Local News

Competing with the best

March 23, 2023

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130940241_web1_20230323tp-ISSMA-Show-Choir8 — Pendleton Heights Emerald Suites perform at the ISSMA Show Choir State Finals at Franklin Central High School.

Rob Baker | For The Times-Post

INDIANAPOLIS — Pendleton Heights High School’s Emerald Suites and Pendletones competed at the Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) Show Choir State Finals on Saturday, with highlights including a third-place finish and a Best Visual award.
“The groups had their best performances of the season yet!” Choral Director Erin Archer said in an email to The Times-Post. “It was really beautiful to see and hear and I could not be more proud!”
The event took place in The Robert L. Mason Auditorium at Franklin Central High School in Indianapolis. Show choirs received placement trophies and caption awards and caption awards for Best Vocals, Best Visual and Best Instrumental Group.
Emerald Suites tied for third place in the State Small School — Unisex Division, which had nine groups competing.

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Northridge Starlights of Middlebury took first place in the division, while Huntington North Viking Volume took second place. The other third-place finisher was New Palestine High School’s Diamond Sensations.
Emerald Suites’ show was titled “When One Door Closes, Another One Opens” and included the songs “New York Medley,” “My Own Monster,” “One More Light,” “Could Have Been Me” and “Love Yourself/Canned Heat.”
Pendletones finished as a finalist (fifth out of nine groups) in the Small School — Mixed Division. It also received the Best Visual honor.
Northridge’s Northern Lights placed first in that division. Roncalli, Huntington North and New Castle followed.
Pendletones’ show was was titled “Into The Night” and included the songs “Way Down We Go/Evil in the Night,” “In The Air Tonight/Edge of Midnight,” “Hold My Hand,” “Never Close Our Eyes/The Other Side/Gimme Gimme Gimme” and “All Night Long/Turn The Beat Around/Dancing With The DJ.”
“Unfortunately, we did not place like we would have wanted to,” Archer said. “However, Emerald Suites placed third in the state and Pendletones placed fifth in the state and were awarded the best visuals in the state!”
Both groups finished first at state last year and won Best Vocals and Best Visual honors.
Emerald Suites first competed at state in 2018 and has qualified every year there’s been a state competition since, Archer said.
There were no state finals in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic, she said.
Prior to this year, Emerald Suites finished, in chronological order, ninth, sixth, third and first.
Pendletones qualified for state in 2014 (placing ninth), 2016 (ninth), 2018 (fifth), 2019 (fourth) and 2022 (first).
In addition to the two small-school divisions, there are two large-school divisions. The Fishers Sound won the unisex division, and the host school’s FC Singers won the mixed division.
Pendleton Heights has other choral groups, including New Edition (JV unisex show choir), Added Attraction (mixed chamber choir) and Accents (mixed concert choir).

Some of the parents help set up the props before the Pendleton Heights Emerald Suites perform at the ISSMA Small School Show Choir Finals at Franklin Central High School.