Virginia Small Mixed Is Anyone's Game in 2026

By Cole McConnell, Virginia Contributor

Stock image. Photo: Derrick Knight

The upcoming Virginia show choir season is set to be a very competitive one, with names like Cosby and Manchester taking most of the headlines. However, there’s a huge battle brewing in small mixed as well. Several division regulars fought each other several times over the course of the 2025 season, leading to some interesting results at competitions across the calendar:

Clover Hill (February 15) – 1^st William A. Hough (NC) “Howlin’ Huskies”, 2^nd James River “Current Edition”

Thomas Dale (February 22) – 1^st Amherst County “Amherechos”, 2^nd Glen Allen “Vocal Eclipse”

Hanover & Mechanicsville (March 1) – 1^st Glen Allen “Vocal Eclipse”

Cosby (March 8) – 1^st Amherst County “Amherechos”, 2^nd James River “Current Edition”, 3^rd Poquoson “Evolution”

Manchester (March 15) – 1^st Hanover “Sound FX”, 2^nd Poquoson “Evolution”, 3^rd Frederick (MD) “High Fidelity”, 4^th Voyager Academy (NC) “Bull City Lights”

Powhatan (March 22) – 1^st Poquoson "Evolution", 2^nd Amherst County “Amherechos”, 3^rd James River “Current Edition”, 4^th Henrico “Company 302”

Totaled below are the placements of groups who competed in at least two competitions (groups are sorted alphabetically):

Amherst County “Amherechos” – 1^st, 1^st, 2^nd

Glen Allen “Vocal Eclipse” – 1^st, 2^nd

James River “Current Edition” – 2^nd, 2^nd, 3^rd

Poquoson “Evolution” – 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd

As the results above prove, the Virginia small mixed circuit was all over the place last season and expect to see comparable results this season. Below are previews for the five groups competing for the small mixed crown this season.

Amherst County “Amherechos” – As one of the only groups in the entire state that competes out of a place west of Richmond, the Amherechos are coming off one of their best years in program history from their “A Hero's Journey” show. Compromised of only 15 singer/dancers last year, they still took home two first place performances in a valiant effort. It was the group’s first time since 2016 with multiple division wins. Looking forward to the upcoming season, it will be interesting to watch how long-tenured director Melanie Coleman can take on the challenge of graduating over half the group. Additionally, the Amherechos brought on a new choreographer, Lilli Davidson, and assistant director, Aliza Nogueras, who will help with their show band, for the 2026 season so they will be the group to watch and see if they can continue their success from 2025.

Glen Allen “Vocal Eclipse” – The 2025 competition season was a slight down year for Vocal Eclipse, as they had two first place finishes in the 2024 season, as well as a Best Vocals caption. However, their pirate-themed show had a unique intro that captured audiences. Although they graduated several seniors, in the upcoming year, Vocal Eclipse will be comprised of 16 singer/dancers for their 2026 season. Led by director Sherri Matthews, expect Vocal Eclipse to produce another high-quality show and be a scrappy and stiff competitor in a wide-open small mixed scene. Additionally, for their first time ever, Vocal Eclipse brought in a non-student choreographer, Ryan Shapiro, to help build their show. Vocal Eclipse will be seeking a return to their 2024 form and look to capture more tier 3 championships.

Hanover “Sound FX” – A 2010s Virginia powerhouse, Sound FX has not produced the same numbers in the last couple of years, however their shows always deliver. Sound FX competed in both medium mixed and small mixed last year with their Kentucky Derby-themed show, however, they saw their best success in small mixed when they won at Manchester, sweeping all captions. Expect Hanover to compete in the small mixed circuit exclusively this season. They could be a force to be reckoned with since the last time they competed exclusively in small mixed, 2024, they went four-for-four, also sweeping the majority of captions. Additionally, second-year director Grayson Parker brings in a year of experience under his belt alongside experienced choreographer Austin Rosenberg.

James River “Current Edition” – When most people think of James River show choir, they normally associate it with the womens group, Anything Goes; however, in 2025, director Cathern Hazelwood brought back the mixed group, Current Edition, for the first time since 2014. Their showtime/Hollywood-themed show was very well executed, and they progressed very well throughout the year. The members clearly worked extremely hard to improve and now with a year of experience under their belt, and with 21 singer/dancers, Current Edition could be in for a big year in 2025.

Poquoson “Evolution” – It does not get much better than going from a third place at your first competition to winning the division by your third competition. It also does not get much better than picking up your first win in four years, or winning captions for the first time since the group was revived. Second year director Rose Reid did a tremendous job and made an entertaining show, whether it was the bright red suits, the money briefcases, or the inflatable dog, the audience never knew what was going to come next. An increase in numbers of singer/dancers, 22 this year, and continued support from choreographers Ren Hinchey and Markida Williams, as well as stage crew and show band direction from Branson Matheson, should also boost the already momentum-filled Evolution and they will look to continue to build on their winning streak as the 2026 season starts.

There is a legitimate world where one group is dominant and sweeps the scene, however there is a bigger chance that all five of these groups will split the placements and captions many times throughout the Virginia circuit. In an ideal world, four or all five of these groups show up at the same competition, creating a scenario where one choir is crowned the de facto best of the division. It will be up to each group to bring a show worthy of that to the stage.