On Wednesday, Oct. 9, Rock Ridge Sings held their annual fall choral concert at 7 p.m., showcasing a diverse repertoire that celebrated themes of community and connection. The concert featured three choirs: Cantus Avem, Phoenix Chorale, and Chamber Choir, each performing selected pieces that resonated with the evening’s motif. 

The event commenced with a nearly full auditorium as the audience listened attentively to the opening notes of “Let Beauty Awake” by Laura Farnell, performed by Cantus Avem, the freshman treble choir. The piece, which is about finding the beauty in nature and life’s moments, set the tone for the concert, emphasizing unity and collective harmony. Cantus Avem member freshman Zunairah Hasan believed that “Let Beauty Awake” was a touching and inspiring song that aptly began the new school year. “The song was so beautiful, and I loved the message that it sent about living in the moment and admiring the world around you,” Hasan said. “I’m so excited to continue to sing meaningful songs like that in the future.”

Each choir’s performance was introduced by senior Annabelle Monte, who described what the upcoming songs were about and added a touch of humor with lighthearted commentary.

The concert’s theme, “Compassion in Action,” was interwoven throughout the performances. Following Cantus Avem, the Chamber Choir, a predominantly-upperclassman female chorus, performed “The Gift to Sing” by Marianne Forman, a song the choir will be singing at the Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA) on Nov. 22. “Preparing for VMEA has been so much fun,” senior Jiya Chadha said. “I love all the songs we are singing for it, and as a choir, I feel like we learn everything pretty fast, so right now, we are just polishing the songs.”

For seniors in Phoenix Chorale and Chamber Choir, this concert was a reminder of their journey through choir and the milestones they’ve passed along the way. “As a senior, we’ve all been experiencing so many last firsts, and one of them was the last first choir concert of the year,” senior Chamber Choir member Yoshi Sarkar said. “It feels pretty nostalgic to see how our choir has evolved over the years and [to] perform at our fall concert without the upperclassmen and friends that aren’t here to guide us anymore.”

Following the Chamber Choir performance, Phoenix Chorale, a mixed choir, performed “Ad Astra” by Jacob Narverud and “Connection” by Brian Tate. The evening concluded with all choirs joining together to perform “A Choice to Change the World” by Kevin Phillip Johnson, a song that encapsulated the concert’s message of unity and shared vision, featuring soloists seniors Kailyn Fetterman, Jiya Chadha, and Wardah Islam and juniors Grace Carper and RJ Richardson. The song’s values resonated with freshman Aanya Bhardwaj, a member of Cantus Avem. “[‘A Choice to Change the World’] is about how you as a person can change the world,” Bhardwaj said. “That was the most impactful part [of the concert] for me because I really love the message behind that song.”

As the curtain fell and the concert concluded, the seniors of Rock Ridge Sings looked back on their time in choir and learned lessons that extend far beyond the music. “Take advantage of opportunities when you’re an underclassman because it’s such an important practice and works to build your confidence,” Sarkar said. “Things won’t always go well, and that’s part of learning for anything, not just choir. Take advantage of the moment and enjoy all your friendships from choir because they really last, even if things change.”

Gallery • 8 Photos

Ananya Karthik

Choral director Jordan Markwood conducts the Chamber Choir during “By Night” by Elaine Hagenberg. “As a choir, our main goal right now is to work together [and] make sure that we are listening to each other while singing to ensure we have a unified sound,” senior Chamber Choir member Jiya Chadha said.