The Manhattan High School Pops Choir has had a busy year from learning the choreography for their songs and performing at elementary schools.
With performances of “I See The Light” from the Disney Movie “Tangled,” “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson, and the “Mission Impossible” theme song, the Pops group has been focusing on many different types of music.
“We’ve done a lot of performances for the elementary schools,” junior Jude Say said. “We also went to the Optimus Club where we ate breakfast and did some performances around December.”
While the year has been fun, it is stressful with the quantity of performances they deal with at a time.
“It can get stressful because we have sometimes three performances a week, but it is fun,” senior Michael Jund said. “We are planning on state solo ensemble contests and all that right now, so that is a main priority.”
This has been a very special year for the Pops Choir as it has been 50 years since their creation in 1974. However, not only is it their 50 year anniversary, but the group had their first performance at the Oliver Brown elementary school, the first new USD 383 school to open in 25 years.
“They were so excited,” junior Kaylyn Parker said. “They were one of our most excited groups of kids, and were probably one of our most respectful. And they welcomed us, all of the kids sang us a Taylor Swift song.”
With a very eventful year, the group is as close as ever.
“Mr. [Chad] Pape is a big part of it, he knows how to make a community very well,” Jund said. “The classroom is a good environment that wouldn’t be the same without him there.”
A highlight for them has been to see the reactions of the elementary school kids during their performances.
“When you were a little kid you saw us and now it’s kind of a dream come true to be that,” Parker said. “When you saw us as a little kid you were like ‘wow that’s so cool’ and now I am that.”
They are excited for their next performance at the College Hill Preschool with more performances on the horizon after Spring Break.
