You’re running late to class and are walking briskly through the empty hallways. As you pass the chorus room you can hear “Joy to the World” echoing through the doors. Christmas Carols? In the middle of summer? To an average student, this may seem out of the ordinary, but to a chorus student, it’s just a normal Tuesday.
After months of learning and perfecting over a dozen songs, the chorus has to send in a taped audition. If the group does make it into the show, they travel to Disney over winter break.
“The hardest part part of learning the songs is holding your own part during the harmonies,” junior Laura Romero said. “There are so many different vocal parts, sometimes even eight! It gets hard to focus on just one and sing it out.”
Once the students arrive at Disney and flood off the bus, they have an immediate dress rehearsal with other choruses from all over the county. The actual performance is narrated in between songs by celebrity hosts, which, this year, include Trace Adkins and Whoopi Goldberg.
Although the show is impressive and leaves the crowd in awe of the vocal ability of everyone together, there are a few downsides to performing.
“Throughout the performance they have a light show that changes with every new verse and they’re like strobe lights in our eyes,” Romero said. “Some people can’t even take the heat from them and pass out during the show.”
Through all the hard work and the challenging execution, this is one of the biggest projects the chorus class will work on all year. The majority of students will agree that the Disney Candlelight Processional is their favorite part of taking the chorus class. They feel that this is what they put the most work into and get the most rewards from it.