For a few years, Brighton High School junior Sarah Goodman and some of her classmates have advocated for a show choir. But it was Fox’s television show “Glee” that helped get the club started.
“Once all the rage with the TV show started, I knew we would have enough interest for people to come and audition,” Goodman said. “That’s when I started pushing for it.”
The school glee club, A Choired Taste, formed in February and is ready to make its debut next week at the final choral concert of the school year.
Senior club member Chris McLauchlin didn’t know what differentiated a glee club from a regular choir until seeing the Fox show.
The club performs Broadway and popular songs and, unlike with the schools’ a cappella groups, there is choreographed dance and live music to go with the vocals.
“I’m really glad you actually get to put some movement to the music, it gives more to it,” said McLauchlin, who didn’t get to dance in the last musical as he played “the old guy.”
Choir teacher Sarah Mattison is serving as the club’s advisor. She helped the club hold auditions and despite taking on 20 “gleeks,” some students had to be turned away.
Jessica Padilla, a science teacher at Twelve Corners Middle School, is the group’s choreographer. Mattison hopes the band will include students.
Though most of the Brighton group love the TV show, they don’t feel it’s an accurate portrayal of their club. The glee club at the show’s fictional McKinley High School are picked on and tormented by classmates.
“I think at this school we’re pretty good about being accepting,” said Lauren Donoghue.
“We’re far from people putting slushies in our faces.”
The students also said the near-instant speed at which the fictional club can perfect a song is unrealistic.
“It doesn’t show how hard the kids really work, and these kids are just so dedicated,” Mattison said.
Goodman said A Choired Taste isn’t as “cliquey,” either.
“I would say most of the kids in our glee club are fans of the show not because we want to replicate what they do, but that we like their sound and performance style,” she said.
The students have picked their own songs, including Amy Winehouse’s hit “Rehab,” which was done on the TV show.
