Something has been happening quietly inside Galesburg High School the past couple of years. The choir and theater programs have exploded in size — and the students behind that growth are about to take the stage in a big way.
GHS Director of Choirs and Theatre Lucy Rieke joined Galesburg's Morning News along with GHS juniors Josh Cobb and Jordan Bowton to talk about the program's growth, the rise of vocal jazz, and the upcoming spring musical, Mamma Mia.
A program on the rise
The GHS choir program has doubled in size over the past two years, and the theater department has more than doubled. Rieke credits a deliberate culture shift inside the program — and the foundation built by fifth- through eighth-grade choir director Dana Corey.
"I tell the kids every single day, I care about the way that you treat each other way more than you being high achieving," Rieke said. The result: students are recruiting their friends, and the program keeps growing.
Vocal jazz takes off
A key driver of that growth has been the vocal jazz program. Rieke launched the first vocal jazz ensemble last year and drew 20 auditions. This year, 40 students auditioned — and she added a second ensemble to meet the demand. Each ensemble has 16 members, with every student singing on a microphone and accompanied by a live jazz rhythm section.
Jordan said she was drawn in after watching the vocal jazz group perform last year. "I ended up trying out and I got into the highest one," she said. "I enjoy it so much — the people there are so kind, so supportive."
Summer Vocal Jazz Institute
This summer, GHS will host the area's first Summer Vocal Jazz Institute — June 9, 10, and 11. The camp is open to all students entering grades nine through 12 in the Galesburg area and surrounding communities. Registration is available at the Vocal Jazz Institute website.
Mamma Mia — April 17, 18, and 19
The GHS theater department will stage Mamma Mia on April 17, 18, and 19 at the Hegg Performing Arts Center. The production carries special meaning — GHS was prepared to stage the show in 2020 before the pandemic shut it down.
"We want to honor those cast and crew members who didn't get to take their final bows," Rieke said. Any cast or crew member from the 2020 production will receive free admission and a special button recognizing their contributions.
Josh plays Bill, one of the three dads in the show. Jordan is in the ensemble and understudies two roles, and is also one of the show's dancers. Technical director Russ Ullrich has designed what Rieke described as the largest set in GHS history.
Tickets are available at the door.
Coming up
All five GHS high school choirs perform at the final choir concert of the year on May 5 at 7 p.m. Next year, GHS will add its first Musical Theatre Ensemble, a new group designed to bridge choral music and theatrical performance.
