The Alliance High School Jetsetters will celebrate their 10th year of competition history this weekend at the Royal Aviation Show Choir Competition at Alliance High School. Although the group has been in existence since at least the 1980’s, they began competing in the year 2013 under the direction of Carrie Chunat.
\r\nIn their relatively short competition history, the group has traveled to over three states and have represented the district at 40 competitions. The Jetsetters are frequent award winners and have brought home 45 trophies over the past ten years. Known for their highly energetic and entertaining performances, the Jetsetters are frequent crowd favorites.
\r\nThis Saturday, the group will host 13 other show choirs from Ohio and West Virginia, including one show choir attending their very first show choir competition
\r\n“It’s amazing to come full circle,” says director of the Jetsetters, Carrie Chunat. “We are only competing now because ten years ago a competition in Twinsburg invited us to attend for the first time. The Alliance kids were amazed by what they saw, and decided to jump in head first to the world of competitive show choir.”
\r\nAlthough the Jetsetters placed dead last at their first competition ten years ago, they returned the following year to win first place in the small school division and fifth runner-up overall.
\r\nThis Saturday’s competition will begin at 9 am with a performance by Walsh Jesuit High School’s “Harmony Gold,” and performances will continue every half hour. Besides Walsh, there are groups performing from River Valley High School, Euclid High School, Musselman High School (WV), Licking Valley High School, Kenton High School, Jonathan Alder High School, and North Royalton High School. This year’s competition also includes three middle schools in a special middle school division: Kenton Middle School, River Valley Middle School, and Martinsburg South Middle School (WV).
\r\nAt 4 pm the Alliance Middle School Show Choir (although not a competitive group) will perform in the exhibition, followed by our special guests, Lakeside High School “Melodica.” This is the first competition appearance for Melodica, and they have chosen to perform in exhibition only. The Alliance High School Jetsetters will take the stage at 5 pm.
\r\n5:30 pm daytime awards will be presented by division, and the top five choirs will be named as finalists for the Grand Champion title.
\r\nThe champion middle school group will perform for a second time to kick off the finals competition at 7 pm, and they will then be followed by the five finalist high school choirs. The high school choirs are all working towards winning a Grand Champion trophy that stands over five-feet tall, and individual medals for each choir member. The director of the winning group is awarded a crown to keep, and they will be dressed in a “royal cloak” for the remainder of their time in the building. The names of all Grand Champion groups are embroidered on the cloak each year.
\r\n“Every year I am overwhelmed by the community’s response to this event,” says Chunat. “Our trophies are all donated by area businesses and individuals, and we are grateful for the support we feel from this community. Alliance is a great place to live and it’s our pleasure to show off this town and school to these visitors.”
\r\nThis is the fourth year the Jetsetters have hosted a competition, and proves to be the biggest event yet with the largest number of choirs in attendance.
\r\nTickets for this event are available at the door. Daytime show wristbands are available for $12 and will allow admittance to all performances from 9 am to 5 pm. Finals show wristbands are available for $12 and will allow admittance to all performances from 7 pm through 11 pm, or an all-day wristband to attend all performances is for sale for $20.
\r\nAdditionally an “Alliance Ticket” is available at the door for $5, and will allow admittance to Alliance Middle School’s performance at 4:00 pm, Lakeside Melodica at 4:20 pm, and Alliance High School Jetsetters at 5:00 pm.
\r\nThe performances will also be live streamed by the school district. More information below:
\r\n- Daytime Performances - $5
- Afternoon Performances - $5
- Final Performances - $5
Several local food trucks will be selling food along the Glamorgan Street side of the school from 10 am to 7 pm, and concessions will also be available inside from a variety of local businesses.