Carnegie Hall: one of the world most renowned concert halls in the world, and two of Hellgate’s own choirs were lucky enough to make the trip to New York City to perform there recently. Both the Varsity and Chamber choirs from Hellgate traveled, along with a choir from Big Sky. Along with performing in Carnegie, choir members were able to sight-see, learn from Broadway stars, and experience New York City.
Amalie Nevarez, a sophomore who’s done choir since middle school, said that when the time came to perform, there wasn’t a lot of anxiety or nervousness among the group. “I think everyone was just really excited overall,” she said. “We ended up combining with a bunch of other choirs from across the states, so it was like one giant choir.” Nevarez said that the choir has been preparing for a while, and before the performance they did multiple rehearsals in Carnegie, so everyone felt ready.
The choirs also got to work with Andre J Thomas, a composer and director for the broadway musical Wicked, which they also attended. Lexi Johnson, another sophomore, said this was a “super cool experience” and she learned a lot. “And [Wicked] is my very favorite,” said Johnson.
Apart from singing and watching singing, both choirs got to experience New York City itself. “My highlight was SUMMIT One Vanderbilt,” said Nevarez. “It’s this big sky scraper, and it’s mostly office space but the top few floors the entire interior is floor to ceiling mirrors. And it’s taller than the empire state building.” The choirs also got to tour Radio City, visit Times Square at night, and experience true New York City culture (“I almost got spat on!” said Nevarez).
“Even though we’re from Montana, just remembering that there’s other places out there where it’s easier to express yourself is a big takeaway I have from the trip,” said Nevarez. Johnson agreed and said, “It’s fun to get out and see other parts of the world ‘cause Montana’s so small compared to everywhere else.”
Both choirs immensely enjoyed the trip to Carnegie and New York City. This was a very cool opportunity for them to learn from some of the best, and being invited to perform in Carnegie hall is a head-nod to Hellgate’s excellent choir program.
