Music bonds people, not just by listening, but singing as well. It gets even better when musicians from different schools get to perform. The choirs get to attend the Cantate Chamber Choir festival at UMKC on October 2.

“Cantate Festival is a noncompetitive event where area chamber choirs from both Missouri and Kansas City Kansas come and sing for one another and we are judged by staff of the UMKC choral department. There are as many as four or five professionals giving us comments on our performance and then they rotate through. One of them will work on stage with the choir after they’ve performed,” choir director Rika Heruth said. “In the past, we have gotten just as much out of watching other choirs being cliniced as much as our own clinic.”

The word “cantate” is Italian for the word sing. LHS has been a part of the Cantate Festival for over 10 years. The Chamber Choir will perform in the White Recital Hall at UMKC. They also record their performance which could help them get selected to sing at regional and state conventions.

Many of the Chamber Choir members are already excited to go.

“I’ve heard all of the stories from both Dr. Heruth and Mr. Purdon and from the upper classmen who have been. They say that’s it’s just a whole lot of fun to go there, sing with UMKC, get help from conductors at UMKC and just to hang out with your friends,” sophomore Weston Brown said.

Before Chamber Choir heads off to UMKC on October 2, they prepare for the day they take the stage. They practice on Mondays from 7- 8:30 pm. They also rehearse sectionals with Dr. Heruth during Liberty Hour.

Prior to when they perform, the Chamber Choir is an audience. Once they’re in the building, the time before the

performance is a time for observation.

“Before we perform we sit and watch

other choirs perform which is fun,” junior Jackson Witt said. “After, we have someone come on stage and work with us for a little bit and then we watch the rest of the choirs perform.”

The Cantate Festival is not just a time to showcase the school’s talent, it is also a time to see what other schools bring to the

table and work on fixing certain elements of the songs. Not only is the festival a time to perform and watch performances, it’s also a time to make some good memories and hang out with friends. In fact, Chamber Choir has made a tradition of going to the to Cheesecake Factory to unwind after the performance, be with friends and eat cheesecake.

There are many good things that come out of this festival.

“It is great just having all of the hard work put in, nailing the performance and doing the best we