Voices fill the room, the basses, altos and sopranos blending and harmonizing all together to create one beautiful and powerful sound of the women in Belle Voix.

“My favorite part is that Belle Voix feels like a small family. As the year goes on I’m excited to get to know all the ladies in the choir,” senior Chloe Johnson said.

Belle Voix is a new choir introduced to East this year. Instead of being a regular choir class, it is a varsity women’s choir. Belle Voix will be performing for choir events held by the school.

“I feel like the bond I have with the other girls is stronger than what it would be if I were in a larger choir. I really enjoy singing with the women in this choir,” Johnson said.

When East was approved to receive another full-time music instructor, a new choir was able to be added. The women of choir last year were able to submit names and vote on which one they liked the best. Belle Voix means beautiful voices.

“What’s really amazing is that the women who were in choir last year gave the name to the first ever women’s choir at East. Whether or not that gets changed in the future is unknown, but they left behind the legacy that is Belle Voix,” vocal music director Marjorie Simons-Bester said.

Because Belle Voix is a varsity choir, students must audition to join. This group is a step between Mixed Choir and East High Singers, and because of this it gives women a chance to challenge themselves and push themselves musically.

“I wanted to audition for this class because it challenges me as a musician, and I’m glad I did because I get to learn new music and get closer with the ladies of Belle Voix and the excellent directors that we have,” sophomore Makayla Tveitbakk said.

In class the girls are sight reading music, learning vocabulary, and focusing on blending their voices together. Doing all of these things will help them grow as muscians and as a group. They are also learning music that will be performed at the fall concert and candle light, and other choir concerts.

“I like hearing how all of our voices blend together and I can not wait to see what we can achieve together throughout the year,” Johnson said.

Besides the concerts, Belle Voix will be preparing to go to the State competition in the spring. At state, groups will compete in categories including just the males, females and both. Besides State, Belle Voix will not have regular competitions because they are not a show choir like Take II. Instead Belle Voix is a regular varsity choir, like East High Singers.

“I have wanted to have a women’s choir for years and now that we have, Austin Hoffman, our second choir instructor, we are able to add this class which makes me so happy to finally be able to have an all women’s choir,” Simons-Bester said. “I am happy to have a women’s choir to give students a chance to challenge themselves and compete at a state level.”