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For thirty-nine years, Walt Disney World has hosted the Candlelight Processional at the Epcot theme park. At this annual event, a fifty piece live orchestra, a mass choir and a celebrity narrator unite to tell the Christmas story. This year, the American Heritage chorus traveled to Disney to participate in the Processional for their fourteenth consecutive year.

Members of the AHS chorus began preparing for the Candlelight Processional immediately after school began in the fall. Because the required audition tape was due two weeks after school started, the chorus had to quickly memorize the music, which was selected by the Candlelight staff.

After being notified in early October of their successful audition, the choir had to memorize 15 pieces of music before leaving for Thanksgiving break. Ms. Vanderhoof, who directs the chorus, noted that the memorization can be overwhelming for some new choir members.

“For those students that are new to the choir each year it is much more difficult than for the returning members.  The program generally stays the same from year to year so for the returning students it is more of a refresher course, but for the first time members it is a tremendous amount to take in,” she said.

On December 6, the choir’s preparation culminated with their performance in Disney World. With narration by Anika Noni Rose, the voice of Tiana, Disney’s newest princess, the Processional made many members of the chorus feel overwhelmed. Senior Adam Glickman said, “It is really hard to describe the feeling of being partaking in Candlelight. The whole experience is an overwhelming enjoyable experience. Just being on a Disney stage with a celebrity speaker singing great songs about Disney just toots my horn.”

After months of preparation, Ms. Vanderhoof felt rewarded to watch her students perform. “Even after all these years I still enjoy the actual Candlelight performance. “I love to watch the AHS faces as they sing with the professional orchestra, Voices of Liberty and the other schools and see how much joy and pleasure it brings to each of them.  The excitement that each student experiences is contagious and a joy to watch.  For many of these students it is a once in a lifetime experience and I feel proud to be a part of that experience.”