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After the group visited the assisted living home, they made a stop at Enger Tower and Park to take pictures and to explore.
Rachel Tri

Performing is the most rewarding part of singing in a choir. It is important for choirs to share the music they have been working on with an audience, so that the audience can share in the emotions that are being expressed through each note in each song.

Usually Belle Chanter goes on tour to Chicago, but this year the group decided to go somewhere different for tour. This audition-only, selective ensemble of about 40 girls left for Duluth on April 14. The group sang 6 songs while they were on tour. The titles of these songs are “There Will Come Soft Rains”, “Noel Des Enfants”, “Snow Angel”, “Bring Me Little Water Sylvie”, “Universal Song” and “Until Even The Angels”. Each one conveyed a different message and together these songs showcased the talents of the members of Belle Chanter.

Belle Chanter has been working on these songs throughout the year and performing them for an audience was fun because they did not have to focus on all of the technical elements as much. They could sing from the heart.

“Overall, I thought we sounded amazing,” junior Madison Fry said. “ After performing four times for four different audiences the pieces really fell together and we all began to meld into one voice, which helped us really become one sound and put meaning to the words we sing.”

Belle Chanter had a singing clinic at St. Scholastica College and a local nursing home. They also had two choir exchanges, one with Duluth East high school and one with St. Francis high school. A choir clinic is a choir that sings in front of another conductor and then the conductor gives feedback and some constructive criticism to help the choir improve. A choir exchange is when two choirs take turns performing for the other choir.

“[The high school choirs] were both auditioned, all women choirs and they were quite good,” senior Sara Swartz said.

Along with singing, the girls had some free time where they went sightseeing and even played some games on the trip. They stayed in 8 person suites at the hotel, which made it easy to stay up talking or to play games in the room.

“I really loved hanging with all my choir friends in our big room and playing games,” senior Paige Boner said. “I also loved walking around Duluth. We saw everything and took cool pictures. Also, bowling and laser tag was super fun.”

During this time in Duluth, a lot of the girls grew closer to one another. Some even formed new friendships on this trip. People especially grew closer with the girls in their room, because they could stay up and have deep talks together.

“This group of girls is so amazing,” said Fry. “We all have fun together and there are no defined cliques. Everyone is friends with everyone, which is so rare among teenage girls.”

Girls from this choir come from all different backgrounds musically and personally. This choir has sophomores, juniors, seniors and a lot of different clique groups represented, but they all have one thing in common; these girls love to sing.

“I love that a group of people from all different walks of life can come together and just be the best of friends,” said Boner.