Having the opportunity to hear a performance by North Penn High School’s chorus is something that everyone looks forward to. The power and emotion they can evoke in their songs through over 200 voices is something to behold.

But take North Penn’s choir, then add three more full sized high school choirs, a group dedicated to singing medieval style music, a collegiate level a cappella group, and an eager audience, and you will quickly realize that it is difficult to be entertained in any better of a way. Last night, the concert in North Penn’s auditorium proved just that.

This past evening, six schools came together on stage to give the audience a thrilling taste of what they do best: sing. North Penn held the Choral Invitational Concert, open to all who wanted to hear a night filled with the passionate voices of the participants on the auditorium stage.

The evening wasted little time in first placing Springford High School under the stage lights. They opened with Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal, a piece that started the night perfectly, and continued until their last, You are the Music, a rousing hymn to music itself.

It was then Quakertown’s turn. In a complete turnaround, the choir kick-started the entire room with a modern twist on an old American folk song, Camptown Races. The energy Quakertown radiated was hard to resist, as they finished with She Take My Money, a calypso tune made famous by Harry Belafonte. By their exit, the choir had the entire room chanting back the refrain, “Matilda, Matilda, Matilda, she take me money and run Venezuela.”

Next in the spotlight was Lower Merion High School who brought a new style to the stage. The small ensemble dedicated their songs to the medieval era, blending melodious harmonies that transported the entire audience back to fifteenth century Florence.

Just as the audience was taking in the diversity of the initial groups, Westchester’s own a cappella group, ‘The Gracenotes,’ came forth to showcase their voices. Immediately they charmed everyone when they began with a lighthearted version of Simon and Garfunkel’s The 59^th Street Bridge Song. The small a cappella group continued to enthrall the audience with covers of It’s Raining Men and a humorous rendition of the Java Jive.

It was then Cheltenham’s turn to show the audience what they had to offer. They began with the angelic carol O Magnum Mysterium, and wrapped up their performance with Papa Loko, a traditional Haitian folk song. Complete with a simple percussion section, the smaller ensemble made their presence big on stage, feeling the rhythm as they and the rest of the crowd grooved to the song.

Lastly was North Penn, the hosting choir, who beautifully performed Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle as their first song. An Italian Christmas carol translated as ‘you descend from stars,’ Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle was a rousing start to two more songs, Lacrimosa and I Hear the Harps Eternal. As always, the North Penn chorus put on an excellent performance to conclude the invitational.

The underlying theme the entire night was the diversity that each school contributed. Between old American folk songs, to Latin-versed hymns, to pop hits, the night was unbelievably unique.

“Diversity means everything. We talk a lot about trying to understand other cultures in so many ways, especially politically, but often times to understand people you just need to see what it is they do on a regular basis, and music is one of those things. Whether it was the traditional Haitian piece that we heard, the Italian carol, or the American music from a long time ago, it’s a great window into how those people live,” said Mr. Matthew Klenk, head director of North Penn High School’s chorus.

For the members of each school choir, the invitational meant hearing things that they probably wouldn’t have ever heard before. The culmination of all the talent brought new insight for each and every person who listened.

“There’s too much music in this world for us to ever cover, so the way we [the chorus] actually get a chance to know things ourselves is to listen to other groups do it. There are things that I heard tonight that maybe we’ll choose to do in the future and there’s plenty more that we will never get to, but we’re all better tonight for having heard what we heard from other ensembles,” explained Klenk.

As for the students who sang, everyone I talked to had the overall same feelings about the great opportunity that was presented to them last night.

“It was a really good turnout tonight. It was great to see all the schools from the different areas and the a cappella group from Westchester perform on the same stage,” senior Maddie Katz mentioned after the night wrapped up.

“I think it’s important that the schools get to come out and perform their music because it’s such a special opportunity to be in front of people and other peers who appreciate what you do,” said Senior Julia Genaurdi.

Judging by the energy of the applause after each song, it was safe to say that everyone who came out to see such a melting pot of vocal talent left with a feeling of discovery for music that they hadn’t realized was there before. Klenk stressed that last night was about hearing and experiencing new things about music.

“I hope [the audience] takes away something that they heard and listens to it again and finds something else from that. That’s the way into new music and that’s the way to open our brains up to more music.”