Andover High School
J. Everett Collins Center for the Performing Arts
80 Shawsheen Rd.
Andover, MA 01810
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Number of Attending Choirs:
15 Mixed Groups
6 Treble Groups
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Event Judges:
Garrett Breeze (Band)
Kevin Chase (Visuals)
Terrell Dean (Visuals)
Christopher Landis (Solo)
Michael Raunick (Vocals)
Verda Slinkard (Vocals)
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$20 - Mixed Tier I Division
$20 - Mixed Tier II/Women's Divisions
$28 - All Day Pass
$30 - All Weekend Pass
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Ok so these three choirs are usually very close in competition in New England and they all have very different styles of performance. Oliver Ames is usually traditional as they're known for very clean cut and well executed shows without very many thematic details to draw away from their performance, as is the case this year.. Shepherd Hill and Daniel Hand are known for their very complex and detailed shows. Daniel Hand typically has shows with plotlines and specific characters with very detail oriented song choices and choreography. Their show this year is based off of Arthur Miller's The Crucible. Shepherd Hill has done the same in the past and is doing it in their current season with their Fahrenheit 451 show. They've also been known to do thematic shows that revolve around a specific idea, popular culture concept, or piece of art without using a plotline or characters. For example, in 2015 they did a show about outer space that revolved around the movements of Gustav Holst's symphony "The Planets".
Overall, these New England choirs maintain a high level of excellence and have for several years. As to why judges disagree on their order, I would say it's because they are so different stylistically and because show choir is so subjective. A judge may enjoy Oliver Ames' execution and may not like Shepherd Hill's storyline because it isn't easy to follow and may score those groups accordingly. It all revolves around the judges' personal tastes and preferences.