Northwest suburban schools win big at show choir competition

Waubonsie Valley High School won the top title and suburban soloists took home three of the four individual prizes at the 22nd annual Chicagoland Showcase show choir competition over the weekend at John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights.

The Waubonsie Valley High School group Soundcheck was named Grand Champion in the open division, the category for male and female groups that had the most competition.

Milan Babic, from Buffalo Grove High School, won Male Solo Contest Winner; Marc Ford, from Prospect High School, won Outstanding Male Solo Performer in a Group; and Natalie Carioti, from Prospect High School, won Outstanding Female Solo Performer in a Group.

Suburban middle and high schools musical groups were well represented among the winners at the competition which featured more than 30 choirs from across the Midwest.

The Palatine High School Concert Choir earned Grand Champion in the concert choir competition.

The Buffalo Grove High School group Expressions took home the trophy in the Best Combo category.

Hersey's choir director, Sara Michael, (whose show choir, Onstage, as the host team didn't compete this weekened) said the competition was fierce this year.

“It came down to points and half-points,” Michael said of the judges' scores. “The performers had to leave it all on the stage. You have to when it is that tight,”

Other northwest suburban groups who finished just short of being named Grand Champion were the Mt. Prospect High School's group Mixed Company, who earned fifth runner-up; Wheaton North High School's Flight earned fourth runner-up; and the Buffalo Grove group Expressions, which also won for Best Combo, earned third runner-up.

Middle schools from area suburbs earned four of six honors over the weekend. St. Isaac Jogues Catholic School from Hinsdale was named first runner-up. The group made up of students from Caruso and Shepherd Middle Schools in Deerfield earned second runner-up. The group from Edison Middle School, from Wheaton, was named third runner up. And the Beats from Bryan Middle School in Elmhurst earned fourth runner-up.

Organizers estimated that more than 3,500 people — including singers, crew members and spectators — attended the two-day competition.