Each year, Prep’s choir has the honor of performing with 10 other Archdiocese of Seattle high schools as its Fall choir season ends with a grand finale performance, at Benaroya Hall. This year marked the 25th annual Catholic High School Choir Festival, held on February 5th.
“It is always a thrill and an honor to learn interesting and challenging music and perform it at the highest level with some outstanding singers, both from Prep and other schools in the greater Seattle area,” shared Junior Juan Sanchez Guerra.
The Prep choir performed alongside Bishop Blanchet, O’Dea, Holy Names Academy, Forest Ridge, Eastside Catholic, Bellarmine Prep, Archbishop Murphy, Pope John Paul II, and Seton Catholic.
The performance featured schools singing both as individuals and as part of a mass choral community of 600 students. In addition, the stage was larger, there was more behind-the-scenes crew, and the audience was much larger than other Prep performances.
Sonja Rehkopf ‘26, who has never been to Benaroya before, shared, “I am looking forward to performing on a larger scale than we are used to. It will be different from the other performances we’ve done, so I am excited to see how it feels and sounds.”
Francisco Nunez, Founder and Artistic Director of the Young People’s Chorus of New York City, guest conducted. Prior to concert rehearsal on February 4th at Kennedy Catholic High School in West Seattle, Nunez worked with the 10 choir directors to select the setlist. His piece “Es Tu Tiempo” was sung by everyone, in addition to other songs, “Take Me to the Water” and “May the Night.”
The Prep choir consists of students of all grade levels, coming to a total of about sixty students. They sang their distinguished Spooktacular number, “Windham.”
Benaroya Hall, familiar to those who have attended a Prep graduation ceremony, has hosted the concert every year and was an integral part of another fantastic show!
