The Lenape Regional High School District congratulates the Cherokee High School Concert Choir on their recent performance at the prestigious White House Holiday Open House Tours.
The 30-member Concert Choir, accompanied by Cherokee senior Ben Hood on piano, performed a two-hour holiday concert under the direction of Nicole Snodgrass, for guests touring the White House. The performance included 20 songs that were traditional Christmas carols as well as secular songs from its repertoire. In addition, the group has been rehearsing for an upcoming performance at Carnegie Hall, New York City on March 7, 2014.
Cherokee Seniors Dan Lim and Veronica Chepigan were featured soloists in the Choir’s performance of “O Holy Night”; Lucy Watts and Melissa Parisi soloed in the group’s performance of “Fly to Paradise (Bliss)” by Eric Whitacre.
On the way home, exhausted but still buoyed by the experience, Cherokee assistant principal Steve Lee, Snodgrass and the student performers described the experience as “unbelievable, pretty incredible and amazing.”
Snodgrass said the White House staff and visitors had the same impression of the talented choir.
“It was amazing the reaction from all of the visitors from all over the country,” Snodgrass said. “One visitor said it was the best part of the tour and when we were boarding the bus a woman from New Mexico stopped to say how impressed she was with our performance.”
Anticipating the trip to the White House, Hood expected the piano to be one of the nicer he has played and he wasn’t disappointed.
“The piano was amazing!” Hood said.
He learned a little bit about it’s history including that it was donated to the White House in the 30s and that he was preceded by Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder, among other famous performers.
Choir president, senior Nick Musulin, said it is a big year for the choir, highlighted by the trip to the White House and an upcoming performance at New York City’s Carnegie Hall.
“We performed the National Anthem at a Phillies game, but to perform at the Main Entrance of the East Wing was incredible, unreal,” Musulin said.
Senior Nicole Chero, an alto, looked forward to the trip with her choir “family.”
“As corny as it may sound we have a sense of family because we’ve taken amazing trips and had amazing opportunities in the process of learning music.”
Echoing Chero’s sentiments, Concert Choir Vice President, tenor Jake Mutch, said the trip to the White House was “a good opportunity to share what we all love to do.”
