Unlike more staid school choirs, these multi-task, with singing, complicated dance steps, sequined dresses, hair and makeup, sharp suits for the young men, a professional stage and bands backing up the singers.
The choirs — including some from Fairfield, Hamilton, Loveland and central Ohio, seemed to be having fun and all shared the goal of making it to the evening’s finals, where tickets sold for $12. The daytime round was running from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and cost $14.
Some 5,000 people were expected to be at the school for the daylong event.
Hamilton Middle School seventh-grader Anna Dollenmeyer, after the performance of her group, the Cutting Edge, said she likes the dancing best.
“Yeah, I like the dancing a lot,” agreed her friend, Ashley Anderson. She also said, “It’s real fun to be up on stage.”
“It’s got a little bit of everything,” said Matthew Baker, one of two directors for Hamilton Middle. “There’s a lot of work on building vocal technique and teaching sharp execution of dance moves, having to work in a group when you’re singing and dancing in time, putting a band together — there’s a lot that goes together.”
Some groups tell stories with their performances, while other sing songs that go together, he said.
Sam Chenoweth, the contest director and also assistant director for show choirs for Fairfield City Schools, said choirs were working out of two venues in four divisions at the high school, with judges from Minnesota, New York and the Carolinas, plus a full sound and lighting rig on stage. The male and female winners of solo competitions receive full scholarships to choir camp.
The Crystal Classic is in its 19th year. The the Fairfield Choraliers, the flagship choir of the Fairfield music program, will put on a performance called “Celebrate” to mark the occasion, as well as other shows in coming weeks.
“Especially with our middle-schoolers, it’s one of those good opportunities to see not only is it a good thing for them to do, but other kids are also doing it,” Baker said.
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