The Middle and Upper School choruses, led by choral director Phillip Brownlee, filled the auditorium the night of Dec. 3 for their annual winter concert. The performance was capped by a surprise announcement recognizing senior Theodore Tikhomirov, selected for the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) Senior All-State Honors Chorus in Peoria.

The performance brought together grades 5-12 to create a dynamic lineup of singers displaying a wide range of pieces. From classic holiday songs to upbeat pop songs, the two-hour concert engaged and entertained the audience.

The fifth-grade chorus started the night with a fun, energetic number, “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa, immediately pulling the crowd in.

“It was so cool to see the auditorium completely packed, which I feel has improved from past performances,” said audience member and senior Emma Vallenilla.

The Upper School’s three a cappella groups and chorus performed between the Middle School vocalists’ numbers. One of the night’s standout soloists was junior Stella Tate Ricciardi-Fitzpatrick.

“For my solo, I practiced the music over and over last night, and at about 11 p.m. I realized I still had to send a recording to Brownlee,” they said. “I was in the dark in my room singing it like 20 times straight.”

Toward the end of the performance, Mr. Brownlee surprised the singers and the audience with the news that senior member of the Latones, 59 West, and Upper School chorus Theodore Tikhomirov was selected to participate in the ILMEA All-State Honors Chorus; a prestigious honor in the vocal music community.

The performance as a whole highlighted how far each grade has come in their vocal progression, with the packed auditorium to relish in it. The chorus members attribute their program’s success to their director, Mr. Brownlee.

“He’s completely reshaped the program, and it just keeps getting better,” Stella Tate said.