When you’re in the wild, it’s a guarantee that you’ll hear plenty of noises- pleasant and unpleasant alike. The unlucky will end up stuck in a cacophony of anything from wild flamingo honks to deafening elephant cries. However, if you play your cards right, you might just end up in the presence of the elusive North Atlanta chorus, who were last seen this Tuesday performing live at Zoo Atlanta.
On September 17, the Atlanta Cultural Experience Project (CEP) invited NAHS’ very own advanced chorus (known cordially as ‘Bel Canto,’) to celebrate with them and perform for the experience’s kickoff ceremony. The CEP, a city-wide initiative hosted by the Atlanta Mayor’s Office, was designed to bring APS schools closer together through shared experiences in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. This year, Zoo Atlanta was chosen to host the event, transforming what would normally be a fur-fortified sanctuary into a vibrant hub for communal and cultural exchange.
Thankfully, NAHS’ Bel Canto is no stranger to the limelight. Members took Tuesday as an opportunity to show off their caliber as they sang for significant executives of APS and the Atlanta city government, including Mayor Andre Dickens. But even with the commendation and high stakes (not to mention the VIP-studded audience), chorus members agreed that the quality of their performance was powered solely by their own drive to make the payoff worth it. Junior Chloe Ashford, chorus vice president, explained that Bel Canto’s high level of experience definitely helped ease out their nerves going into the event. “We always perform, and CEP wasn’t any different,” Ashford said, “we were all just excited to do it as a group.”
Freshman McCaiden Moore shared Ashford’s sentiments, believing that every audience deserved nothing but the best chorus had to give them. “I go in with the mindset that I’m prepared and ready to sing for whoever’s listening,” Moore said, “I don’t think the type of audience changes my motivation to sing any better.” Sophomore Madalen Yarbrough corroborated Moore’s point, emphasizing the fact that each time the chorus put themselves out there, they aimed to give their 100%. “Every performance is important,” Yarbrough said, “whether we’re performing for one person or one hundred people, at the end of the day, it’s still our responsibility to do our best.”
And best they did! After busting out renditions of “How Can I Cry,” by Moira Smiley and “Esto Les Digo” by Kinley Lange, chorus members returned to campus with high honors and the knowledge that they were, without a doubt, the most flocked exhibit at Zoo Atlanta (sans flamingos and elephants). Bravo Bel Canto!
