ACHS Choir Hits High Note with State Honor

By Elizabeth McMahon

Alexandria, VA- It was a “baffling” moment for high school freshman Molly Payne: clutching a candle on the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall stage, Payne and members of the Washington Chorus began the first verse of “Silent Night,” a packed house singing along.

“It was the coolest singing experience I’ve had. I’m not sure anything will come close,” Payne said. “I’ve seen so many performers at the Kennedy Center and I was standing right where they were. It was just amazing.”

Now a sophomore, Payne is one of 42 singers in Alexandria City High School’s Titans Choir women’s treble ensemble, Colore Dolce, which will represent ACHS at the Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA) annual conference in Norfolk on November 21.

Colore Dolce was chosen from among high schools in the VMEA’s 135 divisions. Only two other high school choirs statewide earned the honor.

“We were so fortunate to be selected,” said ACHS Choir Director Theodore Thorpe III. “These are blind auditions–you don’t identify your choir when you apply. The judges get an idea of your skills, they rate them, and at the end of the day the one with the highest score is invited.”

Rehearsals began over the summer with a week-long intensive. The singers are preparing six pieces, ranging from Johann Michael Haydn to vocal jazz arranged by Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder. Senior Kit Vontz said the challenge is “the good kind.”

“Mr. Thorpe always likes to say to the freshman that you have massive shoes to fill, and at first it’s going to seem really daunting, but over the next four years you’re going to grow and be able to fit them,” Vontz said.

Thorpe has rebuilt the choir program since COVID-19, growing it into a nationally recognized force. The Titans have earned top honors at competitions in Orlando, Williamsburg, Allentown, Hershey, and Myrtle Beach, plus a decade of VMEA Blue Ribbon School awards.

Jennifer Quinones, piano accompanist and director of the professional choir Inspiro, said, “Musically, Mr. Thorpe does not water anything down. He expects the same level of craftsmanship and work as the best choirs in the country of any age expect. I respect that greatly.”

For junior Dairyienne Briggs, the recognition reflects the singers’ commitment: “These are my classmates, my colleagues, my family. They are truly some of the best people I’ve met and I love what we’ve built together.”

Catch the Choir in Concert
All shows are free and will be performed at Alexandria City High School.

• 29 – Fall Concert, 7 p.m.
• 18 – VMEA Sendoff Concert, 7 p.m.
• 17 – Winter Concert, 7:30 p.m.