A group of sweaty, red-faced Andover High School students stood in a circle, extending one hand to the middle as teacher Mark Mercer said a few inspirational words about the year ahead.
No, this wasn't the end of an intensive pre-season camp for a high school sports team.
More than 40 students spent two days last week learning choreography and singing their hearts out in Andover High's newest choral ensemble, a show choir. Mercer isn't their coach, he's the high school choir director.
Popularized by the television series "Glee," show choirs dance and move around stage as they sing popular, jazz or show tunes, usually wearing costumes or coordinated outfits. Especially popular in the Midwest - "Glee" is set in Ohio - high school show choirs can compete in regional and national competitions.
"It's made choir cool again," said Mercer.
Andover High seems primed for a show choir, as Mercer, an Ohio native, is in his second year teaching in Andover. For its inaugural year, 70 students auditioned for 48 spots in the show choir, named "From Start to Finish."
Last week, the steady beat of "Mercy" by Welsh pop singer Duffy blared from the choir room's speakers as students, wearing matching red T-shirts, moved in synch. Following choreographer Beth Kennedy, a fifth-grade teacher at South Elementary, choir members worked up a sweat as they memorized steps and motions while singing in harmony.
"Most of these kids have never done something like this. It's not easy," said Mercer, as he watched the group. "This is a huge thing for kids. It teaches much more than music - life skills, confidence, working with other kids and depending on yourself. They've formed a bond of friends, people they can always go back to."
The show choir met for the first time last week, learning routines in an intensive two-day camp, dubbed "Sing!Sing!" a play on the name of the famous New York prison. Roughly half of the choir are freshmen students.
"This is a great way to spend vacation. It's a lot of fun, but it's hard work. I'm definitely drained at the end of the day. But it's an accomplished feeling," said AHS junior Summer LeCain at the close of the second day of Sing!Sing! camp. "We all came in wanting to do this. It's great to see how far we've come. We've really come together as a group."
The group is polishing routines to four pop songs, including "Eye of the Tiger." The choir will rehearse once a week after school and once per weekend.
If the choir seems ready, Mercer said he is considering entering them in a show choir competition later in the year.
AHS juniors Bobby Hawes and James Conley said they hope From Start to Finish will compete, eventually. "We have the potential to be great. We're just working the bugs out," said Conley, breaking into a smile. "Show choir is about having fun. Even if we come in last place, we're starting from the ground up."
The best friends admitted they joined show choir because it sounded fun and for one more reason: "There are six guys in show choir, with about 30 women. The ratio is definitely in our favor," said Hawes.
Last year, Mercer arraigned for a high school show choir from West Virginia, in the area for a conference at Berklee College of Music, to perform at AHS and have lunch with Andover choir students. The visit sparked interest in the genre, and students began asking him if AHS could have a show choir, said Mercer.
"This is not like 'Glee' at all. This is more work, and more full-on ensemble singing. It requires a ton of team work. The point is it's not about one person, it's about the group," said Mercer.
Show choir offers an alternative to students who can't fit the school's traditional choirs into their schedule or are not interested in classical choral repertoire, said Mercer. For others, it's a fun extra-curricular on top of band, choir or other classical groups.
Show choir music is learned orally, mostly by repetition, said Mercer. Students wanting to delve into reading notes and learning music theory can find that in numerous other ensembles at AHS, he said.
Mercer was hired at the start of the 2009-10 school year as vocal music director of AHS and Andover's three middle schools. He travels between the four schools to teach and conduct a total of 10 choirs.
Between Mercer's first and second years in Andover, choir participation has doubled. By growing interest in choir in the younger grades - Mercer has 350 students singing in choirs between the three middle schools and eventually would like to start an all-town elementary choir - he hopes to strengthen the AHS program.
"I want the kids to have something to work for, something to be prideful for," said Mercer.
He's found support in a dedicated group of choir parents that have formed a new nonprofit booster program, called the Andover Public Schools Vocal Music Association. They're raising money to cover everything not funded by the school budget.
"I don't expect the school to provide for all the things I want to do. It's going to be on parent support to make this happen. I can't do it myself," said Mercer.
From Start to Finish will make its debut at a Fall Gala Preview concert with all the other high and middle school choirs, Oct. 7.
