Music has made many of our graduating Seniors’ high school experiences truly memorable.

Many Seniors are in a chorus class. This Spring semester has two chorus classes – women’s ensemble and mixed choir, which both got straight superior ratings at the chorus assessment. This is the first time in Kettle Run history that this happened, and it was a great accomplishment for those people who have been in chorus for all their years of high school.

The Spring chorus concert was Thursday, May 11, and it was a truly emotional moment for those who would be performing for the last time with that group of people. At the concert, Kay Morgan described chorus as “her family.” This resulted in a group hug before singing “One Voice,” which Morgan chose because, in her words, “We are a combination of many voices that blend to add one whole, and that’s a really beautiful idea to me.” Morgan plans to join choir at church and at college.

There were many “Senior pieces,” songs that each senior chooses for the entire choir to sing. Some memorable ones included: “Mary Speaks,” “The Prayer,” “Summertime,” and Billy Joel’s “And So it Goes,” which was the final song of the night in which all the women’s ensemble stood in the audience to sing “surround sound.” Bethany Cissell actually self-arranged her own senior piece, “Hymn of Axiom,” a song originally sung by pop singer Vienna Teng.

Some of the Seniors dedicated their songs to special people in their lives. Arleena Allen, who chose and conducted Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror,” dedicated it to her two brothers. “It’s one of mine and my brother’s favorite songs,” said Allen.

Sarah Barlow has been in choir for four years of high school, but also choir in elementary school, as well as her church choir during middle school. Her piece, which the mixed choir sung and her mother played the accompaniment for, was “Let There Be Peace On Earth,” a song the choir had also sung in the first concert of this school year. She loves “the message it sends and how it’s musically portrayed.” She explained why we has loved chorus. “It gave me an outlet class to where I can really enjoy it and made me enjoy high school more.” Barlow plans to take choir in college.

Blair Houska hasn’t been in choir quite as long. “I really regret not starting my freshman year. I have met so many great people and friends through chorus, and choir is really just a nice break from the stressful school day.” Blair’s first year in choir was last year, though she’s done musical theatre since middle school. She hopes to continue both choir and theatre in college. Her senior piece as “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” from Cinderella.

Michael Gorman, a sophomore, will miss the seniors next year.

“My fondest memories of these seniors is creating great music and friendships with many people in choir. Their absence in next year’s class will affect chorus because we are losing many amazing singers.” He added that, “Colleges are gaining talented people.”

The last song the women’s ensemble sang together was “And So It Goes” by Billy Joel. This got a standing ovation not only for the excellent vocals or the well-written song, but for the audience’s appreciation for this musical group that has sung together for the last time.

Even though these seniors are leaving, the music program at Kettle Run can look to their up-and-coming talent already in the class or that’s joining next year. But as for those who are leaving, we wish them all the luck in their future musical endeavors.