The Belleville school choir is preparing for a highly anticipated performance on Thursday, May 20, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at the BHS auditorium, and it’s free to attend.
The theme of the Spring Concert is all things inspiring, uplifting, and positive. Hope. Beauty. Good in the world. The power to change the world, or even just to positively affect our corner of it there are so may theme in this concert but the overall theme I think is why we sing that the theme
Choir teacher Mrs. Hermann spent a lot of time selecting songs and seeking feedback from her students at McBride and BHS. She also surveyed her students to see which really captured their interests. Mrs. Hermann stated, “Selecting each song in this concert was a bit of a process that evolved over time, like a journey. When I started teaching at Belleville this past fall and started to get to know our students, I saw how passionately they connected to musical theater. I saw a wonderful opportunity to give students a great experience singing songs they love by bridging both musical theater and Disney. I asked for student suggestions and input about songs, and I started to see a new theme emerging: a theme of HOPE, or strength, of positivity, and of your ability to make positive changes in your world, and in how music can inspire us in these ways.”
The themes of inspiration and goodness can be seen in the songs and characters selected for the concert. Aladdin overcomes his circumstances and rises above his given station in life by being a genuine, kind person who truly cares for others, especially those less fortunate. ‘”Candle on the Water” is a song about supporting one’s friends in the hardest of times and how our love for one another can sustain us. In “A Million Dreams,” we sing about how the world can be if only we have the courage and vision to make it so. “Sing Out My Soul” talks about the joy the music creates within us and how important it is to stay focused on positive things in life, even when times are hard. “Still I Rise” quotes Maya Angelou’s poem by the same name, and is an inspiring invocation to remember your own strength – we can do hard things, and they make us stronger! This message segues into “Defying Gravity,” where we sing about breaking barriers and doing what no one previously thought was possible.
We wrap up our concert with a song about hope and the power (and responsibility!) young people have to change the world. Our finale number is called “Why We Sing,” which perfectly brings together all of the themes of every song in the concert – it is for all of these reasons that we do this: THIS IS WHY WE SING.
Julianna DeGiorgio Senior at Belleville High School said as she reminisced, “I feel sad. It’s definitely bittersweet because, on one hand, I’m ready to leave high school and start my life, but on the other hand, I’ll miss the friends, the amazing teacher, and the songs. Singing has always held my heart, and choir helped me let loose and learn new things.”
The senior choir members are so grateful for Mrs. Herrmann. She has always encouraged students to try my best and pushed them towards heights they didn’t even know were possible. She adds fun choreography and brings in the middle schools to sing with the high school choir classes. Her hard word does not go unnoticed. Mrs. Hermann has made this concert particularly meaningful because she really wanted to capture student interest and music that touches your soul. This is the last choir concert of the year and the last choir event for Belleville seniors who are graduating in May. Make sure to attend!
