When COVID-19 was declared a pandemic one year ago, school showcases became one of the many events that have been unsafe to attend. 

However, Archbishop Riordan’s Crusader and Marianist choirs are maintaining the spirit of music by posting their annual performances on a chorus website.   

This past holiday season, the 16 group members rehearsed Christmas songs during their virtual rehearsals. After weeks of preparation, everyone recorded their parts separately with instrumentals, and sent their clips to the video editor and choir director, Laura Flaviani.  

A special app to stop the sound delay on Zoom, and Final Cut Pro software, is being used to blend the singers’ voices and arrange the video recordings on the screen.

“It’s not perfect because we’re not in person all together, but to line up everybody in the squares and seeing everybody really trying to give 100 percent…that’s what I like to see, that finished product,” shared Flaviani. 

One of the hardworking performers, soloist Andrea Abraham ’24 explained how online performances have affected her singing: “I feel like I’ve learned that I should be practicing on my own time because we’re at home all the time. That’s the only way we can practice. Now I do (vocal warmups and exercises) more constantly,” she explained.   

Meanwhile, Flaviani is planning in-person rehearsals at St. Theresa’s Church. These meetings during the pandemic are possible because of the copies of sheet music, and singer’s masks donated by Mario Balestrieri ’76. The masks were created by Broadway entertainers, and allow performers to sing comfortably and clearly, without spreading the virus. 

The goal is to host a livestream at St. Theresa’s for the spring celebration of Disney music, but whether the next show will be in person or virtual, the school community will still be able to enjoy the choir’s music on the website