show nevertheless! I still have their opener stuck in my head, and I love how they do a reprisal of their opener for their bows! I was impressed watching them at Franklin Central and even more impressed watching them last night!
Marysville:
This is definitely a bold statement, but in my eyes, Marysville’s finals performance was nearly choreographically perfect. They simply dominate Dwight Jordan’s choreography stylistically and each song in their show gives you so much joy! I also felt that they had the best ballad of the night. I heard that some judges disagreed, but the entire show really did emulate the spirit of show choir, such a genuine performance by EVERYONE on stage!
Loveland:
Not much to say about these guys. They’re simply the best. Phenomenal band, amazing energy, and a great set of songs. I think most can agree they were a little slept on this year. I will say that their vocals aren’t as powerful as they have been in other years, but they make up for that in the stylistic authenticity of their vocals for each song. The further they got into their show, the more it felt like a concert, it was so great. Very very well done as usual!
Burbank:
Speaking of shows that felt more like concerts Holy moly what a show! I can’t wait to watch it again on YouTube because it wasn’t until after I’d watched them that I was told their theme is a sequel of sorts to their prodigal show from 2012! That may be wrong, but it made sense thinking back on everything that happened in the show. Their opening sequence had the best vocal moment I had ever witnessed live in a show (Maybe tied with Franklin Central’s opener). To my untrained ear, their balance, blend, and dynamics were flawless. What an incredible show with visuals you won’t see from any other group! Thank you Burbank for coming and sharing your talent with us midwesterners!
Crystal Classic was a ton of fun. I'm tired, but it was definitely worth the travel to attend. I enjoyed all of the finalist performances and of course the Choraliers exhibition. The environment in that Arena is like nothing else. And it was pretty much on time! Hats off to Fairfield folks for continuous improvements and hosting this premier event.
Quick notes:
-Ross: your girls numbers is one of my favorites this season
-Whiteland: beautiful singing, it was a pleasure seeing y'all for the first time!
-Marysville: my favorite show of the evening, I love a good SU show design - good luck in Orlando!
-Loveland: holy smokes that band takes an already great show to the next level. I love watching y'all and also best of luck in Orlando!
-Burbank: that was a fun show and the second number is really cool. So glad to see y'all come back to Ohio.
-Fairfield: I enjoy the show more and more each time I watch it. When are we getting a professional recording of One Giant Leap?? Go kill it at Andover!
Amazing job to all the choirs at this event! Burbank was phenomenal and a well-deserved win! Marysville were such a joy to watch and their students, parents, and director were exceptionally kind and complimentary. Loved seeing them help clean up the arena after the competition! Also, special shoutout to Loveland - always a joy to watch them and they killed it in finals (and your combo is so good!!!).... and can I say watching Shawn Miller work in the back always makes me smile - his energy is contagious! Congrats to all groups and thanks for making this another great Crystal Classic!
1st Burbank
2nd Loveland
3rd Marysville
4th Whiteland
5th Ross
6th Grove City
7th Olentangy
8th Homestead
9th Manchester
UPDATE: this might not be true, I’ve been told from one person that 8th was Manchester and 9th was Homestead, but another person told me the opposite so I’m not sure which is right.
Fairfield Crystal Classic 2019
Holy moly what a show! I can’t wait to watch it again on YouTube because it wasn’t until after I’d watched them that I was told their theme is a sequel of sorts to their prodigal show from 2012! That may be wrong, but it made sense thinking back on everything that happened in the show. Their opening sequence had the best vocal moment I had ever witnessed live in a show (Maybe tied with Franklin Central’s opener). To my untrained ear, their balance, blend, and dynamics were flawless. What an incredible show with visuals you won’t see from any other group! Thank you Burbank for coming and sharing your talent with us midwesterners! 
