As the curtains begin to draw, the silent tension of the theater is broken by a multitude of voices emanating from the stage. The Portola High vocal arts department held the fall concert, “The Great Choir Game Show, on Oct. 3. The concert was centered on audience interaction and participation as its primary focal point.
What sets the annual fall concert apart from other performances is its distinct change in theme every year. While the winter concert follows a traditional holiday approach, the fall concert allows for more creative flexibility, having previously featured themes of social justice and resilience in the face of hardship.
Even among strong past performances, “The Great Choir Game Show” stands out for its highly produced activities, which included mini games inspired by classic American game shows like “Pyramid” and “The Price Is Right, along with a scantron-based quiz that tested audience members on music-related topics introduced throughout the performance. Those who turned in a perfect score were rewarded with a prize at the end of the concert, according to choir director Adrian Rangel-Sanchez.
“We all try to make sure that our concerts are fun and enjoyable for the audience,” Rangel-Sanchez said. “The music part’s always good, but sometimes without a unifying theme, concerts can not be as interesting, so we try to make it fun for the whole audience.”
However, with only five weeks to collaborate, not everything was smooth sailing as the planning and preparation operated under a significant time crunch, according to Portola Singers member and Portabella member and sophomore Jibreel Haidar. To overcome the limited rehearsal time, the group focused on consistency and gradual improvement during each practice.
“We go through the songs in our individual sections and then once we have all the notes and everything down, we work on dynamics,” Haidar said. “We start at the very basic starting point and then just build our way up.”
Despite challenges, the choir concert showcased a wide variety of music, spanning different genres and styles. The spiritual sounds of H.T. Burleigh & Rollo Dilworth’s “Deep River,” performed by Treble & Bass Chorus, and the upbeat jazzy rhythms of Alan Menken’s “Little Shop of Horrors,” performed by Vocal Performance Ensemble, created an enjoyable environment for the performers and audience alike.
“[Being on stage] was very exciting,” Cantabella member and junior Faith Severson said. “When you’re singing and performing something that you’re really excited about, and then you see the audience and they’re enjoying it too, it’s really fun.”
