Jesuit High School Sacramento’s first ever Choir Cabaret took place Saturday, Feb 7. Focused around 50’s rock and roll songs, the event’s theme was “Sockhop.” It featured a variety of singers performing group pieces, duets, trios, and solos. 

Director of Choral Music Mr. David Vanderbout helped host the Choir Cabaret, and believes that it provided a unique opportunity to spotlight vocal performance.

“It’s really important in our choir program that we show students all that vocal music has to offer,” Mr. Vanderbout said. “This just gives a different side of that in terms of the types of music we learn [and]the types of way we practice our performance.”

The choir and tech crew put in an immense amount of preparation leading up to the night of the cabaret.

“Every Chamber Choir member had to go through their songs and volunteers helped set up the decorations,” said choir singer Julian Santiago ’26. “The real props go to the technicians, as there were so many wires that were required to set up the stage lights, the microphones, as well as the instruments. They also had to adjust the sound settings constantly to find a balanced volume.”

This effort definitely was not in vain.

“The Choir Cabaret went great,” Julian said. “There was a full turn out, meaning every table was sold and there were a ton of parents, students, teachers, and coaches who came to see what the choir program had to offer. The performances themselves also went well. Honestly, if the [singers] were nervous, I couldn’t even tell. Every solo/small ensemble demonstrated a ton of confidence and it all looked like they were having so much fun.” 

Choir singer Mateo Andrade ’26 believes that the event was the start of something special for the Jesuit community.

“The performance was spectacular,” Mateo said. “The live band was incredible, and every performance was a joy to watch. This was Jesuit’s first Cabaret, and I don’t think it could have been a better start to a new Marauder tradition.” 

Overall, this year’s Choir Cabaret was a great and entertaining event. It showcased the immense talent and hard work of the choir program, as well as the fantastic instruction behind their performances. Jesuit plans to host another Choir Cabaret next year, which will definitely be worth attending.