Last Tuesday Manhattan High held their annual serenade concert in the Rezac Auditorium. The concert was an opportunity for choir students to share their individual musical talents in a solo or with a group of friends.

“I sang a solo by Edith Piaf called ‘La Vie en Rose,’” sophomore McKayla Alberto said. “The solo was kind of scary just because I didn’t want to mess up, but it was actually really fun and I enjoyed doing it. It was also kind of eye opening because I was so focused on singing that everything kind of went black. It kind of felt like the audition song in ‘La La Land’ where all the lights go out and it’s just her.”

In order to qualify for this concert you or your group had to audition. Many groups got cut, but everyone in the choir got to participate in the concerts closing song, “Phantom of the Opera.”

”I feel like the song went pretty well, especially with the limited time we had to practice it,” sophomore Anna Mackay said. “But my favorite part of serenade was getting to sing with the entire choir program. You get to hear just how big we are and it’s really amazing, in my opinion.”

While most performed duets and solos, some performed in the groups that they regularly perform with.

“I was apart of the varsity men who performed ‘The Longest Time’ By Billy Joel,” sophomore Parker Wilson said. “The funny thing with this song is other choirs have tried preparing the piece for serenade but not successfully been ready at the concert, so it was very honorable and a cool moment to be apart of the group who did succeed in singing it.”

Allowing students to showcase their talent not only humbles the students, but also encourages them to get better.

“I feel like it went very well. Everyone did great,” Alberto said. “Everyone who went up are so talented.”