Photos by Katerina Pappas and Stephanie Lam
In previous years, Variations and Bella Voce both performed in Singing Valentines, and in the Heart and Soul concert. This year, however, choir teacher Shari Summers decided to do something a little different. According to Summers, when she receives choir students who did Singing Valentines in their middle school dynamics, some of them were bummed that they weren’t able to participate in singing valentines.
“I can’t have 200 kids out running around campus on Valentine’s Day, it would just be craziness,” Summers said. “So, I’ve been trying to think of a way we can actually still do something like singing valentines, but you know [leaving Variations and Bella Voce to do] the actual delivering around classes.”
Thus, the idea to create and perform Valentine’s Day groups for all non-Variations and Bella Voce choir members was born.
“This [Heart and Soul concert] was a kind of a fun way to start second semester. [They were] able to come and create all of these on their own, put their groups together, their costumes, their choreography, so they can present them to their friends and family.” Summers said. “I thought, ‘We’ll see how it goes and we’ll see if it seems too long’. But I think everyone enjoyed it.”
Despite a few hiccups in some songs, the audience members continued to clap and cheer on the choir students. Many members of the audience held phones, video recorders and cameras to capture their loved one’s performances.
As the choir members sang their final song and exited through the back and side doors of the auditorium, they all broke into cheers, hugging and high fiving one another. Choir members took the chance to congratulate their peers for a job well done, and some Variation and Bella Voce members even seemed surprised at the performances of the freshmen groups— like Variations member senior Lucy Shao.
“It’s really interesting to see what the freshman are capable of. A lot of [the] time we kind of look down on the freshmen— even though we shouldn’t.” Shao said, “In such a small group, it’s easier to showcase your own talent, to see how capable they [all] are is really amazing.”
Choir members who experienced putting together a Valentine’s group at MVHS for the first time found the task to be a fun break from their usual song practices.
“There’s giggles everywhere and you fool around most of the time, but we get work done and it’s fun,” choir member freshman Leilani Gabriel said.
The Heart and Soul concert provided all attendees with a sneak peak of the talent that every choir member in MVHS possesses. Despite the varying levels of choir members, all members of choir sang together that night to showcase their hard work, talent and of course, love for everyone who came.
“HEART AND SOUL”
Click on the Valentine group below to hear a clip of their song
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