From the day that it was made, Encore has been a beacon of hope for choir members and a great way to strengthen the HHS community. Initially starting out as a group for the MICCA (Massachusetts Instrumental Choral and Conductors Association) Festival in the spring of 2024 and officially given its current name in the autumn of that same year, this club has been and will continue to be one of the most important driving forces for both the Chorus community and the Arts program as a whole. In preparation for the club’s second anniversary (and also to boost more support for it), you will read about general information about the Encore, what a typical meeting looks like, and personal accounts from the people involved in the club.

Before we jump into inspiring and motivational quotes about the club, we have to set the stage. Every Monday from 6:00 to 7:00 at night, this small group meets in the Chorus Room (Room 197). After some conversation, everybody sits down and sings a song chosen by Mr. Landis, the Choral Director for grades 6 to 12. Staying true to the club’s original purpose, these songs will be perfected and taken to MICCA in the Spring. Currently, they are working on the songs “Shenandoah” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.” In addition to those songs, Mr. Landis has a few special selections planned. When asked what he had in mind, Mr Landis responded saying, “I’m thinking about two songs that I want to do. The first is ‘Love Never Leaves’ by Jacob Narverud. The second is ‘Witness’ by Greg Gilpin.” This repertoire is a marvel to look forward to, and I can’t wait to see it be sung at the next concert!

In addition to fantastic songs, Encore’s purpose sets it apart from most clubs at Hingham High School. As opposed to the usual HHS club, Encore is open to everyone from grades 7 to 12. This notable distinction is a result of one of Encore’s main purposes. When asked what his main goals were and what inspired him to found Encore, Mr. Landis said that he “had two main goals for Encore. [He] wanted the club to build connections between middle schoolers and high schoolers and also to recruit more people to take Chorus.” Even after two years, this sentiment for the club’s purpose was a great success. When asking Izzie Donnelly, Co-President of Chorus, about what she liked about Encore, here is what she had to say: “I think what I like best about Encore is how it forms connections between the middle schoolers and high schoolers. I think that it really helps incoming freshmen transition nicely into Chorus at the High School!” Furthermore, Mr. Landis backs up Izzie’s statement later in his interview, commenting on how “most of the freshmen this year took Encore last year.” As a bit of a personal story to connect to what Izzie and Mr. Landis said, Encore has done wonders for me at the high school. Back when the club first launched with its new name near the end of my seventh-grade year, I barely knew any of the high schoolers. However, I eventually became friends with a lot of upperclassmen such as Breanna Weiss, Reese Warshaw, and Izzie herself. Without Encore, I wouldn’t have made all of these friends, and I would have been much less confident in my singing abilities than I am now.

Not only does Encore welcome all grades, but as Mr. Landis stated in his interview, “everyone who takes a music class like Band, Orchestra, or Chorus can join.” Unfortunately, the size of the group is smaller than most clubs, with this year only having around ten or eleven students currently participating. However, this brings its own set of advantages. When asked about what it was like to teach a smaller group, Mr Landis responded: “I found that when you teach a small group like Encore, you get a feel for everyone’s voices easier than you would in a larger group. That way, you can more easily improve their singing and have them sound a lot better.” As Mr. Landis says, Encore succeeds as a small group because, as opposed to Concert Chorale, the choir’s voices can be listened to more closely, allowing for an overall richer sound. Not only that, but the club’s smaller size compared to other clubs at HHS allows high schoolers and middle schoolers to connect with each other easier. 

In conclusion, Encore is not only a place to sing heartfelt songs, but it is also a way to reignite Chorus in Hingham Public Schools and an opportunity to bridge the gap between HMS and HHS. From its inception, Encore has helped freshmen become comfortable with the High School and its students, taken singers to new heights through MICCA, and sparked hope for Chorus in Hingham as a whole. I hope that over time, Encore will stay a strong club at the high school and, as Izzie said in her interview, “I hope that in the future, Encore will continue to help middle schoolers and high schoolers connect with each other!”