Reunited by Singing: Choir Students of the St. Vrain Valley School District Gather for the 2021 District Choir Festival

For as long as historians can date back to, music has always been a means to bring people together. The act of singing holds more power than anyone can measure. The annual St. Vrain Valley School District Choir Festival, which happened at 7:00 on Wednesday, September 29th at Longmont High School, is an incredible event that brings a multitude of singers together for the pure sake of sharing music.

The St. Vrain Valley School District Choir Festival is an annual event where schools of St. Vrain Valley School District meet at one school and bring their best choirs to perform for each other. Usually the event happens later in the fall, once the school year has settled in, but this year it happened a little earlier.

Here at Silver Creek High School, choir students love the event because it is an opportunity to hear other choirs from schools all over the district, and also visit with friends from other schools that students don’t see as often. “. . .[seeing] solos is always really interesting— to see voices from different schools,” says Anna Heydt, who performed with Bella Voce— the all-girls auditioned choir from Silver Creek.

According to many students, the social aspect of the event is just as important as the music. “Obviously you’re there for music . . . but you’re also there . . . to socialize with other schools.” Anna Heydt continues, “You get to see people that might have moved.”

Although the evening consists of one united group of singers, students have observed that things are handled differently depending on what choir and teacher they’re singing with. At Silver Creek, “Mr. Skelton handled it as a very serious event,” says Raen Brooks, who performed with Allegro from Skyline on Wednesday Night, and previously performed with Bella Voce from Silver Creek in past years.

“We mostly were just happy to be able to sing as a group again . . . Mr. Howl just saw it as an opportunity to show off our skills but also appreciate our friend’s skills.” Brooks continues, “I really like seeing what all the different schools have to offer, and how a different choir teacher . . . really makes a difference.”

Being in Longmont High School, and singing with singers from all over the district for the first time since 2019, was an incredible experience for all the students who attended. Having a group of singers of that size be the first ones to make music in the Longmont High auditorium (since the beginning of the pandemic) opened everyone’s eyes to the beauty of singing together.

Stacy Miller, Longmont High School’s choir director, touched on the importance of an open mind and heart while listening to other singers on the 29th.

Miller brings up a quote by Leopold Stokowski that goes, “A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence,” which illustrates how important it is to not interject on any performance with unnecessary noise or negative comments. Stacy Miller, as well as other directors at the festival, made sure to keep only positive energy in the auditorium by focusing on the beauty of music and unity.

The annual St. Vrain Valley School District Choir Festival is an event to remember. It is one that the students love because they get to see old and new friends. It is also one that directors love because they get to put their craft into a performance environment and showcase their school’s abilities. With love and music in the air, the 2021 event on Wednesday night was one to remember for years to come.