The Sidwell Chorus performed alongside eight other independent schools in the Washington area, including Georgetown Day School, Landon, the National Cathedral School and St. Albans School. Each school performed its own individual pieces and collaborated with other schools for larger performances.
“[The performance] was a really great way to showcase the work that Full Chorus and Chamber Chorus have put in during classes and during rehearsals,” said junior Kenzie Goldsteen, a member of chorus.
The chorus practiced its songs four times a week since the fall of 2024. Sidwell also hosted a three-hour group rehearsal on the Sunday before the concert, as well as a rehearsal right before the performance.
At the beginning of the concert, each chorus was divided between the basses and tenors and the altos and sopranos. The soprano and alto singers performed “What Happens When a Woman” by Alexandra Oslavsky, a song about women’s empowerment. “[It] was a pretty special moment,” junior Lucy Verma said.
Junior Naomi Sedwick, another member of the Chamber Chorus, added that “it was like [we] were in unison and it sent an empowering message to the audience.” Additionally, the basses and tenors performed “Bound for the Promised Land,” an early American hymn that talks about the journey to heaven and the search for a place of rest.
Sedwick’s favorite group song performed was “Walk in Jerusalem” because of its “vibrant energy.” She explained that the St. Albans’ chorus conductor led the choirs with “passion” and “a lot of energy.” Sedwick felt that all “the schools were very united and in unison and with harmony.”
Sidwell Choir Director Sarah Markovits explained how she enjoys the collaborative nature of the concert. “It’s always fun to see our choir sing under another conductor … you can say to your own choir the same thing over and over and over again, somebody else comes in and says exactly the same thing, and suddenly your choir listens to him.”
While singing on stage, Sedwick found herself amazed by the echoes in the cathedral, which were “breathtaking” and different from the usual reverberations of Sidwell’s chorus room. Verma explained that during her freshman year, before performances, she used to get nervous about performing in front of a large audience. However, as she has progressed in her singing career, she has become more relaxed and comfortable.
“It’s a hard space to sing in in some ways because it’s hard to hear yourself,” Markovits explained. “When you finish and you’ve really locked a chord, and then you cut it off, it just keeps ringing. It’s just so gratifying.”
Each school also performed its songs and were able to listen to each other’s performances. Junior Ella Song, a member of Sidwell’s Chamber Chorus, particularly enjoyed Georgetown Day School’s rendition of “Measure Me Sky!” which is based on a poem by Leonora Speyer that encourages listeners to reach their full potential through ascending vocals.
“Sidwell was planning on singing it,” Song said, “but I thought [GDS’s] performance was still really good.”
“It was really hopeful,” Song added.
Song enjoyed hearing performances from all of the other schools in attendance. She said, “It was really nice to hear the other choirs sing after spending so much time practicing our own performances … they blended beautifully.”
Both Song and Goldsteen agreed that it was particularly valuable to perform their pieces after so many months of practice.
“[They’ve] spent hours and hours honing their craft, and now they get to see what it feels like,” Markovits said.
Goldsteen added that it was imperative to her to “present the practice and effort we put into making the songs amazing.”
Seniors Emily Klein and Nora Tsai attended the concert to support their friends. “It was so wholesome to see people from all different schools come together to sing in unity, especially during this time,” Klein said. “In particular, the Sidwell Friends School chorus had voices that coated our ears with honey and settled deep into our hearts,” Tsai added.
According to Markovitz, a choir concert is a unique experience that is difficult to replicate. “When you are in a choir and you are working together and breathing together, your heartbeats sync up,” she said. “You are physiologically in tune with the people next to you.”