Many Missouri Choirs Finish Their Seasons at Tough Events

By Anne Marie Wright, Heartland Contributor

Well, this competition weekend in Missouri was absolutely wild. For those unaware, three comps across the state of Missouri - the Hollister Show Choir Invitational, Carthage Soundfest, and Platte County Showcase of Excellence - saw over 45 choirs competing in total. It’s rare to see such a large number of choirs competing in-state in one weekend, so all three competitions deserve their moment in the spotlight.

As a competition held exclusively for smaller groups, Hollister numbered nine competing groups. Prelim placements were not awarded; they took the top four scores of the day straight to finals. El Dorado Springs Sound Collage won Best Costumes, Cassville Center Stage took Best Ballad, and Lexington Southern Accents won Best Vocals, Best Choreo, Best Opener and Best Closer. The final placements were as follows:

            Grand Champion: Lexington "Southern Accents"

            1RU: Lexington "Testostertones"

            2RU: Green Ridge "Harmony"

            3RU: El Dorado Springs "Sound Collage"

It was quite the day for Lexington, who defended their win from last year's edition of the event to become two-time winners. Testostertones also took second, jumping two spots from their 2024 finish. Green Ridge notched their first finals appearance since this competition last year, and El Dorado Springs made finals for what is perhaps the first time in program history.

Carthage Soundfest saw 13 high school groups last weekend and took six finalists. In prelims, the divisions may have been smaller, but that doesn’t mean the competition was any less stiff. In the 3A division, Mt. Vernon Vocal Motion took another division win over East Newton Patriot Singers. In 4A, four groups competed for a place in finals, but only two prevailed. Nevada and McDonald County both came up short of the evening round, while Warrensburg and Pleasant Hill both qualified. Neosho Choraleers, the sole 5A choir in attendance this year, also earned a rightful place in finals (and swept the caption awards, taking Best Ballad, Best Band, Best Vocals, Best Choreo, and Luke Smith and Laylah Rogers with the last two Best Soloist awards). Neosho claimed the top spot in the womens division, with Pleasant Hill, Warrensburg rounding out the field. Neosho likewise won the mens division, with Pleasant Hill placing second. Final results are as follows:

            Grand Champion: Neosho "Choraleers"

            1RU: Pleasant Hill "Hillside Singers"

            2RU: Neosho "Sugar and Spice"

            3RU: Mt. Vernon "Vocal Motion"

            4RU: Warrensburg "Soundwave"

            5RU: Neosho "Phenomenon"

Neosho continued its tradition of cleaning up at Carthage, as the program similarly placed three groups in the top five at last season's competition. Pleasant Hill's second place is the highest they've been since Harrisonville in February of 2024.

Platte County was the biggest Missouri event of the weekend, hosting 17 groups. In an interesting twist, sinlge-gender groups and mixed prep groups competed together in a combined division. Webb City took the top two spots of that division, and Bella Voce punched a ticket to finals. No prelims placings were announced, but mixed groups from Webb City, Hannibal, Smith-Cotton, and Hickman made the nighttime round. Final results are as follows:

            Grand Champion: Webb City "Singers" (BV/BC)

            1RU: Hannibal "River City Revue" (BB)           

2RU: Smith-Cotton "New Score Singers"

            3RU: Blue Valley "Chamber Singers"

            4RU: Webb City "Bella Voce"

            5RU: Hickman "Harmonix"

The win for Webb City was a big one, as they stepped outside of southwest Missouri and battled it out with several choirs from the Kansas City area. Similarly, Hannibal drove all the way across the state from east to west to get to Platte County and was rewarded with a runner-up finish. Smith-Cotton continued its hot streak from Rock Bridge, taking its second podium placement in as many weeks. Many people thought Blue Valley would place higher than they did, but Chamber Singers will look to rebound this week at Raymore-Peculiar. Hickman has been a solid choir to watch this year, making finals at all four of their competitions.

One last weekend of Missouri competition awaits this weekend, with Webb City and Raymore-Peculiar hosting season-ending events.