The field continues to warm up as seven schools from Iowa make their competition debut this weekend at Anamosa. 15 total groups will square off for the top six spots in finals.
Middle School Division:
Southeast Junior High "Sound Express"
Making their competition debut, Sound Express will be the first ever junior high school to compete at the Sadie Street Showcase. They are a feeder to Iowa City High 4th Avenue Jazz Company.
Prep Division:
Benton Community "Jubilation, Inc."
Cedar Rapids Washington "Celebration"
Both groups in this division are taking the stage for the first time after their first competition of the season was canceled due to the snow and cold weather sweeping through the Midwest. Cedar Rapids Washington (CRW) is most likely the favorite to win the division after having a stellar season in the prep division last year, earning a divisional win as well as a finals appearance. Benton Community had two fourths and a third last season with no finals appearances.
Womens Division:
Albia "Electric A’s"
Iowa City "Charisma"
Xavier "Xuberance"
The womens division welcomes last year’s only womens group and two former mixed groups for a very exciting face-off. Albia Electric A’s, previously a mixed group, kick off their first season as a womens group. In the same manner, Xavier Xuberance has transitioned from a mixed group to the advanced treble classification. Xuberance started off their 2024 season with a second place finish in the treble division at Des Moines Christian Illumination behind El Paso-Gridley Hi Fidelity. The last group and likely victor of the division is Iowa City Charisma. This veteran of the division saw a fantastic season last year, falling only to Linn-Mar Hi-Style. The placements can still fall in any way, as this is the first competitive performance for two of the three.
3A:
Benton Community "Celebration Co."
Center Point-Urbana "Summit Street Singers"
Marion "New Creation"
West Delaware "WD Forte"
Things start to heat up when you look at the 3A division, as all four groups are seasoned veterans and have had very successful seasons in recent years. Benton Community had an awesome season in 2023 with many finals berths. The same can be said for each of the other groups, but the group that tends to be the most dominant is Marion New Creation. New Creation is also the only group that has competed in 2024, giving them another edge up.
4A:
Cedar Rapids Washington "Momentum"
Clinton "River Royalty"
Iowa City "4th Avenue Jazz Company"
Western Dubuque "5th Avenue"
Xavier "Xhilaration"
Anamosa can almost be seen as a rematch for CRW, Iowa City, and Western Dubuque as all three of schools were slated to compete at the Linn-Mar Supernova until cancellations rained on the show choir parade. Add in Xavier Xhilaration, who took the sixth spot in finals at Des Moines Christian on Jan. 6, and Clinton River Royalty, a recent newcomer to the show choir world, and this leads to a nice match up. The top two spots will likely be a battle between Momentum and 4th Avenue Jazz Company (4AJC). Momentum bested 4AJC last season at this very competition and hope to do the same this year.
Finals
Nine out of the 10 competing high schools are returning from last year, and all six finalists are back with a vengeance. Most groups from both of the mixed divisions are consistent finalists, so picking a top six out of nine is difficult. The top three spots could play out to be New Creation, 4AJC, and Momentum. All three of these groups have had some strong seasons and have continued to grow and duke it out with some of the best in the state. Placements could be similar or the same as last season, with potential for a few groups to swap placements. The prep groups are also eligible for finals, so the field thickens even more and makes for an exciting night of show choir.
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