Show Choir Wrap-Up, 2023

Grenada School District upheld its tradition of show choir excellence this year as all three competition choirs — from elementary to high school — earned first-place honors at various festivals throughout the southeast.

Grenada High School’s Visions show choir took home two Grand Champion titles and a host of other citations with their show “Something to Believe In.” 

The production featured seniors Jadon Reece and Nate Gomiller as twin brothers born near midnight — one on Thursday the 12, the other on Friday the 13th — and explored the ideas of luck and faith. The uplifting story featured dazzling choreography and upbeat popular music with a mix of classic and new material, from Stevie Wonder and Blondie to Rihanna and Panic! At the Disco. 

The show’s centerpiece was a stunning rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” which routinely brought audiences to tears and earned senior Darby Renfro a Best Female Soloist award at the Madison Central Deep South Classic.

Director Jenni Winter said the choir premiered their show at Jackson Prep on January 28 but were unsatisfied with their third-place finish. “They came back and said, no, we’ve been working hard, and we’re going to make this better,” Winter said. “And they did.”

Vision clenched the top spot at their next two festivals. At the Jasper Foothills Show Choir Classic in Alabama, the choir won Best Vocals and Best Choreography in addition to the Grand Champion trophy. The following weekend, at the West Jones Invitational in Laurel, Miss., Visions added Best Visuals, Best Show Design, Best Costume, and Best Performer honor for Case Smith to best vocals and Grand Champion honors.

“I’m proud of the work they did because it’s been hard this year without our two main choreographers (Matthew Murphy and Claire Sanford) in town,” Winter said. “But a lot of the kids stepped up and took ownership.”

Winter said that Reece and Gomiller arranged much of the choreography in their solo numbers, and Reece even helped design the costumes. She said the choir’s overall vocals were exceptional this season, and she praised the solo performers, including A.J. Benford, Braley Carnathan, Kenny Everett, Tori Harbin, and Hannah Palazzolo in addition to Reece, Gomiller, and Renfro. 

Many Visions choir members volunteered to help choreograph and coach Entertainers, the competitive show choir at Grenada Middle School. Performers in grades six through eight make up Entertainers, in addition to two other middle school groups, Starz and Ovations. 

Entertainers’ show, “Road to the Grand Prix,” told the story of a small-town race car driver who aspired to earn an invitation to the championship race. The lead character shines when the racing helmet comes off to reveal Aubrey Edwards, who won Best Female Soloist in the middle-school division at the Madison Central Deep South Classic.

The Entertainers’ show featured classic road songs such as “Danger Zone” and “Life is a Highway,” along with new favorites by Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber. 

Like Visions, the Entertainers members weren’t thrilled with their first competition performance. “It took a lot of pulling and pushing to get them to practice with the same intensity that you use to perform at competition,” Winter said.

The group earned second place in their division at the next competition, but they still weren’t generating the intensity they wanted. One strategy Winter used was having the students perform in small groups so that they were accountable to each other. 

“The next day, we ran the show and every single person performed the best they ever had,” she said. “And then they did it Saturday at the competition in Brandon and won first place.”

At that competition on March 25, Entertainers also won Best Vocals and Best Choreography. Winter said it was a great way to end their season and should give them strong momentum for next year. 

Meanwhile, at Grenada Elementary 4-5, the fourth- and fifth-grade show choir Pizzazz built on last year’s successful first competition season with strong performances at three festivals. 

The choir kicked off their season at Jackson Prep, where they finished first in the elementary division and received the Audience Choice Award. Waylon Elliott also won the elementary solo competition. The group competed next at Jackson Academy, where they beat out middle school choirs to win top honors in the tier III middle school division.

The choir finished its season at Madison Central with a first runner-up trophy and Overall Best Performer honors for Jersi Greer. 

“The students amaze me everyday with their talent and go get it attitude!” said Director Amy Killebrew. “They weren’t at all nervous when I told them we would be going up against middle school kids! They love a challenge!”

Pizzazz’s competition show, “From Villain to Hero,” describes a journey from evil to good and includes songs by Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, and a choir favorite, “Set it Off” from the Disney movie Descendants. 

“This show reminds us that there is good in everyone and that there is a hero living in all of us,” Killebrew said.

Auditions for next year’s Pizzazz group have begun for current 3rd and 4th graders and will be accepted by video through May 4. Applications for interested students are available at the GES 4-5 office. 

There’s still a chance for the community to watch these talented performers showcase their show for the last time this season. Pizzazz’s spring show will be on April 27 at 6 p.m. in the Green Top auditorium. The final spring concerts for Entertainers (April 13) and Visions (April 20-21) will be held in the GHS Auditorium.