Every year the Warren Hills Advanced Concert Choir attends Choralpalooza to share some of their selected pieces with five other schools, improve their singing techniques, and have a fun learning experience.

The event is hosted by Ridge High School, and they always feature spectacular guest speakers.  This year the special guests were the well-known singers featured on iTunes and Youtube, Sam Tsui and Casey Breves.

To begin Choralpalooza, one of Ridge High School’s many choirs sang two of the songs they have been working on since the beginning of their school year.

After the first selection was completed, Tsui and Breves ran up onto the stage and greeted them with praise and some feedback on their technique.

“Take a moment to ground yourself,” Breves said to everyone.

The two singers not only did that for Ridge’s choirs, but gave honest feedback to the other schools as well.

“It is not fun when you are just getting started with your piece, and are just sitting there waiting for your time to practice your part,” said Breves. “It takes time for it all to come together.”

Warren Hills’ choir presented two very different pieces they had been working on for their winter concert: “Mary Mary” and “Under Winter Moon.”

After lunch, Tsui and Breves gathered everyone into a circle ranging from the stage to the seats.  The audience learned a few fun facts about them, what they are working on musically right now, what they have accomplished in the past, and what their hopes are for their careers in the future. 

“It was really cool to know that Casey and Sam worked their dreams into reality, and became so successful in what they do,” said Ashley Sawyer, senior choir student at Warren Hills.

From there, they performed the song they created for their wedding together in 2016 entitled “The Promise.” 

After that, they showcased their own voices by singing songs individually. 

“It is time to make magic!” said Breves.

This year the song that was sung together by all of the participating high school choirs was “You Will Be Found” from the hit broadway musical “Dear Evan Hansen.”  The solos were given to Tsui and Breves, and then every student in the auditorium sang along, creating a grand sound.

“It was one of the best Choralpaloozas I have been to,” said Mrs. Lauren Voight, the Warren Hills Choir Director. “We have never had people so well-known and famous help with the event.  They related to the students so much.”

The singing of “You Will Be Found” concluded the 2017 Choralpalooza.  One piece of advice Tsui left the students with was, “Concert choir is the best thing you can do.”