Some 725 young voices will be raised in song when Chantilly High hosts its annual, Chantilly Pyramid Choral Concert on Tuesday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m., in the school gym.
Besides students from Chantilly, the event will also showcase students from all its feeder schools: Rocky Run and Franklin middle schools, plus Greenbriar East, Greenbriar West, Brookfield, Poplar Tree, Lees Corner and Oak Hill elementaries.
“It’s a free concert, but donations may be made to support the choral arts in our pyramid,” explained Chantilly Choral Director Glenn Cockrell. “Part of our goal is to encourage kids to participate in choral singing all the way through high school.”
ALL THE SCHOOLS will perform the opening and ending numbers together. “It’s really a sight to see 700-plus kids all performing together,” said Cockrell. “It shows the good stuff we can do.”
All 500 or so elementary-school students will join together for the song, “Swinging on a Star,” together, and the middle- and high-school students will sing at least one song per group. And the program will feature concert choirs as well as show choirs.
A combined choir from Chantilly will sing, “And the Glory of the Lord,” from “Handel’s Messiah.” And the school’s Show Choir will perform, “We’re all in this Together,” from the movie, “High School Musical.”
In fact, all of Chantilly’s choirs – the Touch of Class, Magic Touch and Light Touch show choirs; Concert Choir, Symphonic Chorale; Women’s Select Choir and Advanced Mass Choir – will participate in the event. And, said Cockrell, “We’ll close the show in a very patriotic fashion.”
He said administrators from all the schools have been invited to see the choral students’ talents, and they and the community are in for a special evening of musical entertainment. “It’s a real testimony to the work being done in all our schools in the fine arts program,” said Cockrell.
He’s also invited the male singers from all these feeder schools to come join Chantilly’s vocalists this Friday, Oct. 5, in singing the national anthem at the beginning of the Chantilly-Oakton football game on Chantilly’s field. So, said Cockrell, “It’ll be a little preview of our Pyramid Concert.”
Last year’s concert was standing-room only, and he’s hoping for the same great turnout this year, too. “It’s a really enjoyable concert for the whole family,” he said. “When you have all the kids singing at once, they take up the whole, home side of the bleachers in the gym. And we build stages at both ends of the basketball court for the smaller, group performances.”
“So it’s almost like a three-ring circus with a fun atmosphere and lots going on at the same time,” continued Cockrell. “And what a great way to bring all our schools in the Chantilly Pyramid together.”
For more information about the program or to view Chantilly’s calendar of events, go to www.chantillychoral.org or call Cindy McBride at 703-309-4843.