Carlmont Choirs left the audience stunned after their annual Cabaret show performance.
On Nov. 15, students in the choir program performed various songs to the “Scotify Playlist” theme.
Choir Cabaret is Carlmont’s annual performance. Students audition alone or in groups with a song of their choice, and the Carlmont choir teacher, Genevieve Tep, decides which songs make the cut.
“The kids work very hard, and they do it all on their own,” Tep said. “They get a little coaching from our vocal coach and myself, but 95% of the work is their own.”
Aside from the coaching Tep describes, the show is entirely student-run.
“The concert was fully student-run, and I thought they did a fantastic job,” said Jonathan Edwards, an audience member. “The concert was a great showcase for what the Carlmont Choir is capable of.”
Many students practiced their songs as they juggled homework and extracurriculars. According to Joyce Liu, a senior and a choir student, she and her friend barely had time to practice despite planning to audition in advance.
“We never had the chance to practice together until the day before auditions,” Liu said. “There was also a lot of panic practicing right before auditions since we barely had time to run it the previous day.”
However, there was no shortage of music fitting the theme perfectly, as songs ranged from A-ha’s 80s classic “Take On Me” to songs that students wrote themselves.
“I really liked the variety of songs that were being performed, and I felt that everyone did a great job,” Liu said.
The students continued to sing until the finale, even as the crew backstage tried to signal that the performance was over by abruptly stopping the music.
“It was very funny when everyone just kept singing even when they cut off the instrumental,” Liu said.