Barbara Lawlor

Nederland

When the combined choirs finished their finale song with a harmonious peak, the audience jumped to its feet in a standing ovation for the performance, for every Nederland Middle Senior High School student who participated in the End of the Year concert.

What a difference one school year makes.

About half the school participates in one of the choirs offered to them beginning in sixth grade. Many of them who stick with it through middle level, are ready to try out for the Festival and Loquations Choir by the time they get to high school.

Last Wednesday night, May 10,  the End of The Year Concert featured individual choir performances as well as solos and duets by the students.

The concert opened with an inspirational "Ain'-a That Good News!" sung by the Loquations and Festival Choir.

The Sixth through Eighth Grade Choir belted out "Rattle My Rattle," a snappy tongue twister that took much rehearsing to articulate the words. The Seventh and Eighth Grade choir sang "Deep in the Meadow," a pensive song with beautiful harmonies by the young vocalists. In their rendition of "Shady Grove," violinist Isabella Sink with Sydney Mayhew on guitar led the mixed choirs in this brilliantly dramatic, powerful singing of this bluegrass classic.

Emily Albright soloed in the Loquations performance of Landed and Olivia Greeley soloed in the Festival Choir's rendition of Change the World.

"Light the Shade" by all the choirs brought the house down and the audience up. It was a spectacular way for the choirs to end the year and a great way to begin the summer.