BHS choirs to perform fall concert Friday
The Brainerd High School choirs will present their annual fall concert 7:30 p.m. Friday at Tornstrom Auditorium, Washington Middle School, in Brainerd.
Groups performing include the A Cappella Choir, Bards, Concert Chorale, Herd of Bananas, Smith Sisters and Windfall. Accompanist will be Cathy Taylor.
Admission is $4 for adults and $2 for students.
Windfall will open the concert by performing "When I Fall in Love" with soloist Lauren Sedahl, followed by "Pinball Wizard" from the musical "Tommy," with soloist Sean Switajewski.
The women's choir, Concert Chorale, will sing "Kyrie" by Sandra Howard; "I Attempt from Love's Sickness to Fly" by Henry Purcell; "Farewell My Friend" by Berta and Sonja Poorman; "This Little Light of Mine," arranged by Ken Berg and featuring Kee Stofferahn, soprano soloist, and Alexandra Jones playing cello; and "Now Let Me Fly," arranged by Linda Spevacek.
Bards, the men's choir, will sing four numbers: "When Good Men Sing Together," arranged by Walter Rodby; "My Heart's in the Highlands" by Lon Beery; "Think on Me" by Victor C. Johnson; and "American Folk Rhapsody," arranged by Linda Spevacek and featuring Max Karnowski, tenor soloist.
The Smith Sisters, a women's trio, will sing the famous Carpenter's hit, "Yesterday Once More," and the men's quartet, Herd of Bananas, will perform the spiritual "Swing Down Chariot."
The A Cappella Choir will perform the double-choir motet "Heilig" by Felix Mendelssohn; "Our Father" by Alexander Gretchaninoff; "If Music Be the Food of Love" by David C. Dickau; "Bonny Portmore," arranged by Jon Washburn and featuring Maggie Boland, soloist, and Matt Capelle playing the penny whistle; and "Wade in de Water," arranged by Allen Koepke.
A cappella alumni will be invited to join this year's choir in singing the last two numbers of the concert, "Give Me Jesus," arranged by Larry Fleming, and "Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit," arranged by William Dawson and featuring Jake Schill as bass soloist.
Michael Smith, BHS choral director, said, "This concert is always very special to alumni of the A Cappella Choir, because they get to join this year's choir on stage for the last two numbers of the concert. It's a thrill for me as well as those attending the concert to have 60 to 70 alumni singing up on stage, including brothers and sisters, parents, and even grandparents of present A Cappella Choir members. It underscores the pride in the choral tradition we've had here in Brainerd for 68 years."
A reception honoring returning alumni will follow the concert.