From Friday, December 15th through Sunday, December 17th, Chorale and the Jills performed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at the Detroit Orchestra Symphony Hall, along with the Grosse Pointe South High School Choir.

“During the performance itself, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra performs the first half full of orchestra Christmas music,” said junior and Chorale member Claire Spender. “[In] the second half, the choirs sing some songs with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.”

The performance has a special meaning to performers, such as Spender, who have “always loved performing.”

“Performing is an amazing experience. I have always loved performing with a choir,” said Spender. “I love getting to sing my heart out and providing an exciting and enjoyable concert for the audience.”

Junior and Chorale member Grace Stafford explains that the performance is “something to look forward to every year.”

“From the first day that we are accepted into these choirs, we are preparing to sing with the DSO,” said Stafford. “We are one of the only schools that gets to perform with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the experience is amazing.”

According to Spender, the preparation for a performance like this is “intense” and “filled with long days and tiring rehearsals.”

“For the past month, we have been working on all our music for the DSO performance,” said Spender. “A lot of the time, Mrs. Riley splits us up into SATB (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) sections to work on our music individually.”

Jessica Riley, the Bloomfield Hills Chorale and Jills music teacher, adds on to that and explains the preparation that goes into getting the kids ready for a concert this big.

“It is a lot of work. It is right after the musical so the kids are exhausted and we have a collage concert we are preparing for as well. It is internse for the kids cause there is a lot of material coming their way,” said Riley.

Nonetheless, Riley looks forward to the event explaining how, “It is always a really cool experience.”

“The DSO musicians are of course really professional and expect their time to be used wisely but they are always wonderful to our kids and very complimentary,” said Riley. “The kids get to work in that professional environment which is really important.”

Stafford adds that “working with the DSO was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I will never forget. It was one of the best events she has ever attended for choir.”

“Being able to bring our music to an orchestra that hundreds of people listen to is amazing,” said Stafford. “Being able to sing with a world-renowned Orchestra, along with amazing conductors and other talented singers is something that I will never forget.”