The Vestavia Singers Don’t Get A Day Off

All Photo Credits: Ruth Graham

Our Vestavia Singers have had a great season. They hosted a successful Contempo at home, placed third in their division at the Hoover Showchoir Smackdown, scored second at the Albertville Diamond Classic, and landed third again at King of the Mountain—a special shoutout to Mary Pitts for winning best female performer!

But honestly, show choir deserves respect and applause from the entire student body, not just this article. It might be one of the most time and physically-intensive extracurriculars out there. Let me explain.

A while back I had the privilege of sitting in on the Vestavia Singer’s full dress rehearsal—band, props, costumes, everything. I was entertained by the music and the dancing, all Ferris-Bueller’s-Day-Off-inspired; but what really stood out to me was just how much it took to perform. What I witnessed was two hours of concentration, passion, and problem-solving. It was incredible to watch them give their all. Our Singers worked through the struggles of dress changes and props and coordinating with the band—and yes, tears were shed. In fact, the words “these tears will fuel you” were definitely said aloud at some point during the rehearsal. But this is all a testament to how unafraid they were to push themselves and each other.

I was told several times during my conversations with different members: “This is our first full rehearsal, we’re working through things,” or, “Come to one of our competitions, the show will be better!” And yes, enjoying perfected art is great. I’m so excited for the school showing this Wednesday! But to see the work going into that art adds a whole other level of meaning and deepens your appreciation. 

And if I got all that from a chaotic dress rehearsal, I can’t even imagine what show choir must mean to the performers. Though, I can tell it’s more than a few performances—it’s an amazing community.

When I asked different performers what their favorite thing about show choir was, I received similar answers. Carson explained how everyone is kind and uplifting, constantly encouraging you to get better. “We fail together, and we succeed together,” he said. Mary told me that her favorite thing was meeting other show choirs at competitions because of the supportive environment. 

The incredible thing is that I can’t even depict how much passion and love goes into this activity. Though I must mention that a huge part of show choir is the crew, the band, and the directors designing and coordinating, all of whom have been working hard since August to create something spectacular. 

So, thank you, Vestavia Singers, for showing us what passion and dedication look like.