Reporter: Ellie Mahan
October 20, 2021
Whitney High School and Whitney Middle School choirs are joining together for a combined fall show concert, with a fund-raiser dinner and silent auction before the show, Thursday, October 28.
Sheri Hayes, who has been the choir director of Whitney High School and Whitney Middle School for about 15 years, said, “The fall show is always a whole lot of fun because they get to do more popular stuff that is not traditional choral music. Then we put it all together with everybody, and it’s the only concert that they have all year long that is both high school and middle school combined.”
For the 14th year of the combined fall show concert, the theme will be country music, featuring songs by a variety of artists including Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, George Strait, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, Scotty McCreery and Blake Shelton.
In an effort to raise money for the High School Choir’s trip to Branson, Missouri, where the performers will open for the Haygoods, there will be a dinner and silent auction before the show. The dinner will be $10 a plate and will consist of baked potatoes stuffed with brisket or chicken, salad, cake and tea.
There will also be a large selection of silent auction items to bid on while patrons enjoy the meal.
Hayes said the WHS choir has performed at Disney World three times, but this will be the first time it performs in Branson. She said she is excited to see her students expand their horizons and appreciate places outside of the small town of Whitney.
“They can see other parts of the world, other parts of the country and experience different things,” she said.
Last year, the choirs held only one concert in order to follow social distancing and mask guidelines. Also due to the pandemic, the choir didn’t take a trip last year, so Hayes is looking forward to seeing the group enjoy its first major outing since the beginning of the pandemic.
In addition to the Branson trip, the jazz choir will sing the national anthem at a Texas A&M basketball game in February.
The choirs invite the public to support them by attending the fundraiser dinner at 5:30 p.m. in the Whitney Intermediate School cafeteria and their “showdown” at 6:30 p.m. in the Whitney ISD auditorium. To purchase a ticket, contact Sheri Hayes or come by WHS before 3 p.m. Friday, October 22.
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