Every year Arroyo High School’s Choir opens a new school year filled with concerts, performances, and choral festivals aspiring to expand and master their musical talent. This year they performed different songs followed by other high schoolers around the district at the Norco High School Choral Festival on Wednesday, April 10th.

The Arroyo Choir performed multiple pieces and won awards for their skills at the Advanced Choral Festival. One of the pieces was “Gloria in excelsis Deo” by Haydn. Arroyo Acapella Choir got the second highest rating of “Excellent” followed by a perfect score in level 2 sight reading. The chamber singers got the highest rating of “Superior” with a perfect score for their level 3 sight reading.

These performances help Arroyo increase their versatility and creativity within the pieces taught by Ms. Jennifer Stanley, Director.  Ms. Stanley prepares her students for these festivals and concerts they perform at. “When I select music I try to make sure it has an uplifting message for students. I select music from different cultures, languages, and women composers to make sure we’re being inclusive.” states Ms. Stanley. Musical composers are often normalized to be mainly men but Ms. Stanley tries to spread inclusivity into her pieces that include female composers, cultural appreciation, and even different languages.

Preparing for these performances can take up to several months. “When we learn the music to make sure it’s solid to perform we take tests and do written assignments all to make sure that students are ready to perform at a high level for judges,” adds Ms. Stanley. The performances bring students together as a whole and impact the school during performances and assembly for Arroyo.

Choir is open to anybody even those with no experience, all are welcomed. It brings many opportunities for students at Arroyo where students can learn how to sing and be more confident on stage. It is not only about singing but about being given the opportunity to learn how to read music notes, learn new songs, improve singing skills and even build new friendships. “Choir is a place where it’s safe, where people can express themselves through music and increase their musical skills,” says Ms. Stanley. 

Choir spreads inclusivity and becomes a family when everyone in the group works together to create that angelic tone.