EC Chorale receives two standing ovations after their performance on Feb. 18 at the USC Community College Choral Invitational Festival.

“We stole the show,” Juan Lopez, president of the EC Chorale club, says.

Including EC, there were eight community colleges that came to show off their vocal abilities and be evaluated by adjudicators and their peers, Dr. Joanna Medewar Nachef, director of choral activities, said.

After EC’s Chorale performances, adjudicators Dr. Charlene Archibeque and professor Don Brinegar gave praises such as “You have amazing versatility of tone qualities,” “Lovely sense of articulation and time,” and “Wonderful Soloist,” Nachef said.

The first song to be performed by EC’s Chorale was the first section of Mozart’s Requiem, a classical, complex and upbeat song, Lopez said.

O Hata Lux, by composer Morten Lauridsen, followed next.

“This was a slower piece that challenged the choir to focus and stay in tune with one another,” Lopez said.

Closing their performance were two spirituals, Elijah Rock by Moses Hogan, and A City called Heaven.

Soloist for A City Called Heaven, Trameka Richardson’s voice was so unique and so rich that it moved everyone to tears, Nachef says.

All community colleges performed well, but the one that stood out the most to EC was Mount Sac, whose director was very passionate, and whose choir was very in tune, Lopez said.

“Watching the USC Chamber Chorale perform, made up of graduate students of USC, was the highlight of the event,” Lopez said.

Their next choir festival will be at Chapman University in Aug., and the positive reviews they received at USC gave them motivation to continue to strive for excellence, Nachef said.