BLAIR, NEBRASKA (2024 December 19, Thursday)
Don Harrold, Writer / Editor
blairtoday@mail.com – Facebook
The auditorium was packed last night at Fort Calhoun High School – fuller than I’ve ever seen for a musical production there. The Fort Calhoun Jr/Sr High School Vocal Music Department’s Winter Concert opened with the Show Choir’s energetic take on Mac Huff’s “Badder” and closed with an uplifting “A Rhapsody of Christmas,” weaving together familiar holiday favorites.
Director Samantha Erickson and collaborative pianist Maverick Harrold (Blair) crafted three solid sets of music and performance, with some unexpected gems along the way.
Their Show Choir breathed new life into “Holding Out For a Hero” from the 1984 Footloose soundtrack – a clever choice that had the audience completely engaged. All four numbers in the Show Choir set were as entertaining to watch as they were to hear, with well-executed choreography throughout. And if anyone’s wondering how these students stay fit, well, we probably all burned a few calories just watching them sing and dance their way through each number. Impressive stuff.
The Jr. High Mixed Chorus, if you ask me, really took center stage. Their sound was crisp, bright, and perfectly balanced. During “You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch,” Noah Le delivered a line that brought spontaneous applause from the crowd. You had to be there – just one of those genuine moments that made the evening special.
The Concert Choir opened their set with a surprise: “Mary, Did You Know” performed a cappella. Probably the standout piece of the night. The vocal quality (including Mr. Harrold and Ms. Erickson joining in) was exceptional, with harmonies and counterpoint that deserved every bit of applause they received. Their “God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen” struck an emotional chord that marked another high point of the evening.
The whole show was powerful, engaging, and just plain fun. Ms. Erickson, Mr. Harrold, and their students should be proud. It’s not often you can say a school concert would appeal beyond proud parents in the audience. But as we wind down 2024, tonight’s performance was something any music lover – particularly those fond of Christmas music – would have thoroughly enjoyed.
I certainly did.
