From channeling the glamorous Glinda in this winter’s theater production of “The Wiz” to sweetly serenading the student body in her clear, ringing soprano during a Lessons and Carols solo, Emma Rimmer ‘16 has left a considerable effect on the Groton arts scene. Since Second Form, she has participated enthusiastically in a range of programs, from dance to choir to a cappella groups, with an unmatched, quirky energy. Her final year on campus sees her as a choir prefect, theater prefect, and member of the Grotones, among other things, and she has proven herself a tour de force, a presence that will be sorely missed in the world of Groton arts in future years.

Emma’s first ever choral experience occurred during third grade, but she would have to say, the catalyst for her choral passion happened in middle school. When she joined choir, her mom thought little of it. However, when a fellow chorister dropped out of her spring concert solo and Emma was asked to fill in, her subsequent crooning of Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” left a strong impression on the audience, including her mother. “That was the moment my mom realized that I could actually sing,” said Emma. She continued with that choir until coming to Groton.

On the Circle, it started with Musicianship class. Former choirmaster Chris Hampson taught the tiny Second Formers and happened to advertise choir one fateful afternoon. Both he and Emma later discovered that Second Formers were not allowed to join choir, and, determined to sing, Emma asked if Second Formers could meet during the Form’s collective free, as well as early on Sundays, to learn the music. That way, they could still perform in chapel services. Hampson agreed and proceeded to let Second Formers join choir during his time at Groton. Emma is very proud to have brainstormed this initiative.

The next year, Emma joined choir full-time and never looked back. She describes singing as something that comes very naturally to her, and although she does not identify as heavily religious, Choir also allows her a profound connection to her spiritual side. She describes her Groton choir experience as a “wild but really good ride,” and her favorite memory remains “getting my first solo for Lessons and Carols. It was ‘Jesus Christ the Apple Tree’ back in Third Form, and I was so excited. And then after I sang in the service, everyone was just really supportive and congratulatory, and it was a really good night.”

The summer before her Fourth Form year, Emma participated in one of the Eton Choral Courses offered at Eton College in Berkshire, England, which she describes as “a smack in the face.” She was “dead-bottom” in terms of talent, and she admits that the experience increased her skill as a singer tenfold. It was very stressful at the same time that it was lots of fun, and she reflects back on the course, saying, “I’m so glad I did it.”

She returned to Groton excited for the coming years, and to this day, she remains a keynote soprano. As choir prefect this year, she holds slightly more responsibilities, but choir remains one of her favorite activities at Groton.

While Emma’s main musical passion lies with choral music, she is also involved with the all-female a cappella group on campus. Although she spends less time with the Grotones, she appreciates the music and the camaraderie of the group. Emma says, “Performances are always really fun because of the music we learn. And honestly, while rehearsals can be quite goofy, the girls are great and the environment is laid-back and relaxing.”

Emma’s interest in theater started with small roles at a local place back home in Florida; she played a donkey when she was six and a dancer in a fairy-tale spin-off, called “Snow White and the Seven Dorks,” which was “terrible” but still lots of fun. For this reason she decided to keep doing shows at Groton, her first being the winter musical “The Pirates of Penzance,” under former faculty member Sarah Sullivan.

Emma says her favorite Groton production would have to be “Urinetown,” the musical of her Third Form year. As part of the ensemble, she “had such a good time. The older kids in the cast were really nice, and I met a lot of friends during that show. It was such a great experience that it set up the entire theater experience positively.” Close behind is this fall’s production of “The Laramie Project,” which she says had “a great company and really memorable backstage moments.”

She has been involved with countless other productions and worked both on and off-stage in her time at Groton; most recently she donned a silver sequin robe and turban, wowing the crowd as the Glinda the Good Witch in winter term’s “The Wiz,” and she has also co-stage managed for last spring’s One Acts Festival.

For the past two summers, she has attended Acting Manitou, a theater camp in Maine she describes as “just amazing. It’s great because shows take place in unconventional theater settings like a pool, and the non-judgmental atmosphere is so nice.”

Although Emma says she is not as comfortable with acting as she is with singing, her experiences at both Groton and Acting Manitou have contributed to an already ardent love for theater. “It just makes me really happy. I feel like in theater you find the coolest people. The most expressive and fun and open people. That’s why it’s so important for me not necessarily to be in theater, but just around theater. That’s why I love it so much.”

Beyond the Circle, Emma definitely plans to participate in more choral programs. Drama and a cappella she is less sure about, but still is open to trying, on possibly more casual, low-key levels.

“Groton has been a good place for me artistically-wise,” she muses, “because I’ve gotten to dabble around and figure out what I actually like doing.” This year especially, she has greatly enjoyed “just vibing,” a phrase she applies not only to her musical endeavors but to her Groton experience as a whole. With only two months left, she is sad to be leaving her home for the past five years. While Groton will also miss such a prominent artistic strength, we have no doubt she will find happiness and success beyond the Circle.