Carrying candles in their hands and covered with blazing golden robes and decorated sequined collars, the Pine View Vocal Ensemble sings with other choirs from across the state at Epcot for Disney’s Candlelight. As celebrity narrator Mariska Hargitay tells the story of Jesus’ birth, she is accompanied by the music of a full orchestra and choir. Overall, it was an incredible experience and many were able to experience it for the first time as it had been canceled for the past few years due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Two Torch reporters who are also in choir documented this year’s trip:
The Bus Ride
Leaving Pine View at around 12:30 pm, we donned white T-shirts and black pants and boarded the charter bus. Trying to get a quick bite in while rushing to make it to the bus on time, it was a race against the clock. Rain drizzled from the gray sky as we made our journey to Orlando. Students chattered lightly amongst themselves and a couple were studying for their midterms which they had to make up when they returned from break. As we got closer to our destination, the choir was greeted with scenes of backstage Disney. Eventually, we reached the tents where we were given some snacks.
The Rehearsal
Moving to the rehearsal room, the choir was greeted by Mariska Hargitay from Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and had an opportunity to ask her questions about her experiences on Law and Order, as well as how her high school experiences led to where she was today. And even one enthusiastic student from another school exclaimed that she was her biggest fan. After that, we all had the chance to work with the choir director and run through parts of the pieces. Once we finished, we walked over to the costume department, where we each received the classic golden robe and had some downtime before the performance began. They were extremely strict about dress code; if someone’s socks were too short, they would make you fix it. I recall that a Sanya even had to tape her shoes because the black paint was coming off to reveal a white color.
The Performance
With candles in hand, we walked in our separate voice parts through the slight sprinkle of rain and puddles. As we walked down the isles singing, hundreds of people passed by or sat in the stands before the stage. The energy was incredible and carried us through each piece. The professional singers, the Voices of Liberty, were extremely talented and blended well with each other and supported the developing voices of the student choir. It was truly an amazing experience, even though my feet hurt from standing for nearly an hour.
The Aftermath
After checking in with our chaperone, the groups were free to roam around Epcot for the next few hours. With aching feet and the adrenaline wearing off from the performance, our group decided to sit down and eat at a Mexican restaurant and eventually went to the Paris part of the park for crepes. Other groups also enjoyed the multitude of rides, such as Soarin’, that Epcot had to offer, and the night was capped off with a magical fireworks display.
The Next Day
After returning to our hotel, The Embassy Suites, our choir director Seth Gardner passed out our park passes for the next day. With Disney’s new pre-register system, we were unable to go to Magic Kingdom as it was at full capacity, so we opted for Animal Kingdom. After eating breakfast, the group went off to a land of thrilling rides and otherworldly foliage that Animal King has to offer. Tired from rides and lines, the choir left and headed back for Pine View at around 5:30 pm, invigorated from their incredible trip.