By Andrew Huang ‘15, Staff Writer

Since prehistoric times, people have used song to express themselves. Songs have been sung by all cultures around the world and fall into many different genres. On March 9th, the middle school chorus showed its passion for song in the NA middle school Choral Cabaret.

The Choral Cabaret is an annual event where the 7^th and 8^th grade chorus performs in front of their peers. Mr. Lal, NA’s resident chorus teacher, said, “The Cabaret started in my 2^nd year here, which was three years ago. It’s kept to the theme of music dedicated to Broadway, film, and pop music.” This year, the chorus performed 9 different songs, featuring show tunes such as “A Little More Homework” from the musical “13”, to pop songs such as “Billionaire” by Travie McCoy and “Africa” by the 70’s-80’s band Toto.

The cabaret featured many solos and duets, performed by Ben Hyatt ’15, Glenn Haines ’15, Oluwadamilola Oshewa ’16, Sam Sidi ’16, and Charlotte Smith ’15. As Mr. Lal explains it, “If students want to, they can come to me and we can work on their solo together.” Singing a solo in front of so many people is certainly a daunting task. When asked about her performance, Oluwadamilola Oshewa said, “It [performing the solo] was okay for me. During rehearsals I was struggling with the song. There wasn’t much practice time.” In addition, 8^th graders Glenn Haines and Jacey Sullivan ’15 accompanied songs by playing the guitar.

Overall, the cabaret went very well. “Everyone enjoyed the performance. Seeing their peers perform on stage was joyous and kid-friendly. It [the cabaret] is most of the students’ favorite event. It’s lighthearted, and a nice showcase of talents,” Mr. Lal stated. Each song ended to a thunder of applause, indicating that the audience greatly enjoyed the cabaret as well.

The Middle School Choral Cabaret is a great example of the excellent achievements that middle school students can accomplish. With its many stellar performances, the cabaret surely was an ample showcase of the middle school’s musical talent. Mr. Lal states that he definitely will continue this event. With its great reception and amazing acts, it’s hard to see why he wouldn’t.