Candlelight Processional at Walt Disney World’s Epcot is an annual Christmas storytelling performance. PHUHS’s chorus program had the opportunity to perform at this year’s Candlelight service alongside a 50 piece orchestra. A celebrity narrator is also present.

It’s a long process to get to perform at Candlelight Processional. Chorus students send out an audition tape early in the school year and spend lots of time preparing.

“We learned two songs in September for our audition in October, but we learned the rest of the 13 closer to candlelight in November,” Grace Knauff (‘23) said.

They were required to learn 13 songs in addition to the 2 audition songs. These 13 songs tell the story of the birth of Jesus and are performed in between the celebrity storytelling. The celebrity storyteller that was present while PHU’s chorus was there was Courtney B Vance.

“My favorite part was getting to sing with so many different choirs and so many other experienced singers” Dominic Sinibaldi (‘23)

“My favorite part was the costumes; they were yellow silk ropes,” Knauff (‘23) said.

Mixed choir made up of both boys and girls performed on December 27th and an all girls choir performed on December 28th. The choirs loaded on the buses and left around noon the day of. Once the students arrived they were able to have a snack but quickly got right into rehearsal. After the performance students got to explore the park.

“It was cool to see the Epcot ball and when we were by Canada we saw ducks,” Madi Rolfe (‘24) said.