Hark! The Zionsville Show Choirs Sing!
November 2020
The pandemic is no match for our community’s holiday spirit! The longstanding tradition of the Holiday Home Tour will go on, albeit VIRTUAL this year. This year’s Virtual Holiday Home Tour, presented by Zionsville Show Choirs (ZSI), will feature six beautifully decorated homes and devoted members of ZSI under the direction of co-directors Sam Chenoweth and Deana Broge.
In lieu of tickets, you have the opportunity to donate to the spectacular Zionsville Show Choirs—who have been greatly impacted by the pandemic and by the loss of fundraising revenue.
“Like everything, it’s going to be different this year,” Chenoweth expressed. “There’s been more ‘prepare on your own’ versus in-class rehearsals. These kids have had to pivot through a lot of stuff.”
This year’s Royalaires presidents Daniel Toluhi and Morgan Browne shared what it’s been like adapting and preparing for this year’s Holiday Home Tour.
“I would say that flexibility and personal responsibility have been the biggest lessons throughout this whole process,” Browne shared. “Holiday Home Tour is one of our biggest events all year, and it’s one of the most collaborative. We’re introducing it to the community in a different way this year, but we still have to do a lot of the same work, rehearsing numbers on our own and preparing them like we do any other season.”
Toluhi added, “I think [Holiday Home Tour] is something we can all be really proud of. It’s been a real lesson on learning how to adapt, but I feel like that’s something we learn every year through ZSI, no matter the situation. I feel that we’re prepared to battle something like this and am really proud of the whole choir because it’s been a lot of hard work. Holiday Home Tour is one of our biggest events and fundraisers, and it’s nice that we are able to produce it and adapt in a way that is most fitting for what we can do.”
Performing as a “Thank You” for the Community’s Support
Knowing that the pandemic has created hardships for many members of our community, including business owners who traditionally sponsor ZSI’s programs, counting the Holiday Home Tour, Broge emphasized ZSI’s appreciation for all that support.
“Sam and I were able to sit down and tighten up the budget this year because we know it’s been hard on everybody,” Broge said. “We are so grateful for the support, the sponsorship and the friendship. So many of our small businesses have continued to step up and sponsor. We hope that Holiday Home Tour will bring some holiday spirit to everyone who clicks on the link without the pressure of having to pay. We think it’s a nice way for us to say ‘thank you’ to the community. The kids have risen to the occasion, and we hope that we are providing a vehicle for them to continue to enjoy music and perform. We’re all doing the best that we can in a tough situation.”
Tune in on Dec. 5, 2020, by visiting holidayhometour.net and click on the FREE link that will be provided. And please, consider making a monetary donation while on the website as a way to thank these kids and staff for their incredible work ethic and commitment to our community.
Writer:
Janelle Morrison
Photography:
Submitted