When Emily Bohl came to Goose Creek High to lead the school’s choral program, the school already had its chamber choir but lacked a treble choir.
Such a group was created in the fall of 2020, during the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a little over a dozen members. Bohl gave her students options of what to name this new choir, including a few “out of the box” options.
The one they settled on was Sziréndal, which means “siren song.”
“They loved it because I think it made them feel like, ‘I can do something that’s engaging; I can do something important; I can draw people in with my music,’” Bohl said.
And since that time, that is exactly what they have done; since its existence, Sziréndal has exclusively received Superior ratings in adjudicated settings – even during COVID.
In April 2022, they were awarded Best-in-Class in the High School Treble Division at Festival Disney in Walt Disney World, as well as a Superior rating at SCMEA Choral Performance Assessment; these events, only one day apart, were the ensemble's first foray into live competition.
Last March, Sziréndal was awarded the highly-coveted Superior with Distinction rating at SCMEA Choral Performance Assessment. In April, the ensemble was awarded Gold (first place) in the Grade 5/6 Treble Division at Palmetto State Choral Festival, sponsored by the South Carolina American Choral Directors Association (SC ACDA).
Earlier this summer, Bohl applied for the treble choir to perform at the SC ACDA Fall Conference on Oct. 20 at Furman University. She also applied for the 2024 South Carolina Music Educators Association (SCMEA) In-Service event in Columbia in February.
Getting either invitation is an honor, being accepted to both in the same school year is a big deal – and Sziréndal got both.
“In my wildest dreams, did I imagine doing both of these things at one time?” she said. “Absolutely not – and I’m still kind of in shock that we were selected for both.”
However, she is quick to say that she is also extremely proud, and this is a reflection of the students’ hard work – especially considering how far Sziréndal has come since its inception three years ago.
‘Never One Thing’
While landing the ACDA performance is a major feat in itself, the SCMEA event is going to have an even larger audience.
Sziréndal members are working hard for the upcoming ACDA Fall Conference performance, and then they will have a quick eight-week turnover, with a brand new set of music, to get ready for their trip to Columbia in February.
Bohl said her students likely auditioned against choirs that have been around longer to be a part of these performances, so it is truly thrilling to receive this recognition.
“It definitely speaks to their talent, but I think more than anything, it speaks to their level of work ethic,” she said. “The kids in our school are really, really willing to throw themselves into something and if you challenge them, they rise to the occasion.”
The concert title for the ACDA conference is “Never One Thing” and based around songs that celebrate how a person can be more than one thing. All of the repertoire the students are working on comes from around the world.
“It represents romance, love and loss, motherhood, creation, destruction, togetherness, childhood – all of it is there,” Bohl said.
Some of the pieces the girls are working on for the ACDA conference are of Irish, Hawaiian, Estonian, Indian and Filipino origin. Seniors Emily Pologruto and Riley Overstreet said the choir has enjoyed the challenge of learning to sing in these languages.
“Mrs. Bohl is always very educated on every pieces that she gives us,” Pologruto said. “She always knows what it is about – which is really important because…we have to learn each piece of language and make sure it’s perfect.”
A favorite one from the girls is “Tuttarana” by Reena Esmail, a very fast-paced song that challenged the group.
“It’s so fast, you don’t even know what’s happening – but it’s so much fun to do,” Overstreet said. “It was so difficult – I think I looked at it as a challenge the whole time.”
SCMEA’s theme is going to be different and Bohl has not yet disclosed to her students what they will be singing at that event – but students are excited regardless.
“We’ve definitely stepped up our game,” Overstreet said. “We’re definitely out there now, and I think it’s important for us to keep our name out there.”
Sirens
“Siren” in Greek mythology refers to humanlike beings with alluring voices.
At Goose Creek High, it refers to a roster of more than 50 girls who not only have a talent for singing in upper-registered voices, but love their school’s choral program – and the person directing them.
Members have to audition to be a part of the choir, or have a letter of recommendation from their middle school’s choir director – so they have to have some sort of prerequisite to be a member of Sziréndal.
Bohl is about to graduate her founding freshman members of Sziréndal – a bittersweet feeling to both her and her students. Seniors Aniyah Gordon and Hannah Bennett are two of those founding members, and are now both co-president of Sziréndal.
The two can attest to how excited the singers are to head to the upcoming conference and then SCMEA.
“It’s really a once in a lifetime opportunity – especially at the high school level,” Gordon said. “Not a lot of high schools in this area get to do things like this.”
A lot of the 12th grade members of the choir plan to study music at the collegiate level. Gordon said these conferences are a great time to meet choral directors from colleges across the state.
Bennett said everyone is going to miss their choral director when it comes time to graduate.
“She’s had a very big impact on all of us – on everyone here,” Bennett said. “Anyone in this room, and in the other classes, will say that they love Ms. Bohl…She is the reason that I want to go into music education, and she’s the reason that so many other people are studying music education right now or want to go into it.”
Bennett said others will agree that Bohl transformed Goose Creek High’s choral program into what it is now.
“We’re bringing home trophies, and it’s all because of her,” Bennett said.
While humbled, Bohl attributes the success of the treble choir to its members, saying it not just speaks to their talent, but to their work ethic.
Bohl said her choir is grateful to not only represent Berkeley County School District, but the Goose Creek community, Goose Creek High and the Berkeley Center for the Arts.
Bohl usually wraps up her class with a department motto that starts with “The artist is nothing without the gift…” and her students respond with, “…but the gift is nothing without the work.”
“Choirs don’t become what they’ve become in three years during a global pandemic – they did that,” she said. “They did that with their work and with their determination, and with their passion and energy…it doesn’t happen every day.”