This weekend, FIVE competitions will be taking place throughout Ohio and West Virginia, featuring some of the best groups in the region going up against each other. Read on to find out more about these competitions.
Alliance Royal Aviation Show Choir Competition
Large Mixed: Walsh Jesuit “Harmony Gold,” Strongsville “Mustang Express,” North Royalton “Royal Harmony,” Scranton “First Edition”
Middle Mixed: Sheridan “Northern Stars,” Kenton “Top Twenty,” Buckeye Valley “Visions,” Ada “Varsity Singers,” River Valley “Music Company”
Small Mixed: Euclid “Varsity Chorale,” River Valley “New Addition,” Musselman “Kaleidoscope”
Middle School: Kenton “Dimensions,” Martinsburg South “South Spirit”
Exhibition - Ashtabula Lakeside “Melodica”
This competition is one of Ohio’s largest small group competitions, and this year these small groups look to be bringing the heat. The big story will be how Scranton, one of the only active show choir programs in Pennsylvania, will fit into the picture among all of these Ohio groups after two seasons of dominating Small Mixed in New England. They will face fierce competition; at least in Large Mixed, Strongsville has a Grand Champion trophy to their name this season, and Walsh Jesuit and North Royalton are historically strong Ohio small mixed groups. Middle Mixed also looks to have multiple groups that could take a title here, with Kenton and Buckeye Valley both being breakout darlings over the mast couple years. Ohio stalwarts Ada, Sheridan, and River Valley will also factor in. Finally, Small Mixed has Musselman, a strong small group from West Virginia, who may also make a play for the title at this competition. All in all, this looks to be an exciting competition for fans of Ohio small mixed show choir.
Cabell Midland Rhythm in Red Invitational
Large Mixed: Huntington “Illusions,” Clover Hill “New Dimensions”
Small Mixed: Herbert Hoover “High Impact,” Poca “Visual Volume,” Capital “Voices in Perfection,” Midlothian “Just for Show”
Womens: Midlothian “City Lights,” Clover Hill “Iridescence”
This competition has been smaller in recent years, but that doesn’t mean it’s not going to pack a punch. This year’s one and done schedule features competition across three divisions, with probably the least competitive being Large Mixed. This division features only two groups, with Clover Hill traveling in from Virginia to try to get an early-season win over Huntington, the only other group in the division. The most competitive division is Small Mixed, with West Virginia Small Mixed titans Herbert Hoover and Poca going up against each other, with stalwart Capital and Virginia group Midlothian thrown in just for good measure. Finally, in the womens’ division, Midlothian and Clover Hill will be going up against each other in an early-season battle for Virginia dominance. All in all, it should be an exciting debut for some Virginia groups and a fun battle of West Virginia small mixed groups.
Grove City Voices In The Grove
Large Mixed: Olentangy “Keynotes,” Marion Harding “Harding Singers,” Solon “Music In Motion,” Marysville “Swingers Unlimited”
Middle Mixed: Hamilton “Prestige,” Middletown “Purple Pizzazz,” Medina “Encore Entertainment Company,” Lebanon “Singers,” Findlay “First Edition”
Small Mixed: Elgin “Energizers,” Central Crossing “Excelsior,” Whitehall-Yearling “Music Unlimited,” Milton-Union “Center Stage”
Single Gender: Marion Harding “Singers Xtreme,” Olentangy “She-Notes”
Middle School: Bunsold “Mini Swingers,” Hamilton “Cutting Edge,” Ulysses S. Grant “Prexie Singers”
In the past few years, the last weekend of February has seen an all-out battle for Ohio dominance rotating between Grove City and Ross’ competitions. This year, Grove City will play host to the battle, and what a good one it is going to be. The Large Mixed division will feature a showdown between Marysville, fresh off of a third-place finish over Wheaton North but behind Carmel and Brandon at Chesterton, and Solon, fresh off of their sweep of Findlay at Medina. Don’t count out Olentangy, on a streak of two second-place finishes this season, to find a podium placement, as well as Marion Harding, who is coming off of not making finals at Olentangy.
In Middle Mixed, Findlay will look to come back after their loss to Solon at Medina - look for them to make at least a second-place finish at this competition, if not win outright. They will face competition from Medina, who won early in the season at North Royalton but didn’t make finals at Hurricane; Lebanon, who broke a long finals drought at Loveland; Hamilton, who has yet to make finals this season; and Middletown, making their season debut. Small Mixed also looks to be fairly competitive between rivals Elgin and Milton-Union, as well as Columbus-area rival small groups Central Crossing and Whitehall-Yearling. Finally, the Single-Gender division will feature Olentangy’s womens group going up against Marion Harding’s mens group, which could turn out to be interesting. All in all, this is one of the most competitive Ohio competitions of the year, and it should be a fun one to watch.
Robert C. Byrd VocalFest
Large Mixed: Hurricane “Red Hot”
Middle Mixed: Nitro “Showcats”
Small Mixed: Doddridge County “Bel Canto Bulldogs,” Grafton “Entertainers,” Ravenswood “Rave Revue”
Single-Gender: Nitro “Tomcats,” Hurricane “Heat Wave,” Spring Mills “Ethereal,” South Harrison “Hawks in Harmony”
Middle School: Ravenswood “Jr. Revue,” Washington Irving “Show Stoppin’ Toppers”
This competition, though small, will still pack a punch, just like Cabell Midland. Hurricane and Nitro are the only schools in their respective mixed divisions, and are the favorites to take first and second, respectively. After that, things get much more exciting with Small Mixed, where three of West Virginia’s smaller small groups will be going up against each other. Grafton and Doddridge County will meet once again after taking fifth and fourth respectively at Capital, while Ravenswood is coming off of a third-place finish in Small Mixed at Loveland. Single-Gender also looks to be exciting, with Nitro’s new mens group continuing their debut season, getting another shot at Hurricane’s womens group after placing 2nd to them at Capital. Spring Mills and South Harrison are some of West Virginia’s smaller groups, and both of them are making their competitive season debut. All in all, this should be an exciting competition featuring some of West Virginia’s smaller groups.
Ross Legacy Championship
Large Mixed: Carroll “Magic,” Homewood “The Network,” Fairfield “Choraliers,” Loveland “By Request”
Small Mixed: Edgewood “Choraliers”
Womens: Carroll “Select Sound,” Homewood “Nexus,” Loveland “Allure,” Fairfield “Pure Elegance”
Middle School: Edgewood “Overtures,” Fairfield “Rhythm Express,” Loveland “Revolution”
It’s always exciting to see big groups from out-of-state come to compete in Ohio. This year, Homewood, one of the titans of Southern show choir, is coming to compete at Ross after hosting their annual South Central Classic and winning at Jasper and Jackson Academy. They will face competition from Indiana powerhouse Carroll, who is coming off of not making finals at Center Grove, as well as Ohio titans Loveland and Fairfield, coming off of second and third placements at Olentangy, respectively. The only group in Small Mixed here is Edgewood, one of the better Ohio small groups - look for them to sneak into finals over some of these Large Mixed and Womens groups.
The Womens division looks to be just as exciting as the Large Mixed division, featuring groups from all of the same schools. Homewood’s womens group Nexus has been dominating womens divisions in the South, making finals in tough fields at Jackson Academy and Jasper. They will go up against Select Sound from Carroll, a group that has two second place finishes in single-gender but failed to make finals at Center Grove, as well as Fairfield and Loveland, who were second and third respectively in single-gender finals at Olentangy. The Middle School division should also be exciting, with Loveland and Fairfield, two of Ohio’s better middle school groups, going up against each other. All in all, this should be an exciting competition featuring some great out of state groups traveling to compete in Ohio.
And with that, the fields for this weekend are set! Make sure to keep an eye on HomeRoom Show Choir for lots of great show choir content covering events across the nation, as well as everything you need to be prepared for another show choir Saturday.
Comments