Gerd Altman from Pixabay
Newport hosted this year’s annual PeCo chorus on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. This is where all four Perry County schools, including West Perry, Newport, Greenwood, and Susquenita, come together with their choirs to sing pieces they have been practicing over the past few months. Both the middle and high schools participate in this music festival to make one grand event.
The high school pieces include “Lemoga Aming’A” arranged by David Akombo, “Who I Want to Be” by Coty Raven Morris and arranged by Saleel Menon, “I’m Gong Home” by Kyle Pederson, “I Will Sing” by Michael Engelhardt, and “We are the Music Makers” by Reginal Wright.
Mrs. Rebecca Wiles hosted the festival because of the event taking place at Newport. She enjoyed the festival and the conductors that were chosen this year.
Wiles states, “I think the students did a great job, and the conductors were awesome.”
From the middle school, Mr. John Timmons was the conductor. They had several pieces that they performed, but one that stuck out to Mrs. Wiles was the “dance piece” where the middle school students used body movements and percussion to add emotion.
Dr. Kyle Zeuch was the high school conductor. Mrs. Wiles had a say on her favorite high school piece; but to her, it wasn’t easy to choose. “My favorite high school piece…I can’t pick one because that would be favoring one or the other. My favorite high school piece was the ‘I Will Sing’ one. I love that one.”
“I Will Sing” is a gospel type of song where it progresses more and more throughout the piece to get to the “big finish” that involves clapping and swaying.
Junior Sophia Griffin, exclaimed that she liked “Who I Want to Be” the most because “it was the prettiest sounding one in my opinion, and it had a good message.”
“Who I Want to Be” had students adlibing positive messages in the song. The song showed a positive message by explaining how people shouldn’t listen to others’ negative opinions. The song explained how people should “take care of their mind.”
There were several songs in these performances, both middle and high school, which showed emotion in an upbeat and exciting way along with a loving and peaceful way as well. The festival was a big success this year and will be held at Susquenita next year.