These rankings are a collection of HRSC's Indiana voters' four-member blind ballot to build where the consensus top ten sits. The analysis attempts to emphasize what groups do well but also be realistic about where groups are at this point in the season. It hopes to provide a path forward and criteria for what would constitute progress or steps forward, along with a bold prediction for the fun of looking to where each group could end up. With all that out of the way, let's take a look at where the groups stand going into week four of the main season!
Large Mixed
1. Carmel “Ambassadors” (4 first-place votes, no change)
Carmel Ambassadors at Pike Music Fest (Nathan Ensley)
What's a step forward?
Winning with a huge lead over the 2nd place choir. They have to go out and make an absolute statement. They need to say that they will not be touched this season when they return to face Power Five competition.
Bold Prediction:
They will not only go undefeated, but they won't drop a caption.
2. Center Grove “Sound System” (NC)
CG Sound System at preview show (Nathan Ensley)
What's a step forward?
Beat Carmel at Franklin Central and do it without dropping a caption. If they can go out and sweep the field, they will cement themselves as number one before they go into a national competition.
Bold Prediction:
They will be considered one of the top five groups in the country by season's end.
3. Franklin Central “F.C. Singers” (NC)
FC Singers at Pike (Nathan Ensley)
What's a step forward?
Defeating Center Grove at Noblesville will be a big step in demonstrating that they are the future of show choir in Indianapolis.
Bold Prediction:
After the midway point in the season, they will be the group with the longest winning streak.
4. North Central “Counterpoints” (NC)
NC Counterpoints perform at Pike (Nathan Ensley)
What's a step forward?
Beat a Power 5 opponent with their new and improved set. They haven't beaten a Power 5 group since before the pandemic, and it looks like this year, they have a set that can do it.
Bold Prediction:
They will win Center Grove and Lafayette Jeff, making them close to a number-one pick on our rankings. NC is definitely a group that’s slept on, and this season may change that.
5. Zionsville “Royalaires” (NC)
Zionsville at Plainfield (Nathan Ensley)
What's a step forward?
Zionsville needs to win as many competitions as possible in their early season so that when they face bigger competition later on, they aren’t overlooked.
Bold Prediction:
They will have a renaissance and use their set to push them back into the main focus of the Indy scene.
6. Fishers “Electrum” (+2)
Fishers Electrum at Plainfield (Nathan Ensley)
What's a step forward?
Jumping even further forward into the top five and getting a solid win this season.
Bold Prediction:
They will win this year, not just once, but twice. Their use of theme for a commonly formatted show will inspire many groups to expand on what a show can be.
7. Plainfield “Belles et Beaux” (NC)
What's a step forward?
Plainfield needs to prove to everyone that they’re not just some school with a huge choir program. Their season outcomes are pretty good right now, but it needs to be great if they want to keep up with their biggest competitors.
Bold Prediction:
Their position on this list will slowly increase as the competition season continues.
8. Lafayette Jefferson “First Edition” (New)
What's a step forward?
Mark Myers is an amazing director, so we don’t have too much to worry about for this group. They just need time to refine and improve.
Bold Prediction:
They will be a top 5 group in Indiana within the next two years.
9. Noblesville “NHS Singers” (-3)
What's a step forward?
This group is very well-known and has a lot going for them. What they need to do is get a solid win to prove to everyone that they are not to be messed with and that they belong on this list among the greats.
Bold Prediction:
Noblesville will slowly move to 6th or 7th place on our rankings as they progress through the season. What they really need is time to prove themselves and their unusual set.
10. Carroll “Magic” (New)
Carroll Magic at Ball State (Nathan Ensley)
What's a step forward?
Although this group is slightly smaller than some of the others on this list, their vocals and style carry them to the placings. Carroll’s best bet at moving up in the rankings is to put themselves in a less difficult situation. They are constantly going up against some of the best groups in the state and nation, and although Carroll is amazing, it is a battle to keep up with elite competition week in and week out.
Bold Prediction:
Carroll’s innovative story shows will begin to take over Indiana as their effectiveness astounds their audiences. This, mixed with Franklin Central’s story show this year, are predicted to make waves in the show choir community.
Receiving votes: Avon "Accents", Brownsburg "Spotlight Singers & Co.", Chesterton "Sandpipers"
Small Mixed
1.Roncalli “Royal Rhapsody” (3 first-place votes)
Roncalli at Pike Music Fest (Nathan Ensley)
What’s a step forward?
Compete in a large mixed division and beat one of the more well known large schools around Indianapolis/Indiana. Honestly, there's not much left to do in small mixed. While they're ISSMA small, the next step is to test themselves against the best.
Bold Prediction:
Next year, they will mostly compete in large mixed and will become well-known in areas outside of Indianapolis.
2. Pendleton Heights “Pendletones”
Pendelton competes at Plainfield (Nathan Ensley)
What’s a step forward?
Take a big win over a larger Indiana school or possibly steal a Best Vocals caption from a larger school.
Bold Prediction:
They will place higher on average his year than they did last year. They will also win several Best Vocal awards.
3. New Castle “Red Hot Blues”
What’s a step forward?
Gain numbers in their choir and continue to be an upstart contender in small mxied. If their improvement continues at a steady pace, they will become a small division powerhouse.
Bold Prediction:
They will continue to place just below the win for the remainder of the competition season.
4. Huntington North “Varsity Singers” (1 first-place vote)
What’s a step forward?
Huntington North already has a solid base of a show - they just need to put the refinements and finishing touches on, which comes over the course of a season.
Bold Prediction:
Huntington will have a pretty average season BUT will definitely snag some caption awards along the way.
5. Edgewood “Music Warehouse”
What’s a step forward?
A large feat for Edgewood would be making finals and possibly taking a grand championship at the upcoming Pendleton competition. Doing this would demonstrate their improvement and strengthen their ranking on this list.
Bold Prediction:
Warehouse will consistently pick up Best Choreography/visual awards throughout their season.
Receiving Votes: Northridge "Starlights", Pike "Encores", Columbus North "Vocal Pointe", Whiteland "Rhythm Masters"
Small Single-Gender
1. Pendleton Heights “Emerald Suites”
Emerald Suites at Plainfield (Nathan Ensley)
What’s a step forward?
This group is so strong vocally and visually. As a current small single-gender choir, they dominate their division. The best next step for Pendleton would just be to put themselves out their and compete against some larger schools to see how they place.
Bold Prediction:
Pendleton will take back their ISSMA win this year if they decide to compete. It’s also pretty safe to say that this group will make finals at most, if not all, competitions they attend.
2. Huntington North “Viking Volume” (3 first-place votes)
What’s a step forward?
It would be amazing to see how they face off against Pendleton’s girls group. In the future, a matchup between the two would be a small womens showdown for the ages.
Bold Prediction:
They will take home 1st at DeKalb this weekend, proving their status on this ranking.
3. Edgewood “Sophisticated Ladies”
What’s a step forward?
Edgewood’s girls group has a huge task of facing five different genres of music in their show this year. As for Edgewood, they generally excel in choreo, but fall short in vocals. The best thing for this group would be to make their vocals more sophisticated (pun intended).
Bold Prediction:
Ladies will take take home many Best Choreography captions this season, and possibly win a division.
4. Northridge “Starlights”
What’s a step forward?
This group is always a solid small group - you can expect a solid show year in year out. This year is no exception. The best thing for this group as of right now would be to just focus on the details.
Bold Prediction:
This group will place in the top three at ISSMA if they choose to attend this year.
5. Columbus North “North Stars”
What’s a step forward?
This group’s vocals are amazing for their size and far outweigh many others in their division. The best way for this choir to get a leg up would be to focus on their choreography.
Bold Prediction:
Columbus will consistently place in the top three at all of their competitions, while also stealing the Best Vocals caption somewhere.
Receiving Votes: Center Grove "Accents", Brownsburg "Bella Voce", Jay County "Just Treble", Norwell "Knight Stars"
These rankings will be a weekly occurrence, so keep your eyes peeled for how they change after this weekend's events!
Surprised to see Edgewood on this list, especially with groups like Northridge, Jay County, Columbia City, and Busco. Busco especially has had a really great season.