The announcer’s voice blared over the speaker, followed by the words “Etowah High School” as a group of dedicated students walked onto the center of the baseball field with thousands of people watching them. On Aug. 17, Etowah’s Elite Chorus performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Suntrust Park for the Braves baseball game, and the Braves were not the only ones with a victory that night.

“Walking onto the field was so weird because the stadium suddenly seems really big, and knowing the announcer is talking about you, and what your group has achieved when they announce Etowah High School Chorus is such a surreal experience,” Emilie Dudgeon, junior, said.

This trip is a tradition for the Elite Chorus. However, there are unique parts of the trip that make it a different experience each year. Before the group went to the stadium, they spent the day hanging out, playing with a piñata and eating Chick-Fil-A. On the bus ride there, the group broke out into song multiple times, which helped the team strengthen bonds and allowed them to easily work together when singing.

“We used Saturday as a rehearsal day, as well as a chance to get to know the new members of Elite better,” Eli Hughes, senior, said.

Members of Elite chorus practiced many times before the event. They went through hours of rehearsal in order to prepare each voice part for the performance.

“After school on Friday, we stayed until six and rehearsed. Then on Saturday, we got back to school at two and then practiced for another hour and a half. After that, we left and got to the stadium, and from there we practiced with the

audio people,” Morgan Busbee, sophomore, said.The chorus showed what it is capable of during this unique experience, and will continue to do throughout the rest of its performances this year.