Transcendent Tier Two Choirs of 2025

While varsity-division choirs are often the ones competing for wins and taking much of the attention, there are many smaller groups - whether it be by group size, school enrollment, or some other factor - who also put on showstopping performances but aren't quite household names in the national scene. HomeRoom staff put their heads together and thought that these choirs, who compete in lower divisions in their local circuit, had seasons worthy of recognition this year.

Heartland (Missouri/Kansas/Oklahoma)

Harrisonville Music Makers compete in the 4A, or Tier II division, in Missouri, but one whould absolutely not know that looking at their results. Music Makers made finals at all five of their competitions this season, extending their current finals streak to seven. They placed as high as second, that being achieved at a Smith-Cotton contest where they only lost to Neosho and placed above several competitive groups like Platte County, Pleasant Hill, and Hickman. Another highlight of the season was making finals at Norris, beating out another group featured in this article - Gretna Evolution - to make the finals round. It was a full-circle moment for longtime director Kip Mathew, as his son, Dakota Mathew, is the director of Evolution. - William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief

Illinois

Illinois mainstay Sullivan Singers managed another successful season in Illinois’ festival division in 2025 under director Heather Pistorius. While a third-place finish at Manteno early in the season sowed doubt that the Singers would continue the success they found in 2024, they bounced back a week later at El Paso-Gridley with a big win over most of the Illinois field. They then placed second at Lafayette Jefferson, beating out many of Indiana’s small mixed choirs as well as fellow Illinois group Danville, and ended the season on a high note with a division win and finals appearance at Quincy, beating small mixed groups from Missouri and Iowa as well. Pistorius’ arrival a year ago kickstarted this program into steady improvement, and the future continues to look bright for the Singers. - Dylan Moss, Illinois Contributor

Indiana

Roncalli Royal Rhapsody from Indianapolis has continued its dominant run in the small mixed Indiana circuit, remaining undefeated in that division for the past two seasons. Roncalli swept all major captions awarded this season, closing their season with a grand championship at the state small school finals. At state, they defeated other prominent Indiana small mixed groups, including Huntington North and Pendleton Heights. This year, their 39-member group presented an Ireland-themed show that combines artistry with entertainment while incorporating each element of Irish culture. - Nathan Ensley, Associate Editor

Iowa

Johnston Synergy has always been viewed as one of the top prep groups of Iowa, and they went above and beyond that during the season. With the addition of Stephen Todd to their arsenal, Synergy was undefeated in the prep division across four competitions. Their set included a new backdrop as an addition to their theme, heroes. On and off the stage, Synergy reminded the audience that a true hero is defined by their ability to inspire and lead others. Together they stormed into finals at Linn-Mar and Southeast Polk where they placed sixth and fourth, starting and ending their season at excellent standards. - Arte Reed, Iowa Contributor

Over the past several years, Iowa’s 2A/3A scene has had few groups that dominate the division. This changed in the 2025 season when Bishop Heelan Harmonia Mundi quickly made their way into the Iowa show choir spotlight. Coming off of just one win in 2024, Harmonia Mundi blew audiences and judges away and swept two competitions right off the bat. They went undefeated in every 3A division they competed in–and the success didn’t stop there. Only two groups were able to defeat Bishop Heelan this season, both of which were out-of-state large schools. Harmonia Mundi ended their season with an upset at Westwood Jubilation where they beat Sioux City East, a 4A western Iowa choir who was also having a surprisingly successful season. All eyes were on Bishop Heelan this season and there’s a good chance they’ll be there for years to come. - Ava Sammons, Iowa Contributor

Minnesota

None of the top show choir programs in Minnesota field a second mixed group, so the small mixed scene is really made up of smaller schools who only compete a couple times a year. The standout this year was New Prague Emotion, a program from south of the Twin Cities metro. Emotion only competed once this year, at Totino-Grace, but they knocked off a pair of Wisconsin programs to win the small school division. Not too bad for a group that has choreography done by the students! - William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief

Nebraska

The Tier II division is quite small in Nebraska, with only a few small schools coming up on top. North of Lincoln and west of Omaha, Wahoo Royalty had an impressive season with five performances in finals. Royalty has been consistently improving their record ever since Leighton Ware stepped in as director in 2023. This season was proof of their growth, as they started their season with two fifth-place finishes and ended with a third-place finish at Emmetsburg, which introduced a whole new scene of competition in Iowa. Connecting the start and finish were two fourth-place finishes to add to their record. The direction they are heading towards is excellent for their program, and there is a likely chance there will be more from them in future years. - Arte Reed, Nebraska Contributor

New England

Scranton First Edition had an excellent 2025 season. With three division wins under their belt, they are the ones to watch for in the New England circuit.  Their shows are very energetic and have quick hitter after quick hitter. They always use various genres of music and have very clean choreography, but most importantly, they get right to the point of what their show is all about. It keeps the audience entertained and makes folks see what they want to achieve from the get go. - Michael James Breen, New England Contributor

Natick West Street Singers had some major shifts this year. With a new director and three new choreographers, they still managed to have one of their best seasons ever.  They took two small mixed division wins with Best Vocals and Best Choreography at both Andover and Waltham this year. Natick certainly has secured their spot as top dog in New England small mixed. West Street has been on a steady trajectory upward since their inception on the competition scene in 2022. The true grit and perseverance of trying to make a name within New England has truly shown they are committed to growth year after year. They will definitely be the ones to keep an eye out for within this circuit for the next couple years. - Michael James Breen, New England Contributor

Ohio

There's really no other choice except Euclid Varsity Chorale. The Northcoast-area program has been around for over 30 years, but most of those have been fairly unremarkable (save for electric moments like 2018's candy closer). Last year, the group made finals just once, placing sixth at Sheridan. With no major leadership changes, the group found about five more levels to their performance. Varsity Chorale ripped off an insane three-competition overall win streak, besting a ton of respected small mixed choirs in the process. This ensemble, which counted 24 performers this season, is now on the radar of every program in Ohio, large and small alike, to see what it can do next season. - William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief

South Dakota

The South Dakota show choir scene is relatively small, which makes the small mixed division even smaller. That said, Vermillion Rhythm In Red had a surprisingly good season. Starting by winning their division at the Cavalier Classic, Rhythm In Red would go on to beat multiple well-known Iowa 3A groups like Sioux Center Satisfaction and Emmetsburg High Voltage. This all culminated in the group’s first finals placement of the season at Hinton, where the group took fourth place overall, a successful way for the small school to end their season. - Quinn Masek, Siouxland Contributor

Southern

When it comes to the undercard in the South, there’s two divisions: 1A and 2A. As for 1A, the race between Oxford Sound and West Marion New Era for that top spot is as intense as ever, with West Marion winning their matchup earlier this year. Last year it was Oxford who got the better of the two, but the two seem to be a tight contest no matter when or where they compete, and everyone else in 1A seems to be waiting in line. As for 2A, there seems to be a new front-runner every year (especially after the retirement of the late great Bill Myers from Northeast Jones). This last season? A re-emergence from South Jones Company, a historically rich southern show choir program, followed by a strong Homewood Continuum. Last year was Vestavia Hills and Northeast Jones. Next year? The door is open for anyone. - Tony Holeman, Southern Contributor

Texas

Burleson Centennial Shades of Blue made exponential growth this year under the new direction of Nick Chabot. Shades of Blue placed at two out of three of their competitions this season. The ensemble made finals at Southlake Carroll Showdown, placing seventh overall. They then took home third place at their first-ever out-of-state competition, Brandon Elite. Shades of Blue is an outstanding small mixed group and had a great year for being under new direction. - Kortney Minnick, Texas Contributor 

Virginia

In a scene where most of the attention gets funneled towards Cosby, Manchester, and a random program on a hot streak that particular season, Thomas Dale Knight Scene had a good go of it in AA. The season got better as it went on - after failing to make finals in a season-opening Clover Hill contest, they were third in division at Hanover, second place overall at Cosby, and overall Grand Champions at Manchester. To win The Koste Classic, Thomas Dale had to take down middle mixed contenders Clover Hill and Powhatan as well as large mixed groups Midlothian, Matoaca, Musselman, and Atlee. That win was Knight Scene's first overall sweepstakes since 2018. - William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief

West Coast

While they finished the season as an advanced choir, Carlsbad Sound Express was a big force in intermediate for most of the season. They placed second in division to John Burroughs Sound Waves at Esperanza and Valley Vista, beating programs like Boulder Creek and Golden Valley. When they did move up to advanced at the end of the season, Sound Express proved that they could be there, placing third in a crowded five-choir division and taking Musicianship. Sound Express was on the doorstep of the top flight of advanced mixed before the pandemic, but their program was on life support as recently as 2022. Their growth should be a model for programs looking to rebound from rough times.  - William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief

West Virginia

Poca Visual Volume had quite the season for a true small group (not medium group) by West Virginia standards. VV swept small mixed finals at Winfield and Teays Valley, notching division wins in two different states, and made overall finals at two more competitions. At Capital, they beat another group featured on this list, Oxford Sound from Alabama, to make finals. Stepping up to the championship division at the state contest, Poca was third of five in division, only losing to Hurricane and Winfield. Oh, and their coffee shop show (which closely resembles one of America's largest chains) incorporated 20 different songs through five numbers.

Wisconsin

Bay Port Pandemonious is a program that’s taken a step forward each of its four years in existence. This year was perhaps the biggest step forward. Across a three-competition slate, the group went undefeated in prep, taking down names like Onalaska Express, Neenah Act II, Washburn, Colby, Ashland and Drummond. Their dinosaur-themed set (who doesn’t love that?) also made finals by a comfortable margin at New London and placed fifth, above varsity blue-blood Mayville. With four years of competition experience under its belt and membership in the 30s, all the ingredients were there for success. The Suamico-based ensemble has already announced that they will transition to the varsity division for the 2026 show choir season. - William Soquet, Editor-in-Chief