Kicking off Season Five on April 12, Sing That Thing! showcases New England’s best singing groups in a friendly competition that celebrates the diversity and joy of choral music. The annual singing series, held at WGBH Studios in Brighton, features a total of 18 ensembles in high school, college and adult categories performing music from barbershop and pop to gospel and classical.

Sing That Thing! captures the excitement that combines superb music performance, compelling stories and camaraderie. During each show, groups from across New England perform in front of three expert coaches and a live studio audience for a chance to move onto the Grand Finale. This season’s participants include:

High school division — St. Johnsbury Academy’s Hilltones from Vermont, Lincoln-Sudbury High School’s Accent A Cappella, Dartmouth High School’s Harmonix, Plymouth South High School’s South Avenue, Lexington High School’s Madrigal Singers, Boston Arts Academy Spirituals Ensemble, and Bristol Eastern High School’s Strawberry Fields.

College division — Amherst College’s Zumbyes, Brandeis University’s Starving Artists, Colby College’s Colby Eight, MIT Chorallaries, University of New Hampshire’s New Hampshire Notables, and Northeastern University’s Pitch Please!

Adult division — Joyful Anyway, Labyrinth Choir, The Boston Saengerfest Men’s Chorus, Tonehenge, and Univoz

Three on-air coaches—Anthony Trecek-King, Jared Bowen and Annette Philip—provide constructive feedback during the show, ultimately deciding which will be named the top groups in each division and as the overall Sing That Thing! champion, chosen during the Grand Finale on May 31. Trecek-King is president and artistic director of the award-winning Boston Children's Chorus, and Philip is artistic director for the Berklee India Exchange at Berklee College of Music and the vocalist and creative director of Women of the World, winner of the 2014 International Championship of A Capella.

“It’s mind-boggling to me that this is our fifth year,” said Bowen, WGBH executive arts editor, contributor to Greater Boston and host of the weekly television series, Open Studio with Jared Bowen. “We started out as a fledgling singing show, and now we’re on our way to becoming a bit of an institution,” he said. “The best thing about being a coach on the show is experiencing the energy that each group brings to its performance—plus the musicality and sheer performance excellence can take your breath away.”

Sing That Thing! exhibits WGBH’s continued commitment to supporting the arts in our region,” said co-executive producer Patricia Alvarado Núñez. “These groups from across New England showcase the musical skill, sparkling creativity and big personalities that coalesce each performance.”

Watch a preview below. Sing That Thing! premieres Friday, April 12 at 8pm on WGBH 2.