On March 18, the Gabrielino High School Choir Department hosted its Vocal Showcase at 7 p.m. in the Gary E. Goodson Theatre. The event consisted of student-selected solo and duet performances, ranging from long-standing seniors to newcomers.
Accompanying the singers were seniors Kaden Chan and Justin Wong on piano, senior Cooper Vining on guitar, and Choir Director Robert Cartwright on the ukulele.
“Each singer has their own song that they want to sing. I get my pieces to practice, and then during rehearsal, we see how my playing matches up with their singing and make adjustments accordingly,” Chan explained.
For many performers, choosing a song for the showcase was a process close to their heart.
Senior Kelly Chung dedicated her performance to the graduated Choir alumni and dear friend, Sherelene Guo.
“It’s been a little over a year since I discovered the song I’m singing, ‘Codependent’ by Sophie Hallahan. I just knew immediately I wanted to sing it for next year’s showcase, and now next year has come,” senior Kelly Chung reflected.
A highlight of the concert was the duet by seniors David Chau and Sean Winn with visual elements to their performance of ‘Somebody That I Used to Know.’
“Sean and I have been wanting to do a duet for our senior year and go out with a bang,” Chau said. “We chose ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’ because we thought it was really interesting how the people contrast each other in the music video. For our performance, Sean did makeup on the right side of his face, and I did makeup on the left side [like the music video], which I thought was a cool touch.”
Throughout the evening, the performers showcased their versatility by performing a wide variety of musical genres. Freshmen Ella De Leon and Shirley Dong performed ‘Reflection’ from Mulan and emphasized the tight-knit community within the choir.
“It’s really fun, everyone’s really supportive, especially in concert because most people are new, so we’re all kind of going on this Choir journey together,” De Leon reflected.
For senior Kimberly Poon, the showcase marked a significant milestone in her high school journey.
“The song I did was ‘Little League’ by Conan Gray, and I chose that song because it’s about growing up and it’s one of my last vocal showcases as a senior,” Poon said. “ Most of the people in the Choir I’ve known since sixth grade, and now we’re all growing up, things are changing.”
As the night drew to an end, many seniors reflected on their time in the Choir and the bittersweet feeling of finishing one of their last high school showcases.
Choir director Cartwright credits the seniors for their dedication and commitment to such a memorable night.
“I think each one of them crushed it. They really came out and showed everyone what they can do. It was nice to have both our freshmen and seniors on stage, they were all excellent,” Cartwright said with a smile.
Although the choir still has more showcases before the curtains close, for seniors, the night marked a bittersweet farewell to their high school choir experience.