From Shrek to Batman, a range of movie characters found themselves on the stage at the West Ranch theater on Feb 29. West Ranch and Rancho Pico’s choir concert featured songs from well-loved movies and soundtracks. The performance drew friends and family into the big screen, setting the scene for “A Night at the Movies.”

   West Ranch and Rancho Pico Choir Director Mrs. Peters revealed the inspiration behind the night’s theme: “When I picked out these pieces I noticed that most of them were played in movies, so I continued to follow the pattern, hence the concept ‘A Night at the Movies.” 

   Since the show also collaborated with the Rancho Pico choir, audience members and performers alike enjoyed the combination of both choirs. Treble choir and freshman Madi Lee shared, “It was fun to perform with the concert and Rancho Pico choir.”

   As audience members flocked into the school theater, the night began ominously with a cinema classic: the “James Bond Theme,” by Monty Norman. Lee remarked, “Some people wore sunglasses and had bananas to act like spies as they walked on stage which I thought was a fun introduction to the concert.”

   Throughout the concert, the film-themed setlist brought a variety of tunes ranging from slow to serious. They also included Disney songs and even a song in French, “Cerf-volant” by Christophe Barratier and Bruno Coulais. Different solos accompanied a few pieces like “Here I Am” and “9 to 5” both by Dolly Parton, featuring solos from Mia Blanco, Drew Crawford, Mia Ramirez and Nolyn Lennon. 

   To prepare for the concert, the choirs began learning their pieces before winter break during their in-class rehearsals. Students would run the songs one by one, going over all the different vocal parts to ensure proficiency, with guidance from the director, Mrs. Peters. 

   Mrs. Peters mentioned her directing experience: “In college, I took conducting classes which gave me experience, and now allows me to communicate with the singers during songs. ‘Conducting’ scientifically means to flow through, so in this case I am trying to get the music to flow from me to my choir by showing them cues, and sometimes it gets technical, like how there are different movements for a release or an entrance.”

   After the concert, The Paw Print was able to interview performers, and here is what they had to share: 

  “I loved how our concert was movie-themed because it gave us a break from singing traditional pieces,” West Ranch Sophomore and Concert choir singer Rem White commented. “There was pop, there was Disney, and it [was] definitely different from what we have done, and I have been in choir for four years now. Not to forget, I also enjoyed getting ready for this show because I got to do movie-themed makeup.” 

   White also mentioned her favorite highlight of the night which was the introduction to “The James Bond Theme.” White enjoyed the introduction because “the theatrics in it were really fun to perform and the harmony was nostalgic.”

   Similarly, Jakob Artes, an 8th-grade baritone from the Rancho Pico choir, expressed his thoughts about the night., “I felt that the concert was great! There were a lot of songs that people knew, which made the experience more interesting, and my favorite song was ‘Lean On Me’ because it sounded genuine with all the different vocal parts and harmonies.”

   The choirs concluded the night with a “Disney Silly Sing Along” that left the audience applauding in awe. The choir’s dedication clearly showed throughout the evening.