Almost 100 choir students gathered on the stage of the auditorium for their show, Sing with the Fire of the Soul, to showcase their singing to an audience on Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m.

The choir’s first show of the year started off with nerves and excitement, even among returning members such as Cantamus Vice President and Junior Iyanna Martel.

“I was nervous because I was singing with [new choir members], but we all did really good,” Martel said.

Unlike previous years, the choir had a longer time to practice for their annual fall concert due to the extra two weeks at the start of school. This presented an additional challenge for the choir, according to Choir teacher Amy Solberg Odiase.

“We had to work really hard to keep this music fresh and exciting, since we had more time to prepare it,” Solberg said.

The theme of the show focused on being seen and heard in society as seen by songs performed by the Choral Harmonia such as “Does the World Say” by Kyle Penderson and “Time” by Jennifer Lucy Cook sung by the Madrigal Choir. The Concert Chorale choir also showcased a college-level song by Mozart called “Lacrimosa.”.

“My favorite song that we sang was Lacrimosa, because it was really interesting,” Sophomore Wesley George said. “I thought it was very dynamic and complex. One of the things I like about choir is when I get to do complex pieces that kind of challenge us, and it’s like a cool puzzle that we all get to solve together.”

To Solberg, the choir performance raised the bar for future shows.

“If this is how we’re starting the year, then I can’t imagine what we’re going to do for the rest of the year,” Solberg said. “They’re performing at a level that is beyond where they typically are at this stage in the year.”