Alyssa Nance, a junior at F.W. Buchholz High School, was in a dreamlike state when she first stepped onto the grand stage of Carnegie Hall.
Nance, 16, and the other choir members were nervous about performing at such an intimidating location but knew they had done everything in their power to prepare for this moment.
Their fears were quelled when they received a standing ovation.
Thirty-six members of the Buchholz High School Chorus, consisting of male and female high school students and a couple of alumni, performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City from Friday to Tuesday.
The performance was part of the Masterwork Series, a series of performances reserved for collegiate, professional and upper-level high school choirs. Buchholz was one of only two high schools nationally to gain admission into the program and was the largest choral group there.
Buchholz choir director Rhea Skaggs said the group was accepted within two hours of submitting a recording.
“(The choir) literally screamed and jumped out of their seats when I told them,” Skaggs said.
After the initial acceptance in May 2017, Skaggs said the choir received their music, the “Missa Brevis in C major” by Mozart, in December 2017 and spent the next six months rehearsing every day.
The music was written in Latin, so the choir spent time learning the rhythms, vocabulary, notes and text within the composition, Skaggs said.
“The rehearsals were very tedious; we worked on a lot of small things,” Nance said. “We all knew we had a goal in mind, which made us work harder.”
The choir also had to raise about $100,000 for 53 people including students and chaperones to attend, Skaggs said.
Choir member and Buchholz junior Natalie Arlene Brooks, 16, said the chorus participated in fundraisers selling items such as cheesecake and candy to raise as much money as possible.
Skaggs said Buchholz has never done something like this. She wanted to show students there’s a whole other world to discover outside of Alachua County.
“When you stand on stage and you look out at Carnegie Hall and hear the acoustics, it really can be life changing,” Skaggs said. “There’s so many opportunities and hard work and chaos that can get (the students) to amazing places.”
Skaggs plans to continue participating in events like the Masterwork Series and even organize a one- or two-week European Tour.
Students such as Brooks and Nance said they will stay in chorus throughout high school and after. They both emphasized their love for choir and were thrilled to have performed at Carnegie Hall.
“This program that Ms. Skaggs has brought up is an amazing program, and we wouldn’t of been able to get here without her.” Nance said.
Follow Dana Cassidy on Twitter @danacassidy_ and contact her at dcassidy@alligator.org.
