A Glimpse Into the Past

             The Varsity Singers formed during the 1967 school year under the original direction of G. Phillip Price. Members playing folk guitar, bass, tambourine, and rhythm, accompanied the “swing” group at that time. The early Varsity Singers sang folk songs and “mild protest” music, which reflected the turbulent times of the late 1960’s.  

              Beginning in 1970, the Varsity Singers began to evolve with the popularity of television variety shows, Broadway musicals, and pop music affecting their performances. Under the direction of Mr. Dennis Phipps, more staging was added to their show and basic visual effects became important. By the fall of 1972, Mr. Rick Gossett became the director of the choral department and a great change was seen in the swing choir performances. Vocal jazz music began to dominate the singing atmosphere, and Varsity Singers began a tradition of receiving superior ratings in major competitions. Costumes and props became an important part of the group’s look, but the vocal aspect remained the highest priority. 

             As a new school year began in 1985, so started a career at Huntington North for Mr. John Wenning. Every aspect of concert production received new energy.  Modern and contemporary songs were added to the already familiar movie-musical format, costumes became flashier with rich color and dazzling effects used to enrich the group’s total outlook. High-energy choreography was introduced for extra enhancement, and we added a full band with brass, synthesizer, acoustic keyboard, bass, and drums to complete the picture. The popular dinner concert, “Pomp & Plenty,” began and continues to be a community tradition.  In 1993, Jason Johnson joined the music department team and brought with him innovation in show design and choreography, and his work continues today.  2019-20 marks Johnson’s 27th working with HNHS show choirs, and with his guidance the awards and recognition continue to flourish.

               Throughout the John Wenning Era, the group traveled to West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Chicago and Florida. In the spring of 1996, the singers were invited to and participated in the 1996 Collegiate Show Choir Festival held at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. They were selected as the premier high school show choir and gave a guest performance at the Magic Kingdom. In competition, the Varsity Singers are consistently rated among the best.  By ranking in the top six in numerous competitions throughout the U.S, they are known as one of the finest show choirs in the nation. To date, Varsity Singers have been finalist at over 100 show choir competitions and named Grand Champions 45+ times at invitationals at Center Grove, Homestead, Norwell, Northridge, Columbia City, Churubusco, the Eastern United States Show Choir Competition, the Chicagoland Showcase, DeKalb, Pike, Triton Central, Anderson, Shelbyville, North Central, Franklin Central, East Noble, Garrett and Carroll. Varsity Singers have also been awarded the Best Instrumental Combo and Best Technical Crew caption awards numerous times, and our soloists are frequent finalists and grand champions in solo categories as well.  In 2001, Mr. Matt Walter joined the team as instrumental director, and he continues to lead Varsity Brass to new heights of success, winning the Best Instrumental Combo Award in 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024 at the Show Choir State Finals as well as countless other awards for excellence over his tenure with the group 

              Mr. Aaron Childress joined the HNHS show choir family as Director of Choirs in 2018, and the tradition of excellence and high standards of technique and artistry remain intact under his leadership.  In 2019, the 52nd cast of Varsity Singers was named Grand Champion in competitions at Churubusco and Garrett, 1st Runner-Up at Mooresville and Shelbyville, and they won 1st Runner-Up honors in Class B at the Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) show choir state finals.  Fast forward to 2024 and the 57th cast enjoyed one of their most successful contest seasons to date.  This year also marked the addition of Danielle Webb to the choral department, and under the tutelage of Webb/Childress, Varsity Singers won grand champion honors at Homestead, Dekalb, Churubusco, and Columbia City.  They capped off a stellar 2024 season with a trip to the ISSMA Class B State Finals, winning State Champion honors and all caption awards at the event as well.

In 2014, Viking Volume, an all-female, competitive show choir was added to the choral department at Huntington North. Established by previous director Dan Baker, the group has quickly become known as one of the best single-gender groups in the midwest.  In 2019, the ladies were 1st Runner-Up in competitions at Churubusco, Mooresville, and Shelbyville, and they also received State Runner-Up honors in ISSMA Class B, winning the caption award for Best Choreography and solidifying their reputation as a premiere choral ensemble in the state of Indiana.  In 2023, the group was once again named State Runner-Up in Class B, and in 2024 they were named State Champions, becoming the first official show choir from HNHS to do so.  It was a clean sweep of awards at the state level in 2024 with both groups winning all captions awards for Best Vocals, Visuals, and Instrumental combo at the Class B ISSMA State Finals.