Ten Revere High School (RHS) students along with their music director have recently formed a new a cappella choir in which students learn to sing without instrumental accompaniment and rely on their own voices to create all the music that an audience will hear.

This fall, after some discussion at the end of the 2015-2016 school year, three freshmen, one sophomore, four juniors and two seniors decided to create this new group, which currently has no formal title. Led by Alice Forney, the director of other RHS choirs including Symphonic choir, men’s choir and women’s choir, the new a cappella choir aims to challenge students already in Symphonic choir to expand their vocal abilities and develop a greater interest in choral music.

Currently the group is singing contemporary pop music such as John Mayer’s “Waiting on the World to Change” and “House of Gold” by Twenty-One Pilots, explained junior a cappella choir member Sydney Borcherding. She elaborated on the differences between the music she sings in Symphonic choir and the music she sings in the a cappella choir.

“[There is] a difference between singing the notes and rhythms correctly, and actually making music out of it . . . . [We are] always trying new things to keep the songs energized; for example, [we have] sung them with the lights off or with someone playing the drums along with us. We also change who we stand next to, so we can hear the different parts and interact with each other,” Borcherding said.

Ellie Edwards, another junior member of the group, elaborated on what she has learned vocally in the short time that the group has been practicing.

“Since there are very few people on a part, everyone in the group has to learn to be independent and confident with their voices. I have learned a lot about how my particular part fits into the music as a whole and how to blend with the whole group. For example, I can hide my voice in a bigger group like Symphonic choir with ten altos in it, but when I am the only one singing alto, I have to know my part and be confident,” Edwards said.

Because of the independent nature of the a cappella style, students interested in joining the choir must also be a part of the Symphonic choir. Even then, students in Symphonic choir had to audition with a pop piece to join the group. This ensures that students have a baseline skillset necessary for the rigor of singing a cappella.

The ten students and Forney meet every Tuesday and Thursday before school at 7:00 am. The brevity of their practice time forces the singers to know their parts and be ready to sight-read their music rather than slowly work through their pieces note-by-note, Borcherding explained. This sight-reading ability is something that Borcherding believes she has gained so far from her experience in a cappella choir.

“This group has definitely helped me learn to sing out . . . . If I [do not] sing my part loudly, it [will not] be heard, and I think that has helped me grow as a singer. Everything we do in the a capella group is transferable to the music we sing in Symphonic choir, so the work we do in this group also helps us during class,” Borcherding said.

Forney also expressed her gratitude towards the students who have pursued the formation of the a cappella choir.

“My favorite experience so far is seeing the motivation to get this pilot group rolling. The students involved are arriving before school to make this happen and pushing themselves to be better musicians through this experience. I am very proud of this group so far, and [I] hope to see this grow and develop over the next few years into something the whole Revere community can be excited about,” Forney said.

Edwards voiced one of her favorite aspects of the a cappella group for which she serves as an upperclassman student-leader.

“I love allowing certain individuals to show off their voices in a group setting, and I enjoy thinking of music in a fluid and soulful way rather than in notes and rhythms as we learn in Symphonic choir,” Edwards said.

Forney hopes for the ensemble to be featured in the December and May choir concerts at RHS. Perhaps, she believes, the choir may be able to compete in the future as the group grows in size and experience.