Choirs from everywhere will converge on Central Illinois this weekend for the Mt. Zion Midwest Invitational, an event that moved back from its traditional January calendar slot to March this year. Groups from all high school divisions will be eligible for a six-group finals round on Saturday; the winner will get bragging rights at one of the most stacked competitions of the year. The event will be livestreamed through www.streamshowchoir.com at a cost of $10 per ticket on Friday and $20 per ticket on Saturday.
A look at all there is to know ahead of the competition:
The Middle School Lineup
Illinois
Edison “Electric Youth”
Edison has competed once this year, taking home second place and Best Soloist just behind Mt. Zion. Being the middle school group that feeds into Wheaton Warrenville South, Electric Youth tends to be pretty successful year in and year out. It's hard to say how they will match up with Brandon Boom, but of the Illinois middle school groups going, they are going to be hard to beat. This will be Electric Youth’s final competition before hosting next weekend at the Wheaton Warrenville South Choral Classic.
El Paso-Gridley “Dynamics”
Dynamics had a rocky start to the season with a second place finish at Southmont, however have come back by sweeping their next competitons at Crete and Manteno, and will look to continue their streak here. Despite a school size of only around 380, Dynamics sport a very large group size with choreography by longtime choreographer Michael Talamonti. They have proven to be one of the best middle school groups in Illinois; however, they will face many unfamiliar challengers here. If they can pull out a win here, they could make a name for themselves across the country. - Dylan Moss
Glenwood “Titan Flare”
After taking a year off, Glenwood’s middle school program Titan Flare reentered the fray this year. Their record currently sits at a third place and a no placement, at Troy and El Paso-Gridley respectively, however both were against some of the best competition they could find. Flare will be hungry to really show the world who they are going into this incredibly stacked competition, and a higher than expected placement here would put them on the radar for sure. - Dylan Moss
Missouri
Troy “Tonali-T”
The reigning middle school champions at Mt. Zion, Troy Tonali-T is coming in hot to defend their first place title this weekend. After a rough beginning to their season, missing out on a placement at Neosho, they’ll presumably be showing up with an even stronger thirst for victory this go around. However, their slow start to the season may have simply been due to a learning curve with adding a new director; Shannon Martin was brought on board this year after Mairyn Dodson’s departure. Tonali-T will be competing against successful choirs they haven’t yet interacted with this season, so they will need to bring their A-game if they want to defend their title as reigning Grand Champs. - Anne Marie Wright
Mississippi
Brandon “Boom”
Boom, the girls group that compliments Blitz, hasn’t had the season they would have hoped for in the offseason, but this competition gives their group a chance to end the season on a high note. When traveling (especially far away), the possibilities seem to open and groups’ floor and ceiling seem to get higher and lower. That makes Boom a big wildcard heading into the event. -Tony Holeman
Brandon “Blitz”
After a director change, anything can happen to a program. Historical dynasties can fall and nobodies can rise to the top. Blitz went through a recent director change with Jacob Butzin leaving for Jackson Academy this season, so their future seemed fairly blurry. However, they’ve done a fairly well job (especially as of late). They’re coming off two divisional wins, one of them being out-of-region at the Chesteron Trojan Classic. After another leadership shakeup in the middle of February, Blitz will once again look to make the magic happen at an out-of-region competition. -Tony Holeman
High School Varsity
Illinois
Glenwood “Titan Fever”
Glenwood started the season off hot with a solid fourth-place finish against some tough competition at Milton, including beating great groups like Sauk Prairie and Chesterton. However, after taking a month off competing, they took third at Manteno and missed finals at a stacked Franklin Central event. This weekend, Glenwood will be in much more familiar territory, but also in maybe their most stacked field so far. They will look to bounce back with a finals berth here, and they have what it takes to do it, however they will need the best performance they can muster. If they can make finals, and maybe make some noise in finals after that, it may be the beginning of a hot streak finish to their season. - Dylan Moss
Wheaton Warrenville South “The Classics”
Wheaton Warrenville South comes into Mt. Zion steaming hot, sweeping each of their last two competitions. Though not the same visually as they have been, The Classics have a new identity as a vocally strong group. They have won Best Vocals at three of their four competitions this season, making this the first time they have accomplished that feat under director Chris Miller; the first as a program since 2014. Despite finishing third in each of their first two competitions, The Classics took vocals from both Petal and Oak Mountain, the latter of which beat two big names in this contest, Brandon and Grenada, last weekend. Wheaton Warrenville South’s show design compared to other groups leaves a lot to be desired, but it won’t matter if they can sing the way they have been all season. Keep an eye out for The Classics as they look to finish their season strong with an impressive win at a stacked Midwest Invitational. - Owen Miller
Mississippi
Brandon “Brio”
When thinking of a word to describe Brandon’s season thus far, the best word that comes to mind is 'tumultuous'. It’s safe to say that most hasn’t gone to plan, between losing to West Jones and Oak Mountain, getting swept by Westside, and dropping a spot in finals and finishing at fourth at Chesterton. However, Brandon seems to be performing the best they have all season at this point. After beating Grenada and finishing as second at the Madison Central Deep South Classic, this is the most momentum Brandon has had all season. Will that carry over as Brandon travels state lines for the third time this season? Only time will tell. - Tony Holeman
Grenada “Visions”
In contrast to Brandon, Grenada’s season has started to slightly decline. After an amazing start to the season, two Grand Championships and a second behind Clinton (while taking Best Visuals in prelims), Grenada finished third behind Oak Mountain and Brandon at the Madison Central Deep South Classic. Call it a faulty panel or an off performance, call it what you will. Nonetheless, Grenada is staring down a challenge with this loss and a quick out-of-state turnaround. Not only will they have to rebound, but they’ll have to do so against Troy Buchanan, Wheaton Warrenville South, and (once again) Brandon. Grenada has a task on their hands, and this competition most likely will dictate how most view the outcome of this season. - Tony Holeman
Missouri
Neosho “Choraleers”
Neosho Choraleers are known for their refined, powerful vocals and tight choreography, and are on a three-comp win streak this season, so they definitely have a chip on their shoulder to dream big and take a fourth Grand Champ at their last comp of the season. They’re just shy of an undefeated season, but took second place to Westside at Blue Valley at the start of their competition lineup in January. They’ve only gotten stronger as the season has gone on, so it will be interesting to see how they fare in a competition with choirs from so many places across the country, not just choirs from the Heartland. Last year at Troy, they took third overall behind Millard West and Mt. Zion, their most recent exposure to larger choirs outside of the Midwest. Choraleers have had extreme success this season (continuing with their trend of dominating their circuit in years past), but they are going to have to give everything they have to secure a solid placement against powerhouse groups from across the country such as Wheaton Warrenville South, Grenada, and Brandon.
- Anne Marie Wright
Troy Buchanan “Express”
This year, Express has had some trouble living up to the glory of their previous season. They swept at Neosho, but they’ve also placed as low as fifth, which is interesting when looking at last season’s three Grand Champs and their lowest placement at second. However, it’s worth noting that this is their first year in over two decades without Andrew Drinkall on the directing team, so it can be assumed that they’re still making adjustments to having Ryan Cooper as their sole director. After a sweep last year at a light Mt. Zion competition, Express has their work cut out for them going up against several larger choirs. Clearly, Troy has huge potential to live up to their successful reputation, it will just be a question of if it can hold up against so many other threatening choirs this weekend.
- Anne Marie Wright
Ohio
Loveland “By Request”
Loveland, formerly one of the titans of Ohio, has fallen from their perch this year. They started off rough with a fifth-place finish at Beavercreek, followed by another rough third place finish at Winfield. Their show did improve somewhat after a couple of weeks away from competition, and since then they’ve managed third-place finishes at Olentangy and Ross as well as a second-place finish at South Dearborn. Though they have beaten groups like Beavercreek, Homestead, and Findlay; they have lagged behind groups like Marysville, Fairfield, and Grove City. They’ll need to perform at their best to make finals at Mt. Zion, given the caliber of competition; if they can rise to the occasion, watch for them in finals. - Simon Zimmerman
High School Single-Gender
Illinois
Glenwood “Titan Flame”
After a year as a prep group, Titan Flame is now the school’s first-ever womens group. While the group is very small, they've still been in the thick of competition and have been able to hold their own and captivate audiences at great events like Milton, Troy Buchanan, and Manteno. This weekend will be no different, as they go up against some of the best of the best in single-gender show choir. While the group will likely not be competitive for a podium placement, it will be interesting to see how closely they can compete with these top groups. After all, competing at this level in year one will only be helpful for the group to grow as performers. - Dylan Moss
Wheaton Warrenville South “Esprit”
Esprit, much like their mixed counterpart The Classics, is heading into Mt. Zion off of back-to-back wins. Last weekend, Esprit came home with their first single-clef finals grand championship win since 2017 at Heart Of America Nashville. Esprit is the favorite to win at Mt. Zion, and if it weren’t for the stacked mixed lineup, they could have possibly made a push for finals. The group that could maybe give Esprit some trouble is Brandon Bellas, however, they have had a bit of a disappointing season up until this point. A win here would give Esprit their fourth win of the season, which would continue a five-year streak of at least four wins for Illinois’ top girls group. Though the odds are stacked against them, don’t count out Esprit to sneak into that last finals spot. - Owen Miller
Mississippi
Brandon “Bellas”
A wild season has Bellas in a weird spot. They’ve won an out-of-state divisional competition and took vocals and show design from Oak Mountain The Muses. They’ve also missed out on single-gender finals at a separate out-of-state competition and lost to Northeast Jones at the South Jones Invitational. All that to say, Bellas can seem to place as high or low as they want to that day. Their placement here will be determined from which version of Bellas we get. Will we get the Bellas that took two captions from a powerhouse like The Muses? Or will we get the Bellas that lost to middle division groups from in-state? We’ll see this weekend, and they’ll have to decide which show they put on against some tough competition. -Tony Holeman
Missouri
Neosho “Phenomenon”
Neosho Phenomenon, one of the top-ranking mens choirs in the Midwest, will be competing in a collective single-clef division this weekend. After making finals and taking fifth runner-up last weekend at Carthage Soundfest, Phenomenon is doing great things this season. Phenomenon will not continue their finals streak this week, but they have some potential to score well in their division if they continue to give the energy and fun that audiences have come to know and love. They’ve had some major success this season and last, and it doesn’t look like they’re slowing down anytime soon. They’re going to have some stiff competition this week, but if their past placements have shown anything, it’s that Phenomenon should never be counted out. - Anne Marie Wright
Neosho “Sugar & Spice”
Neosho Sugar and Spice is a womens group known for their undeniable sass and confidence onstage. They’ve historically been a steady middle-of-the-pack group in the womens division, but they’ve been pretty all over the place in terms of their placements this season. In prelims, they’ve scored anywhere from second place to no placement at all, but they made finals one time this season and secured a third overall placement at Carthage. While they most likely won’t have the chance to replicate their finals endeavor from last week, they still have potential to fare well in the single-clef division this weekend. Sugar and Spice’s success this weekend will be determined by just how much of that signature energy and sass they are able to bring to the table. - Anne Marie Wright
Ohio
Loveland “Allure”
Long one of Ohio’s premiere women’s groups, Allure has been good but less dominant this season. Like the mixed group, they had a tough finish at Beavercreek (third in their division), but turned it around to win the single gender division at Winfield the next weekend. Since then, they’ve had a close battle with Grove City’s womens group at Olentangy and made overall finals twice (at Ross and South Dearborn), beating groups like Marysville’s new womens group as well as small mixed contender Ross. While they likely won’t make finals at Mt. Zion, Allure is more than capable of a podium finish in single gender. If they can rise to the occasion, watch out for a good finish from Allure. - Simon Zimmerman
High School Prep
Alabama
Spain Park “Rhapsody in Blue”
In a less interesting position than the other Southern groups here, as they only compete against one other group, Spain Park is still in a position to make program history. They can win not only their first out-of-state competition in nearly a decade, but they can win their first ever out-of-region competition division, as this is the first time in program history that Spain Park is going out of the south. They’ll have to do it against stiff competition, but all Spain Park has to do is win once. -Tony Holeman
Missouri
Troy Buchanan “Soundwave”
Troy Buchanan Soundwave, keeping with their trend from the past few seasons, has recently been very successful in the prep division. They have two division wins to their name, along with a Best Closer award from Neosho. Most recently, however, they ended in third place at Franklin Central behind Carmel and Center Grove. Soundwave will definitely be out to redeem themselves at Mt. Zion this weekend. They did take first place at MTZ last year, so they will also be looking to defend their first place title in the prep division. Also, it’s worth noting that it’s encouraging to see Troy continue to thrive after long-time director Andrew Drinkall’s retirement, leaving Ryan Cooper as the sole director. With only one other prep group at the competition, Troy Soundwave has a high chance of success in their division this weekend if they bring their best to the stage.
- Anne Marie Wright
Finals Streaks
*only counting competitions that offered finals, only broken by missing finals.
77 - Wheaton Warrenville South (broken at Onalaska 2006)
77 - Loveland (Teays Valley 2011)
41 - Troy Buchanan (Mt. Zion 2013)
20 - Brandon (Wheaton Warrenville South 2019)
10 - Grenada (Show Choir Nationals 2022)
8 - Neosho (Wheaton Warrenville South 2023)
Distance Traveled
Brandon - 592 miles
Spain Park - 552 miles
Grenada - 470 miles
Neosho - 410 miles
Loveland - 305 miles
Wheaton Warrenville South - 187 miles
Troy Buchanan - 167 miles
Glenwood - 55 miles
Nationally Ranked Choirs (as of 3/6/25)
13. Wheaton Warrenville South “The Classics”
20. Neosho “Choraleers”
29. Grenada “Visions”
32. Troy Buchanan “Express”
47. Brandon “Brio”
79. Loveland “By Request”
Staff Predictions
Finals (six groups, all divisions eligible)
William Soquet
GC: Wheaton Warrenville South “The Classics” (BV/BB)
1RU: Grenada “Visions”
2RU: Brandon “Brio” (BC)
3RU: Loveland "By Request"
4RU: Neosho "Choraleers"
5RU: Troy Buchanan "Express"
Simon Zimmerman
GC: Brandon “Brio” (BC)
1RU: Grenada “Visions”
2RU: WWS “The Classics” (BV)
3RU: Troy Buchanan “Express”
4RU: Neosho “Choraleers”
5RU: Loveland “By Request”
Owen Miller
GC: Wheaton Warrenville South “The Classics” (BV/BB)
1RU: Grenada “Visions”
2RU: Brandon “Brio” (BC)
3RU: Neosho “Choraleers”
4RU: Loveland “By Request”
5RU: Troy Buchanan “Express”
Anne Marie Wright
GC: Wheaton Warrenville South “The Classics” (BV/BB)
1RU: Grenada “Visions”
2RU: Brandon “Brio” (BC)
3RU: Neosho “Choraleers”
4RU: Loveland “By Request”
5RU: Troy Buchanan “Express”
Dylan Moss
GC: Wheaton Warrenville South “The Classics” (BV,BB)
1RU: Grenada “Visions” (BC)
2RU: Brandon “Brio”
3RU: Troy Buchanan “Express”
4RU: Neosho “Choraleers”
5RU: Loveland “By Request”
Tony Holeman
GC: Grenada “Visions” (BC)
1RU: Wheaton Warrenville South “The Classics” (BV/BB)
2RU: Brandon “Brio”
3RU: Troy Buchanan “Express”
4RU: Neosho “Choraleers”
5RU: Loveland “By Request”
No matter who makes finals or how late the competition goes, find out what it all means on the blog next week - there will be no shortage of storylines!
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