Northwest’s Hosts First Show Choir Competition

On February 3rd and 4th, Northwest High School hosted its first show choir competition, Northwest Nightfall.

Northwest show choir members from both Eos and Aurora came together to volunteer for the competition. 18 show choir groups from all over the midwest were invited to Northwest to present their shows and compete with each other for the title of Grand Champion. The event offered Northwest students the opportunity to work with different people and see new shows at all different levels. Ragan Swanson, a junior who helped with the competition, commented, “Being able to see the very beginning stages of the love for show choir [reignited] my own love for show choir.”

Before Waukee High School split, Starstruck was the annual show choir competition. Last year, Northwest did not yet have its own show choir competition, so Northwest and Waukee co-hosted. However, they had to divide the money raised from the event between the two High Schools. Split between the two schools, there was less money to support the show choirs than there had been in previous years. It was clear that Northwest needed to start an independent competition, and Northwest Nightfall was born.

The soon-to-be annual competition had an impressive introduction. Nightfall is the largest fundraiser for Northwest’s vocal program and can help support not only the High School choirs but also Junior High show choirs. Visiting groups praised Northwest for the organization and coherence of the show and the volunteers. Northwest’s head Vocal Music Director and the director of EOS, Jack Daubitz, stated, “For [Northwest Nightfall] to have been a success in year one, and to have the public excited for year two is a testament to our community and what they’ve been able to pull off.”

The Northwest Nightfall show choir competition winner was Hastings Riverside Company, from Hastings High School, Minnesota. They were awarded Grand Champion, best vocals, best choreography and best band.

While the show was a success overall, there were some obstacles that Northwest had to face during the competition. During finals, a fire alarm was pulled, interrupting a show and causing the building to be evacuated. No real emergency occurred, and due to the efficiency of the volunteers, the show was able to continue with a mere 45-minute delay.

The first Nightfall competition set the foundation for future contests and paved the way to publicize Northwest’s show choirs. While a huge success, there are still ways to improve the event for the coming years. Junior Finley Habgood said, “I feel like we’re going to incorporate a little more preparation in letting people know that this event is taking place so we can have more groups come out and support.”