Sun rises over Red Rocks and a choir tradition

Normally at 4:30 a.m., people are asleep. But for about 50 people on a recent morning, the time was perfect to head to Red Rocks Amphitheatre to watch the best show in town –;a Colorado sunrise.

As the first light of day began to creep above the horizon, this group of friends –; a young couple, a photographer, fitness enthusiasts, a college student and 20 Wheat Ridge High School choir members –; snuggled under blankets, waiting for the sun to light downtown Denver and the Front Range.

At 5:15 a.m., to the sound of chirping birds and clean-up crews power washing the first few rows of the amphitheatre, a pale pink-and-yellow sun began to emerge.

“There it is!” a choir member shouted.

“Look up!” another said as a pale orange orb began to rise above the shadow of downtown.

Softly, the male group of singers began to chant the Zulu lyrics to Disney’s “The Circle of Life” from “The Lion King.”

As they chanted, 10 female singers arrived and joined in, singing the first few lyrics and chorus of the song.

As the sun rose higher, the group grabbed phones and cameras to take photos, selfies and time-lapse videos.

At 5:55 a.m. the sun was up.

And the watchers left.

For the choir –; a mix of veterans and new members –; this was not an ordinary sunrise.

It was tradition.

The new singers, kidnapped by their upperclassmen counterparts, were being initiated. Dressed in their favorite pajamas and puffy painted shirts representing their voice section, the “kidnapped” members sang in the new day before heading back home to their books to study for finals.

“This has been fun and all, but I have to go take a biochem final,” one shouted as he left.

Those remaining sang the final line of the song.

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