By Todd Travis
The Roncalli show choir team was coming off a record undefeated season last year with high hopes of another great year. The team delivered once again this year, winning five of six grand championships and earning a trip to the state competition. They were even able to advance to compete against the larger division of show choirs and win overall champions for the first time in school history.
The new director, Shannon Masten, along with an experienced team, was able to maintain the standard of excellence the school has worked so hard to achieve. Returning soloist, Ellie Beuning, had another spectacular year as she was able to win best female vocalist and grand champion of the solo competition at the end of the year.
“There was a really cool moment, first of all because she’s my daughter, but also because it kind of sets the tone for the show. It starts with everything looking perfect and then Ellie comes and does a solo about burning down the faćade of the perfect life and being the person you really are. So it completely transforms the show in that moment,” recalls Jenette Beuning, co-president of the Royal Rhapsody Boosters.
The name of the show they performed is called “Perfectly Imperfect.” One of the highlights of the year was when they went to Decatur Central and won the grand championship and advanced to compete against the larger choirs. Being a smaller choir means they would be competing against some groups that were almost twice their size. They went on to win the entire grand championship and defeat the much larger show choirs. This was the first time they were able to accomplish this in school history.
To add even more to their resumé, the team would do the same thing at the Warren Central Circle City Classic. This time they were competing against the nationally ranked Noblesville Singers. Once again, despite their smaller size, they were able to win the entire grand championship and top the year off with another record-breaking victory.
The team will go on this year to compete in the state competition on March 18. While they qualified for the competition last year, they were not able to attend due to schedule conflicts with other events. So this will be the first year the team will go to the state competition. Be sure to cheer the team on as they continue to blaze new trails for Roncalli’s Royal Rhapsody and create a legacy for future members to aspire to reach.
