Comps of the Week: 4/11/26

By William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief

The last of this year’s national competitions looms in Branson, and John Burroughs hosts a veritable slew of choirs in Burbank.

FAME National Show Choir Finals

The Lineup

Mixed: Davenport Central (IA) “Central Singers, Inc.”, Edgewood (IN) “Music Warehouse”, El Dorado Springs (MO) “Sound Collage”, Nevada (MO) “Soundsational Singers”, Pacifica (CA) “Encore”

Womens: Edgewood (IN) “Sophisticated Ladies”, Nevada (MO) “Treble Effects”

Seven total choirs will contest the 2026 FAME Finals, tying 2023 for the largest post-pandemic event in the series. It would’ve held that title outright, as Uniondale Rhythm of the Knight was originally on the schedule. ROTK would’ve been one of two choirs with grand championships to their name this year, as they won FAME America in Orlando, but the choir withdrew earlier this week. That leaves Davenport Central as the only choir here with a win this season. CSI has gone four-for-five this season and is the presumptive favorite to claim the championship here. Behind them, the field gets murky. Pacifica is an outfit that moved up from intermediate to advanced ahead of this season. They have definitely faced a learning curve this year, but California advanced show choir is no joke and Encore has a good shot to be runner-up. Edgewood is the other pick for second, as longtime director Verda Slinkard returned recently to work with the group while director Brian Paulsen takes a leave of absence. Slinkard has made plenty of magic happen at Edgewood, the question is just whether she can make it happen in the abbreviated time she has this season. Nevada and El Dorado Springs provide some local flavor to the event; Soundsational Singers previously finished fourth at the 2024 National Finals.

John Burroughs Music Showcase

The Lineup (groups from California unless noted)

Advanced Mixed 1: Burbank “In Sync”, John F. Kennedy “Executive Order”

Advanced Mixed 2: Bonita Vista “The Music Machine”, Chaparral “Platinum FX”, Cypress “High Voltage”, Diamond Bar “Marquis”, Oceanside “Soundwaves”, Valley Vista (AZ) “Vocal Thunder”

Novice Mixed: Cypress “Shock Waves”, Diamond Bar “Diamondtones”, Eisenhower “Ike Singers”, John F. Kennedy “Ambassadors”, Mater Dei “Show Choir”, North Torrance “Northern Lights”, Sandra Day O’Connor (AZ) “Harmonics”, Western Sierra “The Alphas”

Advanced Womens 1: Burbank “Blue Impressions”, John F. Kennedy “First Ladies”

Advanced Womens 2: Bonita Vista “Sound Unlimited”, Cypress “Pink Thunder”, Diamond Bar “Solitaire”, Oceanside “High Seas”, Saugus “Blue Heat”, Valley Vista (AZ) “Tempest”

Novice Womens: Eisenhower “Ikettes”, Western Sierra “Sierra Serenade”

Mens: Cypress “Voltage Unlimited”, Diamond Bar “Radiant”, John F. Kennedy “Secret Service”, Oceanside “Riptides”

The California circuit is one of the few that gets interrupted by Easter in some seasons. That was the case this year, and Music Showcase kicks off the “late season” that also includes the Oceanside Sound-Off and SCVA Spectacular (although the latter usually attracts few big-name choirs). The advanced 1 divisions, which are comprised of Burbank and JFK, will go on Friday night. Prevailing opinion lends itself to a Burbank sweep in mixed and a Kennedy win in womens. Advanced 2 will be the main attraction on Saturday, and it will not disappoint. Diamond Bar and Cypress will see each other for the third time this season. Marquis is 2-0 in those meetings, but High Voltage has not been far behind. Valley Vista makes its first California appearance of the season after placing second at Boulder Creek in late February. Oceanside chose to opt up into advanced mixed, as they would’ve been alone in intermediate mixed. Any noise Soundwaves are able to make will be well-earned. Advanced womens 2 is more of a cobbling together of an advanced and intermediate division, with groups like Saugus and Diamond Bar throwing their hats in the ring alongside Cypress and Bonita Vista. Novice mixed will be a circus on Friday night. A trio of groups that Midwesterners would classify as “prep” groups – JFK Ambassadors, Cypress Shock Waves and Diamond Bar Diamondtones – will pair with a visually-strong Eisenhower, a growing North Torrance program, and a great-when-they’re-on Western Sierra. Two more stories in novice mixed include fourth-year program Sandra Day O’Connor competing outside of Arizona for the first time, and the debut of noted national football powerhouse Mater Dei. Should their performing arts reach a shade of their athletics success, this will go down as the beginning of a successful California show choir program.

Comps of the Week Recap will return early next week to provide analysis on the results from the FAME Finals and John Burroughs, whether they be upsets, chalk, or somewhere in between.