Under the seasoned direction of Ms. Cathy Snyder, the show choir gave a show-stopping performance on the evening of December 13 at the Chapel of Mary of the Angels, at the annual choir Christmas concert.

In addition to traditional Christams songs the choir performed renditions of such celebrated pop hits as “We Belong” by Pat Benatar and “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire.

Ms. Snyder has been a fixture at Cotter for 32 years. During that time, she has honed her artistic and choral expertise, which has resulted into numerous awards and accolades, attesting to her success and that of the program.

She has managed to give a collective voice to her musical selections through the hard word and dedication of some 28 voices among the students of show choir. Ms. Snyder and the Cotter show choir have been lauded by the community for their excellence in the performing arts, and this year was no exception.

Admittance to the show choir is audition-based, with showmanship qualities, vocal acumen, and commitment cited as essential elements that Ms. Snyder and Madeline Baunig, show choir choreographer, look for.

Students practice on Monday evenings from 7 to 8:30 PM. There is a different pedagogy between show choir and choir that sets show choir apart: students must learn the music as well as the choreography with emotional expression, and this presents certain instructional challenges for Ms. Snyder and Ms. Baunig.

When asked how music is selected for performance, Ms. Snyder said that she likes “to keep an eye on what’s popular.” According to Ms. Snyder, “the students must keep to the beat while on their feet.” To accomplish this feat whilst maintaining coordination among performers, Ms. Snyder looks to returning students for leadership. Jon Weltzien, a new member of the show choir, said that “peers are the toughest audience.”

“It gets emotional when the students’ hard work and effort pay off after a successful performance,” mused Ms. Snyder.

She looks forward to the spring performance season, where she hopes to showcase pieces from the critically acclaimed musical Mamma Mia.