INK Center Stage: Choir Members

Emma Spencer: Choir

By day I am a pharmacy technician.  The Disney film rendition of The Hunchback of Notre Dame fights with Beauty and The Beast as my favorite Disney film from the 1990s. The music is so incredible, as is the art and animation. The stage musicals are equally powerful and dear to my heart, so when I saw that MCT had The Hunchback of Notre Dame in this season’s lineup, I had to at least audition! 

 I have a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, with an emphasis on poetry, from the University of Montana; I graduated in May 2020.  I’ve found community in the sense that I’ve found so many people with incredible singing voices! Missoula is extremely rich in strong musicians, especially choral groups. 

I’ve been in choral ensembles since high school, so singing in Latin is not new to me. The hard part is knowing that French, Italian, and Spanish all have Latin as their root, so remembering how to pronounce words without pivoting into any of those other languages can be tricky! All while being rhythmically and tonally accurate! 

Caleb Gueldenhaar: Choir

We asked: What prompted you to get involved in Hunchback?
Any comments on what it’s like singing the Latin?

For me, these two questions are one and the same. I have a background in choral singing, through high school, college, and beyond. A chance to sing in Latin once more (and the style of singing that accompanies that), was a hard one to pass up.

Moreover, I know a fair number of community theatre performing regulars, and they are some of the nicest people “Out There”. Now, I get to sing some of my favorite music with some of my favorite friends.

Rachel Horner: Choir

I grew up doing choir until I started doing MCT’s summer children’s shows where I fell in love with musical theater and performing in general. I started doing community shows after that and joined the Thespian club in high school (go Spartans!) Those experiences combined are where I started making more friends with the same passion for theater and how I also was invited to be a part of Next Step Prep which was truly an amazing experience I’m grateful to MCT for.

I took a break from the theater to attend the University of Montana for a business degree and I also spent some time abroad at a partner university in Kyoto for a Japanese degree.  

I would continue to see shows at MCT and every time I kept saying I’d be back but was nervous I’d become too rusty. Well I have finally returned after connecting with some theater friends at a Business After Hours event held at MCT where we also got a tour of the building that got me so nostalgic I could no longer stay away! I figured Hunchback would be a good chance to brush off my audition skills and keep trying if it didn’t work out this time. Thankfully it did!

There is really something special about spending hours rehearsing with strangers turned friends all dedicated to creating a genuinely one of a kind performance. I’ve realized just how much I missed driving to this wonderful building every week to do something I love with others who share that joy. Even sharing in the joy of learning a lot of Latin! I thankfully have some experience with Latin from my choir years and also some language learning experience with Japanese. Even still, some phrases definitely take extra repetition chanting to get down. These songs have been stuck in my head since rehearsal one and I’m sure they’ll be here long after, they’re just that good!

Bridger C. Jones: Choir

Outside of rehearsal I am a full-time student at the University of Montana (Go Griz!), work a part time job, and run a local chapter of a non-profit through the National Stuttering Association!  I got involved because I always had a dream of being in an MCT production but have never been much of a performer. My partner was a huge inspiration and push to get out there and get involved!

Through the UM, I am currently an English major with a concentration in English education with a minor in ethics, all while being a part of the Pre-Law department. I am an active member of the Davidson Honors College and a UM ambassador.  Being able to see the community that exists in Missoula, and MCT has been truly inspiring! Watching as everyone comes together to sing and become so excited for the performances is truly inspiring. I sang in choir all throughout high school so singing in Latin isn’t anything new, however singing to this extent has been a lot of fun! Learning accurate pronunciation has been a bit of a challenge, but also a lot of fun!