Single clef:
1st: zionsville BV
2nd: center grove
3rd: Los al
4th: mount zion BC
Mixed
1st: center grove BV
2nd: Los al BC
3rd: zionsville
4th: mitchell
Los al is setting up right now, then zionsville after, so it’ll still be a little bit unfortunately. It’s been an unbelievable day/finals so far though!
With so many choirs, maybe a "One and Done" format would be in order. JS This has been tremendous though; great to see so many performers from all over the US.
I watched in person and did full scorecards for groups. This is how I had it
1. Center Grove
2. Los Al
3. Mitchell
4. Zionsville
5. Broken Arrow
6. Mt. Zion
Vocals have CG in first, Choreo have Los Al in first.
Despite not getting to see every Single Clef group here are my thoughts on each group:
Soundtrax: Best costumes out of the five groups that I got to see. Very sharp and clean choreo. I enjoyed the backdrop reveal. They had a Paris/love theme, and with that theme they did a good job of setting the scene with a violinist on stage, lamp post, flowers, benches, and mimes (the crew). The main soloists were also great.
Choralaires: Their show was a kind of a grunge love theme. I thought they a strong vocal sound, and a good number of singing styles within the show. The show was also paced very well. They also had a cool costume change in the second half of their show. The one bad thing about their show was the tv's. They were distracting and did not add much to the show (in my opinion).
Debtones: Their theme was the garden of eden. They had the best vocals of all the groups that I saw. The end of their ballad was my favorite vocal moment. They did a good job in incorporating their costumes into their choreo. The second half of their show was about the snake and remembering Eve for for centuries. It was a very creative set. Finally, I thought that they made better use of their tvs, compared to the Choralaires.
Les Femmes: They did a Barbie show. And while I never watched the movie, I could tell that there was a lot of thought put into the show. Their backdrop, specifically, was a GIANORMOUS Barbie house. They also had very clean Dwight Jordan choreo. At one point they had barbies rip through the packaging, which was cool.
Tiger Mystique: Its always a treat to see Lexi's choreo, and they did an amazing job executing it. This group had great vocals for the amount of people they had on stage. Best band out of these five groups, by far. The only thing that I have to say about this show, is that I did not understand the story, and usually im pretty good at picking up what a show is about.
My finals picks after watching these shows are the Choralaires, Debtones, and Les Femmes. All of these groups did amazing!
Again, I was not able to watch every mixed group. Anyway, here are some more thoughts:
Ambience- This group had some really fun songs. The highlights of the show were definitely the visuals and band.
Sound Wave- I was very impressed by Twin Lakes. You had very solid singing a dancing. Everyone one on the stage was very passionate, and I could tell everyone had been working very hard on the show. Also the duet in the ballad, absolutely killed it.
Sound Check- I mean who doesn't like ice cream? This group honestly had some of the cleanest dancing of the day. Once again that Dwight choreo. The costumes representing the toppings that go on ice cream was a very creative touch. Bananas by Gwen Stefani, for the guys number was genius.
Modulations- They had amazing great diction. Also, amazingly clean and fast-paced choreo, which is hard to execute. The soloists in the guy's song was amazing. They also had good vocal consistency. Whoever was on the electric guitar, killed it every dance break. Great traditional show!
Hillside singers- Love the message advocating for change. The second number was my favorite. It was super fun. They nailed the choreo. The vocals in the ballad were awesome. I was thoroughly entertained by everyone of the soloists, as well.
Resonance- This show was a lot of fun to watch (it was Chicken Little themed). The sun/moon moving representing the sky falling was kind of amazing. Great band, great visuals, and the tone and dynamics of vocals were amazing. The Crazy number was one of favorites from this show. The main soloist did a great job. Finally, the chicken dance during the bows was the cherry on top for this show.
Tiger Rhythm- The start was very eerie, which left me with a good first impression of the show. Like Resonance, they had amazing vocal tone and dynamics. Braxton and Lexi did amazing choreographing your show. The band was also exceptional. This was one of the most entertaining shows that I got to see today. It was a really nice mix between California and Midwest show choir.
Royalaires- The beginning of the show is SO funny but also very endearing, with the old people falling in love. Again the tvs were a distraction for me. Great vocals through the show. To specify, I love when they add vibrato to the end of a phrase. The choreo at the end of the show was very satisfying to watch. Another great traditional show.
Sound FX- This group always has a great tone when they are singing. They also had some of the most unique and tight visuals. In addition, they had an amazing set and costumes, and all of their soloists were amazing. I did their lights not work for the majority of their show?!?! I mean they had like 8 of those light things, but they were hardly used. Finally, their main dancer was amazing per usual.
Swingsations- The first thing i noticed was their, much like Les Femmes, HUGE backdrop (which resembled a city). This group also nails Dwight's choreo. Their show was kind about finding purpose amongst the vast world. I really enjoyed the light up umbrella number. I also thought that their second set of costumes were really cool.
Sound System- I also appreciate how out of the box Sound System is. Specifically, their unique operatic vocals were a nice change. While this might be a hot take to some, I have them winning visuals over Los al. Their choreo was very difficult but extremely clean as well. I appreciated the history lesson presented through music. Also, why do they always have the best tenors? Finally, think that they had the best costumes out of the mixed groups.
Friend de Coup- My favorite song that they did was their opener, only because my choir did that song, my junior year of high school. The year we did that song we happened to compete against Mitchell. Probably tied with Tiger Rhythm for my favorite show of the day. I appreciate that their show is a tribute to their home state and their hometown (which contains the Corn Palace). The quartet in the second song was nothing short of amazing. Love the cow. Also, CORN WORSHIP?!?! They had great vocals throughout, and their closer choreo had my jaw dropped.
Thank you WWS for the stream. It was well worth the $20. With that being said, that much show choir in one sitting is exhausting. Respectfully, I need a nap.
Wheaton Warrenville South Choral Classic 2024
