Earlier this week, the Becker High School Choir held a concert in the PAC that featured songs from the ninth-graders, an acappella group, a mixed ensemble and concert choir.

 

The concert was directed by Gretchen Bordson.

 

The night kicked off with the ninth grade choir singing Elijah Rock by Jester Harrison. The song is spiritual refering to Elijah's being taken up to Heaven in a fiery chariot.

 

Next, the ensemble of  Taya Houle, Brekyn Strong, Ella Nettestaed, Izzy Swanson, Chelsey Carr, Larissa Tollefson, Jacob Popp, Devin Riley, Tyler Matvick and Sam Hintermeister sang Down By the Riverside, a John Rutter song sung by slaves in the South as a work song dating back to before the Civil War.

 

Jarrett Aumock sang solo the song, That Lonesome Road, arranged by Julie Knowles. The song is about losing companionship, while acting impulsively and saying hurtful things.

 

David Myers played bass on the next choir song, Sixteen Tons, by Merle Travis and Kirby Shaw. The song is about a coal miner from Kentucky.

 

Solos by Laura Niday, William Schendel, Kelli Lumley, Andrew Reed, Libby Verwey, Ethan Quill, Haley Vanzee, Rhiley Larson, Sam Pounds and Jacob Drury kicked off the acappella section for a song called, House of Gold, arranged by Bryan Sharpe.

 

The song is about a mother who begs her son to buy her a house of gold as she ages.

 

Mixed Ensemble/Concert Choir

A mixed ensemble/concert choir sang the song, Connected by Brain Tate in the following piece. 

 

The mixed ensemble — accompanied by Katy Aanenson sang the next song, Bless the Broken Road, arranged by Mark Brymer. The song is a love song between a man and woman and the path they take to reach a grander plan.

 

Hannah Bengtson, Cassidy Fossum, Payton Bernstrom, Jennifer Vrobyev, Amber Vogl, Aiden Bauer, Hannah Veches, Nathaniel Hed, Carter Aanenson, Danny Solsvig, Christian Hanowski and Brendan Potter performed the song, We Rise Again, arranged by Stephen Smith. The song is another coal-miner’s song that tugs at the heartstrings of all who see children as our hope for the future.

 

Jake Smith, Emily Krogstad and  Alex Nelson performed solos for the song, And So It Goes by Billy Joel. The song is a lyric poem written about his doomed relationship with model Elle Macpherson.

 

Faith Zinken performed the introduction for the song, Prayer of the Children by Kurt Bestor. The song was written out of frustration over the horrendous civil war and ethnic cleansing taking place in the former country of Yugoslavia.

 

The choir finished off their portion with Neighbor’s Chorus, a song written by Jacques Offenbach. The song refers to a man who lives in a community with a bunch of nosy neighbor's and they want to know why he's looking so sad.

 

Ninth Grade Ensemble

A duet by Abbie Halvorson and Chelsey Carr for the song, Goodnight, My Someone (Meredith Wilson) is from the play, Music Man and is about wishing someone sweet dreams and a good night’s sleep.

 

Mixed Ensemble/Concert Choir

Closing out the evening, Ethan Quill played the drums and Laura Niday the claves for the song, Jenga Imani Yako by Israel Kagaruki. The song was originally composed in the Kwaya music tradition of Tanzania. This vibrant Swahili song means "build your faith" and encourages people to keep moving forward and never to give up, even though they may face hard times. 

 

Bordson and her students would like to thank the guests as well as Greg Lynch, Rose Peterson, Eron Bordson, Kay Aanenson, Sandy Logrono, Mark Kolbinger and the high school custodians.

 

The BHS Concert Choir will be heading to New York City from March 23-28, then will hold another choir concert May 22 at 7 p.m.