Illinois Enjoys the Prime of Its Season With Comps at Hersey and Glenwood

By Dylan Moss, Illinois contributor

Illinois has finally entered the prime of it’s season, as after a busy two-comp weekend last week, this weekend features two more marquee Illinois events. John Hersey and Glenwood both feature major matchups with top Illinois groups, as well as some out of state flavor thrown in. These events will be vital to groups wanting to end their season on the right foot, and the tone will be set for the end here.

John Hersey Chicagoland Showcase

The Lineup (choirs from Illinois unless noted)

Mixed Division 

Perrysburg “The Swarm” (OH)

Manteno “Magic”

Naperville North “Entourage” 

Waubonsie Valley “Sound Check”

Noblesville “NHS Singers” (IN)

El Paso-Gridley “Modulations”

Chesterton “Sandpipers” (IN)

Wheaton North “Flight”

Festival Mixed

Peotone “Powerhouse”

Carmel Catholic “Cadence”

Single-Gender

Naperville North “Vivant”

Waubonsie Valley “Resonance”

El Paso-Gridley “Hi-Fidelity”

Noblesville “New Dimension” (IN)

Chesterton “Drifters” (IN)

After taking a hiatus last season, the John Hersey Chicagoland Showcase is back in full force, featuring a lineup of top Illinois groups as well as groups from Indiana and Ohio joining the party. At the top, defending champion Wheaton North is looking to cement their place as the number one group in Illinois with a win here, however this will be a challenging lineup that will nip at their heels, and they will need one of their best shows to put a stamp on it.

Noblesville has gotten great results this season, including a sweep last weekend at Huntington North and taking the vocal caption off powerhouse Solon, and are in a good position to continue that here. El Paso-Gridley, coming off a sweep at Manteno, has been a visual powerhouse this season, however haven’t quite gotten their foot down vocally. They have had a few weeks of practice and a host performance since their last competition however, and could definitely make some serious waves here. Chesterton has also been successful, as they haven’t left the podium yet this season, but this will be the most in-depth lineup they have faced so far. The Sandpipers have seen plenty of success here in the past, however, and should be right in the thick of the competition.

Naperville North’s season hasn’t quite gone to plan so far, as they have missed finals at both of their competitions so far. However, Entourage still has the potential for a comeback, and a finals berth here would certainly be a great starting point. Waubonsie and Manteno are solid Illinois groups and will be neck and neck, and the matchup may decide who makes finals between the two groups. Finally, Perrysburg out of Ohio enters on the outside looking in for finals, but certainly can't be counted out to make a surprise.

In festival mixed, Carmel Catholic will look to take their first division win in program history, but will need to fend off Peotone to do so. Cadence turned some heads earlier at El Paso when they took a surprise fourth place in a loaded field, so they are certainly in the driver's seat for the win.

In single-gender, a red-hot EPG Hi Fidelity will face their greatest challenge yet this season, as they face a slew of very strong single-gender groups. However, HiFi has proven their strength time after time this season, and will be ready to answer the call. Chesterton Drifters are the defending champions, and have two division wins to their name. They know how to succeed here, and will be an incredibly strong challenger. Much like their mixed group, Naperville Vivant is looking for a getback after placing last in their division their last two outings. Vivant has also been successful here, and are in a solid position for a surprise attack. While Noblesville New Dimension is coming off a finals miss last weekend, they have also seen success this season, including an overall finals berth at Davenport Central, and are absolutely capable of making some noise here. Finally, Waubonsie Resonance will likely be ranked fifth going in, but they have had some solid showings so far, and could still make some noise.

Final Predictions

Predictions represent the opinion of this contributor and not of HomeRoom Show Choir.

GC: Wheaton North “Flight” (BV)

1RU: Noblesville “NHS Singers” 

2RU: El Paso-Gridley “Modulations” (BC)

3RU: Chesterton “Sandpipers” (BB)

4RU: Naperville North “Entourage”

5RU: Waubonsie Valley “Sound Check”

Festival Mixed

1st Carmel Catholic “Cadence” (BV/BC)

2nd: Peotone “Powerhouse”

Single Gender

1st: El Paso-Gridley “Hi Fidelity” (BC)

2nd: Chesterton “Drifters” (BV)

3rd: Noblesville “New Dimension”

4th: Naperville North “Vivant”

5th: Waubonsie Valley “Resonance”

Glenwood The Event

The Lineup (groups from Illinois unless noted)

Mixed Division

Marquette “Center Stage” (MO)

Mt. Zion “Swingsations”

Clinton “Attaché” (MS)

Festival Mixed

Springfield “Collage” 

Crete-Monee “Cavaliers”

Sullivan “Singers”

Pekin “The Noteables”

Single Gender

Mt. Zion “You’ve Got Male” 

Westfield “Illumination” (IN)

Mt. Zion “Les Femmes” 

In a small but mighty large mixed division, Clinton Attaché makes their semi-regular trip up to Glenwood to face off against some solid Illinois competition. Attaché needs no introduction, if there’s one thing they don’t do, it’s lose, holding a historic winning streak that started all the way back in 2013. This is a streak they will most likely continue, as the level of competition here won’t be quite enough to challenge the titan of titans. Mt. Zion will look to take their fourth podium placement in a row, a streak which would be a huge win for them in their first season under Christina Cawthon. Marquette hasn’t had the season they have wanted so far, having not made finals yet in some tough fields, but they will be a favorite for finals here, and if all goes well, may be in for a podium placement.

Festival mixed features a solid division of showdowns and storylines. At the top is a rematch between Crete and Sullivan, two groups who have been consistently in the top three of the Illinois festival division. Sullivan came out on top at their last meeting, however this division is known to change week to week, and with these two quality groups, anything can happen. Going down, Pekin is entering their final competition as a competitive group, and they will certainly be looking to go out with a bang. On the other end of that spectrum, Springfield Collage is entering only their second competition as a competitive group. While they are likely to end up in the bottom half, if they are able to take down a more established group in Pekin, that would be a good omen for the future of Collage.

In the single-gender division, Mt. Zion’s two groups face their biggest challenge yet this season when Indiana powerhouse Westfield rolls into town. Westfield has quickly risen to be a top Indiana single-gender group in the past two seasons, this season notching two division wins and a spot in a three-choir finals in a loaded Chesterton field, and will look to continue that streak with a win here. Mt. Zion You’ve Got Male has also been on a generational run as of late, making overall finals at their last two comps and beating top single gender and mixed groups. A win here would cement them as a powerhouse, and would be insane momentum in the home stretch of their season. Les Femmes still is looking for their spark this season, however they beat a solid competitor in Sparta Rise Of Adrenaline at their last comp, and are known to pop off here at Glenwood. If they can find their “it” factor here, it could be a strong tide turning moment in their season.

Predictions (four overall mixed finalists, two single-gender finalists)

Large Mixed

GC: Clinton “Attache” (BV,BC)

1RU: Mt. Zion “Swingsations”

2RU: Marquette “Center Stage”

Festival Mixed

GC: Sullivan “Singers” (BC)

1RU: Crete-Monee “Cavaliers” (BV)

2RU: Pekin “The Noteables” 

3RU: Springfield “Collage

Single Gender

GC: Westfield “Illumination” (BV)

1RU: Mt. Zion “You’ve Got Male” (BC)

2RU: Mt. Zion “Les Femmes”