Concerts, caroling and crescendos? These are just a couple of the things that Milford high school’s choir program does. With Concert Choir, Center Stage, and Choraleers, Director Maryann Lambrecht is always busy with something. “When I am not teaching I am preparing for the next event, or looking for music…or sending out information,” she said.

This holiday, the choirs are having a concert on Dec 15. This concert will be mostly concentrating on Christmas music. The choir also went Christmas caroling in town on Dec. 1. With learning the songs and the choreography, the choirs are always at work to prepare for these type of events.

To be in Center Stage and Choraleers you must try out with a song of choice and a choreographed dance. Normally, the choirs do concert performances and they also do some events at the middle schools. The only difference between Center Stage and Choraleers is that Center Stage is for both guys and girls, and Choraleers is an all-girls choir and is generally a much larger choir.

Kryzia Garza, an alto two (lowest pitch), in Choraleers said that her favorite part of choir is the people you meet there. “There’s always someone [there who] you wouldn’t expect to be in choir,” she said. Lambrecht said that the choir attracts many different types of students, but many of the members are the artistic type. She described them as motivated and said that they had many different interests.

This year, many students are anxiously anticipating POPS,  a production that the choir puts on March 23-24. Their theme this year is “Over the Rainbow”… where your dreams come true, and Lambrecht said it will be very whimsical. Choraleers and Center Stage both put together about two hours of music (most to be sung and danced). Each night that POPS goes on there will be six prestigious solo or ensemble spots. Out of about 57 students, only 12 will be chosen. “They must be the best,” Lambrecht said.

The choirs are focusing on Acapella music this year also, Lambrecht said. Acapella music uses only vocals and balance is a very important factor to a blend of exclusive voices. With no instrumental music to shield any small flaws, acapella is a hard genre of music to tackle. Sarah Reed said that her favorite part of the music is when everyone comes together. The choirs show teamwork doing this type of music because for acapella music to work, everyone needs to give it their all and participate.

Reed said the music takes hard work, but is enjoyable. “I’m serious enough to get work done, but still have fun,” she said. The choirs have to memorize songs and dances, plus they also go to nursing homes, go caroling in town, and perform at various parties and events.

Why do they do it?

“I saw my sister in [Choraleers] and fell in love with it,” Garza said. “I love being in the limelight and I love to portray [the] emotions [in the songs].”