The Beatles And Beyond Rocks BFHS

Music lovers were treated to performances by four different Boundary County School District choir groups on October 29 with a musical program entitled, "The Beatles and Beyond."

Choir director David Carpenter combined the talents of the Boundary County Middle School Choir, the Bonners Ferry High School Jazz Choir, the Bonners Ferry High School Mixed Choir and the Bonners Ferry High School Honor Choir for an evening of rock and roll favorites to create an enjoyable, upbeat musical experience that had the large audience tapping their toes and humming along.

The spirited Middle School Choir sang "We Will Rock You," "Twist and Shout," "Here Comes the Sun," "Imagine," and "I Want to Hold Your Hand" accompanied by Samantha Earle on her zebra striped electric guitar. If these youngsters sing this well at such a tender age, it is safe to say that Boundary County is going to be enjoying even higher caliber musical performances in the years to come as these vocalists mature to an even higher level.

The all-female Jazz Choir, decked out in their darling hand-painted vests, sang "Barbara Ann," "Long and Winding Road," "60s Chicks" and "Bubbly." This group's obvious enthusiasm and charm provided enough "girl power" to supercharge the entire auditorium with positive energy.

The blue robed Mixed Choir sang a rousing compilation of Beatles songs from "Whole Lotta Faintin' Goin' On." For those of us who remember the Beatles era, this outstanding performance was a welcome walk down memory lane.

Lastly, the renowned Honor Choir performed a challenging mix of music including Gilbert and Sullivan's "Hark the Hour of Ten is Sounding," with solos by Ande Hawkins and Ben Heart. "And So It Goes," "Lullaby," "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," "Only You," and the haunting "Lonesome Road" with a heartfelt solo by Evan Dornfeld completed the evening. These 16 gifted vocalists gave a very mature, polished performance on some demanding music, singing well beyond their years. We will look forward to future performances by this talented group.

Kudos and appreciation to Erin Hiatt who ably accompanied the Jazz Choir, the Mixed Choir and the Honor Choir on the piano. Charena Branscum, who handled the lights, is also to be commended.

Many thanks to the unsung heroes who worked behind the scenes to provide such a great evening of youthful musical talent for the community.