New Van Buren Knight Music Event Kicks Off 2026 Ohio Show Choir Season

By Michael McHargh, Ohio contributor

Since 2016, Beavercreek has been well established as Ohio’s opening competition each season but for 2026, Van Buren is debuting their inaugural competition, Knight Music, and has claimed the title of the season opener. 

Although Van Buren features just a seven-choir lineup, this competition will be a great way for each of the performing choirs to get a solid head start on their competitive seasons. They will take six finalists, with the top six scoring groups performing in reverse placement order in finals (sixth-place prelims group performs first, first-place prelims group performs sixth). 

The Lineup

Mens

Marion Harding "Singers Xtreme"

Small Mixed

Euclid “Varsity Chorale”

Strongsville “Mustang Express”

Teays Valley “Prominent Rendition”

Large Mixed

Lebanon “Singers”

Marion Harding “Harding Singers”

Piqua “The Company”

Mens

Singers Xtreme was Ohio’s first mens show choir and is the last one remaining after Hamilton’s CrescenDudes folded at the end of the 2023 season. Without any competition in division, Xtreme's sole focus is starting off the day strong and securing a spot in finals.   

Small Mixed

The small mixed division brings a matchup that has already taken place this season, Strongsville and Teays Valley, with the addition of Euclid, who has yet to compete. Strongsville has had a few hot moments since the pandemic, such as winning their program's first-ever Grand Championship at Walsh Jesuit in 2024. Since then, the group has not made a finals appearance or placed in their respective division. Mustang Express looked to change that this season with their seventh consecutive showing at Ada but were unsuccessful in ending that streak.

However, Teays Valley is gaining their footing with their newer creative team and it shows. Last season they had three finals appearances amongst some Ohio and West Virginia’s top small mixed choirs. This year they have continued that success with a great showing at Ada, placing well over Strongsville and placing fourth overall in finals. However, a scheduling conflict in the group means that Prominent Rendition will only perform in prelims and will not compete for a spot in finals.

As for Euclid, they had an epic resurgence in the small mixed scene last season, earning their program's first Grand Championship at Walsh Jesuit, followed by two more at Sissonville and Alliance, all while handily beating both Teays Valley and Strongsville in the process. They hope to maintain that same success this year and this season opener is a great way to do so.

Large Mixed

All three choirs in the large mixed division are debuting their competition shows this weekend, but it is not impossible to speculate on how this division may turn out. The Lebanon Singers enter their third year with their new creative team and are looking to get back to the success that they had in earlier seasons. They ran a tough gambit of competitions the past few years against many other large mixed choirs, so this is a great opportunity for them to make some noise.

Marion Harding also faced many solid choirs last season, so they are likely looking to brush themselves off and get back into true form. After a season featuring losses to several womens and small mixed choirs from Ohio and West Virginia, the Harding Singers have a lot to prove this season.

The final large mixed group and likely favorite is Piqua’s The Company. The Company came back to the scene in a huge way after the pandemic, having beaten almost every choir in the state of Ohio except for Marysville in the past four seasons. In a smaller field such as this one, it is safe to assume that Piqua will make light work of their competitors and have their sights set on sweeping this competition to set them up for a strong showing next week at Beavercreek. 

Finals

As previously mentioned, Van Buren will be taking six finalists, and since Teays Valley will not compete in the evening, the field is already set. This competition is Piqua’s to lose so the expectation is a win at the very least, if not a sweep. Second through fifth, however, is less obvious. The Harding Singers are the more obvious of the remaining choirs but they have fallen to some small mixed choirs in recent history, so their place on the podium is not for certain. Euclid, Lebanon, and Teays Valley are likely contenders for that last spot on the podium based off of recent performances but again, as early in the season as this is, it could be anyone's game. As for Strongsville and Singers Xtreme, this is a great opportunity for them to prove that they have what it takes to pull of some impressive upsets and snag a spot in finals.