West Virginia Choirs Split Between Robert C. Byrd and Capital This Weekend
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By Tonya Chase, West Virginia contributor
This week West Virginia will host multiple competitions, giving choirs from the eastern panhandle counties to the most western reaches a chance to compete for a Grand Championship. Luckily, the weather that plagued the Appalachians at the beginning of the year with ice and snow has taken a tentative pause, allowing Robert C. Byrd and Capital High School to keep the season going.
Robert C. Byrd Vocalfest
Show choirs from around the region will be making the trip to Robert C. Byrd as fourteen choirs across all divisions travel to Clarksburg for Vocal Intensity’s Vocalfest. Six finalists will be chosen across five different divisions. This competition will have eastern panhandle schools Musselman Kaleidoscope, Jefferson Pop Singers, and Martinsburg Good Times and Glitz going against I-64 corridor schools Poca Visual Volume, Nitro Showcats, and Cabell Midland Rhythm in Red. Fairfield Choraliers will be crossing the Ohio plains hoping to catch the competition in their Charlotte’s Web-themed show. They bring with them their single-gender choir, Pure Elegance, whose Clue show will keep the audience guessing. Scranton First Edition, a medium-sized choir from Pennsylvania, will be looking for another divisional championship for their shelf. The most heavily contested category will be the small division comprised of five choirs, some of which have yet to compete due to weather-related cancelations.
Predictions
Predictions represent the opinion of this contributor and not of HomeRoom Show Choir.
This is the competition where Fairfield could get a one-two punch with the mixed group, Choraliers, taking Grand Champion. After the Loveland Showfest, where Choraliers took third overall and Pure Elegance left without placing, this Cincinnati-area group will be eager to take home some hardware this weekend.
Highest Ceiling: Scranton First Edition is coming off an impressive win at the Shepherd Hill Central Massachusetts Show Choir Festival, finishing first in small mixed with Best Band and Best Choreography. Their unique and modern sound will stand out among those who lend themselves to a more traditional Midwest vocal. This will be Scranton’s first open competition, giving them the opportunity to shine among larger choirs, such as Fairfield and Huntington.
Dark Horse: Ranked second among West Virginia schools in 2025, Jefferson Pop Singers will be debuting “Let Them Eat Cake,” inspired by the fall of Marie Antionette. This seasoned choir should be able to pick up where they left off last year and start 2026 with a strong performance.
Capital Classic
Located in Charleston, the Capital VIPs will be hosting concert and show choirs from West Virgina and Ohio at the Capitol Classic. Among local competitors such as Sissonville Touch of Class, Riverside Fusion, and Ripley Phoenix Blue will be medium-sized choirs Portsmouth Expressions and Alliance Jet Setters and Aviatrix from Ohio. Jet Setters will be competing in their fifth competition of the season, placing both overall and in their division with their jukebox-style show while their single-gender choir, Aviatrix, will be bouncing to Beyoncé in hopes of a win. Portsmouth, on the other hand, will be making their competition debut in hopes for a great start to the season. With nine choirs over four divisions, it will be interesting to see who moves on to finals and who will leave early.
Predictions
Predictions represent the opinion of this contributor and not of HomeRoom Show Choir.
The most accomplished West Virgina choir in recent years, Hurricane Red Hot should come home with a Grand Championship. This year’s haunted mansion show provides difficult vocals and choreography with a couple of tricks up their sleeves. Winning would be a great boost for this very young ensemble after disappointing finishes at Beavercreek and Edgewood.
Highest Ceiling: A majority-freshman single-gender group, Hurricane Heat Wave is the only prep choir in the state. With nearly two-thirds of students competing in their first season, Heat Wave looks to overcome vocal and choreography issues in hopes of retaking the state single-gender championship in March. As this group gains more experience, large improvements week-to-week are the expectations.
Dark Horse: Herbert Hoover High Impact is coming off an amazing third-place small division finish at the Homestead Classic Showcase. Typically, High Impact begins with great vocals and clean choreography. If they can keep that intensity for the entire performance, their Tell Tale Heart show could push them into a first place in the medium division and top two overall.
West Virginia on the Road
While most choirs are competing in state, Winfield General Admission and Emerald Elegance will be at Center Grove Best of the Midwest in Indiana in a one-and-done performance for small mixed and small single-gender champion.