While other circuits may be totally done at this point in the season, New England still has plenty of tread left on their tire! Take a look at how groups are faring at this moment in time below.
Coming off the last circuit competition, Somerset Berkley’s New England Show Choir Classic (NESCC), Waltham Music Unlimited received Grand Champion with Best Vocals, Best Choreography and Best Band. Daniel Hand VIBE followed in second, wint third going to Tantasqua Encore. Waltham has made some exceptional changes to their set over the past couple of weeks. The amount of growth shown at NESCC is what set them apart from the other groups in the division, and folks should not count them out in the overall top three placements at Andover. Daniel Hand and Tantasqua also had their best performances of the year so far. It seems to be that New England has finally returned to the level of excellence that it was at before the pandemic occurred which is truly an amazing sight to see.
On March 15 and 16, Andover High School will be hosting their New England Show Choir Showdown (NESCS). With 28 groups participating, observers will have the chance to see most of the current circuit’s groups as well as the mixed and single-gender choirs from some out-of-region challengers: Auburn High School from Alabama and Cosby High School from Virginia. In other exciting news, there will be the debut of New Hampshire’s first-ever competitive show choir, Sixth Sense from the New England School for the Arts in Lebanon. This competition is known for having epic group introductions before each performance, amazing concessions and overall great hospitality. Many members of the community look forward to this event every year, and this year is no different.
As we look a little deeper into this competition schedule, South Windsor Choral Spectrum will be competing for the second time this season with their fantastic show that placed second overall at Tantasqua back in the beginning of February. South Windsor’s choreography is top-notch this season, and the clean and sharp movements mixed with the overall hip-hop vibe is mesmerizing to watch.
Shepherd Hill Fantasy will also be competing for the second time and there is something truly special about their show this season. It’s all because Fantasy is dedicating their set to a long-time community member, Shawn Marengo, who unfortunately passed away this past fall. Their creative staff chose songs that embody friendship, community and living a fast-paced life, and it is very refreshing to see Fantasy do a less intricate story/themed show for the first time in a very long time. It is truly paying off in their favor as they have been rebuilding their program since the end of the pandemic. Not to mention their closer costumes are my personal favorite this year and show off their new choreography style very well. Keep an eye out for this program as they rise back to the top in the circuit.
In the small mixed division, we will be seeing the return of groups like Bishop Hendricken Paramount, Leominster Ignition, Natick West Street Singers and Dartmouth Dynamix. With the addition of the Dynamics from Dracut, who has not been seen since 2020, and again the exciting debut of New England School of the Arts, this is shaping up to be a very wild division for the smaller groups in the circuit.
In the single-gender division, the usual suspects - Shepherd Hill Illusion, Tantasqua Applause, and Lowell Soundsations - will all be in attendance. In addition to them, Waltham Music Express will be debuting their competition set for the first time this season as well. Auburn has entered both their single-gender groups, Men at Work and Elan, and Cosby Rhapsody rounds out this ultra-competitive division. With Illusion being the only group from New England with a win under their belt in this category so far this year, it will be an interesting tossup between the top single-gender group in the circuit and what the out-of-region challengers bring to the table. A wildcard here is Shepherd Hill Illusion, who will be competing for the second time this season and have had a month to be able to clean and refine their Las Vegas residency show. I am expecting a top three placement for them along with Auburn Elan and Cosby Rhapsody.
Overall, Andover’s lineup this year is one of the best we have seen in a long time. The day will be full of fantastic performances and will be one to remember for sure. As we look toward the future there are two more competitions to be held in the northeast: Bishop Hendricken’s Lil’ Rhody Rumble on March 22 and 23, and Waltham’s Eastern Show Choir Festival on April 6. Look for each and every group to bring their absolute best to the stage at these upcoming competitions!
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