PHS Choir wraps up an eventful year with Cabaret Night

PHS Choir ended the year with a final performance: Cabaret Night. Both teachers and students dedicated hours of preparation in and out of school to make it a night to remember. Cabaret Night is the last performance for all of the seniors in PHS Choir, many of whom have been in the program for their entire high school careers. For many juniors and sophomores, it is an exciting opportunity to perform, with many people coming for the end of year music show.

PHS Choir started preparation after the spring concert in April, with music directors Sarah Pelletier and Vincent Metallo working with the students in school, as well as working with featured singers outside of class.

“I’m nervous for my solo ... because I’ve never soloed at PHS before, but I’m also really excited for that because it will be a fun opportunity. And I just really like all the music that they picked out, so that’ll be fun to sing together,” said Avery Bahr ’26, a member of PHS Choir.

Unlike other concerts, where the music is chosen by Pelletier and Metallo, choir students were able to shape the event’s program by giving input on songs they wanted to perform.

“The students can make suggestions on artists or bands or musical theater pieces ... we look at their suggestions, we look at what they auditioned with, and then we put together a program,” said Pelletier.

The many pieces being performed included selections from “La La Land,” like “City of Stars,” as well as songs by Noah Kahan, Fiona Apple, Annie Lennox and more.

Cabaret Night is unique for its emphasis on featuring as many individual singers as possible, in contrast to most of PHS Choir’s other concerts. This year, 54 students sang solos, duets, or in small groups, backed by the choir, with each chosen for their unique voices. There were five full choir numbers, including “Walking On Sunshine” by Katrina And The Waves and “Walking On Broken Glass” by Annie Lennox.

Choir students were given more freedom and responsibility in helping to bring the event together and make their performances something to be proud of compared to other concerts.

“There’s not a lot of structured preparation; it’s a lot of you putting in your own time and knowing your schedule. The students are really given agency within the guidelines,” said soloist Alexis Colvin ’25.

As the final show of the year, the evening offered a bittersweet goodbye for students and teachers.

“After the spring concert [the students] are usually sad, and I tell them we’re not done yet, but at this one we are done ... but the fun thing is usually a ton of alums come to Cabaret and it’s really great to see them,” said Pelletier.

For students, the concert also provided an opportunity reflect on the past year and celebrate talent in the group.

“[Cabaret Night] is a really cool way to end off choir for the year because there’s a big mix of different music and it’s really cool to hear all of my choir friends get to sing solos,” said Sylvia Schreiber ’26, a PHS choir member.