A buzz filled the MPR on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 7:30 p.m. and family and friends waited for the Bella Voce and Cantabile Honors Chorale choir concerts to begin. With a theme of “Music of America,” the two choirs sang a total of nine classic American songs. Bella Voce took the stage first, then came Cantabile Honors Chorale with their five breathtaking songs.

When Bella took the stage, they dived into a beautiful medley of short songs (which included “Zion’s Wall,” “The Little Horses,” and “I Bought Me a Cat”). After their strong opening number, they also sang “Poor Boy,” which was about a poor boy who lost his love. The harmonies were enchanting, especially when soloist Katie Heaton hit the high note. “America the Beautiful” was up next, and it proved to be a work of choral art. They used “Old Joe Clark,” a song that many former choir students might remember singing themselves, to wrap up their concert, using the sforzando at the end of the piece to display their skill.

Cantabile Honors Chorale went on after Bella Voce. Beginning with “Buffalo Gals” arranged by Bob Chilcott, the choir started their concert off with energy and live accompaniment. They went on to sing a beautiful rendition of “Home on the Range” arranged by Mark Hayes, in which Joy Pizorno had a solo and Jarod Taylor played the harmonica. Next came “Camptown Races” by Stephen Foster. An outstanding and memorable performance of “Shenandoah,” arranged by James Erb came next. In this song, Cantabile Honors Chorale joined hands and sang gorgeous harmonies that rung through the room. Their final song, “Ching-A-Ring-Chaw,” adapted by Aaron Copland and arranged by Irving Fine, ended the night strong with a standing ovation. Junior Giuliana Castronova said she thinks Cantabile “did great, but there’s always room for improvement.” She particularly liked to sing “Home on the Range” and “can’t wait to see what new songs [Cantabile] gets” for their holiday-themed concert next quarter.

Overall, both Bella Voce and Cantabile performed wonderfully and had a great start on the year, and we can’t wait to see what they’ll perform next!