On September 3rd, the choir department received the most exciting and in Mrs. Uhler’s words “monumental” news in Morris Hills history. The Scarlet Singers, a mixed voice auditioned group at Morris Hills, were selected to sing at the White House during the holiday season. Flashback to 9 months earlier, the Scarlet Singers had recorded their “audition” video in January 2025 at St. Clement’s Church. Although at the time Mrs. Uhler just had requested the tape for her “files”, she always had the intention of submitting the video as the choir’s audition. In August, Mrs. Uhler secretly submitted the video to the White House with full faith in her students abilities and talents. In reflection, she recalled, “I thought to myself, why not? I really think my students are a wonderfully talented group of high schoolers and I knew that they had been working hard and had a good shot at being selected!”
However, the experience couldn’t fully be confirmed until it was approved by the school district. Therefore, on September 15th, Mrs. Uhler shared the exciting news with the choir on the terms of approval. No matter the outcome the Scarlet Singers were in absolute disbelief at the once in a lifetime opportunity. Sophia Salazar, a senior in the group, remembers, “We were in such shock but the best part was seeing the whole choir’s reaction to the news. My voice section immediately gave a group hug in disbelief.” With so much excitement in the air, students couldn’t wait to share the news with family and friends but had to restrain themselves until the trip was confirmed by the district. Another senior at MH, Caroline DeWorken, recalls, “It was extremely hard for me to keep this secret, but after we could tell people, I told my teachers and my friends! Everyone was just as shocked as me.”
With such a buildup of anticipation, the choir finally set off for the White House on Saturday, December 13th, with a flood of emotions. Upon arriving, the choir made their way through White House security and were greeted in a waiting room with water and snacks. Sanjana Veggalam explains her initial reaction to being at the White House, “the best part was the white house labeled chocolate they gave us and meeting the group of singers from rural North Carolina wearing eccentric traditional gowns to their performance.” For many performers, it was very calming to see another group happily coming back after their performance, in such a festive manner. The North Carolina caroling group even stayed after their own performance to support the MH choir, showing the unity music creates.
For Mrs. Uhler, music has always been community driven, which is why the performance brought many emotions to the audience, performers, and even Mrs. Uhler herself. Specifically, having her family there to support her during the performance was extremely special to her. She explains this sentiment by saying, “I was really happy that my mom and sister could make the trip along with my husband and daughters. My mom has never been to the White House (none of my family have!) and it was always her dream to go. I knew that she was proud, but I also knew my father in heaven was proud as well. As we sang his favorite Christmas carol “Joy to the World” I looked at my mom and mouthed “dad’s favorite song” and started to cry.” Sanjana Veggalam remembers this moment when, “many people started to tear up with Mrs. Uhler, as the day was exciting but overwhelming for everyone.”
With such deep sentiment and remembrance for those who have sacrificed for each performer, it was a true moment of gratitude, with pause to appreciate the goodness life has to offer. Sophia commented, “Seeing my parents, who sacrificed everything to give me the opportunities I have, standing within the crowd made me very emotional and grateful, filling me with tears of joy as I sang.” With a similar sentiment, Caroline DeWorken expressed, “I felt such a sense of gratitude and pride during our performance and seeing all of our families feel the same way made it so memorable.”
The group sang directly under the portrait of George Washington, making it a truly surreal moment for many. According to Mrs. Uhler, over 40 family and friends signed up to see the choir perform at the White House, which “meant a lot to her!” After the choir’s performance, the group was allowed to tour the rest of the White House. Each room was filled with different holiday decorations truly capturing the beauty of the season. Sophia described the tour to be “gorgeous”, recalling her disbelief “that all the trees were real” and mentioning her favorite part as the “120 lb gingerbread house molded as the White House!”
After many photos and a congratulations dinner, the group did one last performance at the hotel they were staying at, before heading back the next morning. Not only was this a wonderful way to end the evening but it was such a wholesome moment, showing the true community involvement that the Scarlet Singers stand for. Sophia Salazar recalls the experience by saying, “Later singing at the hotel and seeing people dance and sing along to the carols really showed the beauty of Christmas.”
Speaking of the spirit of Christmas, all of the seniors would like to thank Mrs. Uhler for her continuous effort and belief in the choir program. Caroline DeWorken commented, “I seriously cannot believe Mrs. Uhler pulled this off. I would just like to thank her and the choir program for an amazing 4 years.” In addition, Sanjajna hopes, “going forward she finds as much joy and success with the Scarlet singers and continues to receive great rewards for all the hard work she does everyday”.
With this beautiful conclusion to the trip, the Scarlet Singers will always remember this once in a lifetime experience as a very fond memory. As Sophia put it, “ I can’t wait to say that I sang at the White House for when I play Two Truths and a Lie!”
Click link to see the Scarlet Singer’s performing live at the White House