MP show choir kicks off competiton season

Between performances, the full Mt. Pleasant gym blares music from The Black Eyed Peas, Queen and ‘The Greatest Showman' as attendees from as far as St. Paul, Minnesota, burst into clapping, stomping and song.

On Saturday, Feb. 2, Mt. Pleasant High School hosted its 26th Music in Motion Show Choir Invitational. The event ran from 9:45 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., and saw a dozen teams from across the Midwest competiting and featured exhibition performances from Mt. Pleasant's middle school group, Chain Reaction, the high school's, Music InMotion and Mt. Mercy University's show choir. The Cedar Rapids school is in its first full year and was included to show students this is a skill which can be taken beyond college.

Music InMotion performed 'Our Own House,” 'Dreams Come True,” 'It Might Be Hope,” a mashup of 'Step Into the Bad Side and Sign,” 'Sealed, Delivered” and 'Good as Gold.” Though they were hosting and not competing, they will be using this same set when they begin competing this coming weekend in Benton. This comes after the group narrowly avoided having to replace 'Good as Gold” with a song from two years ago.

'Even though it is a competition, most people are there to appreciate the teamwork and effort put into it,” said Marlene DePriest, Mt. Pleasant's choir teacher. 'Students (from all the schools) cheer on and support each other.”

Money from the event will go to the school's music program, making it possible for the school to purchase and repair instruments and send their show choir to competition.

After the Day Time Awards at 6:15 p.m., six finalists were named who then reperformed their selection for the judges. Following this, the winner and runners-up were announced.

Central Singers Incorporated from Davenport Central High School came in first place. Runner-up was Xavier High School's team, Xhilaration. Second runner-up was the team AcaPella from Pella High School.