April was a busy month in the music department at Berean Academy. On April 13, a very early and chilly Wednesday morning, the Berean choir and band loaded into two buses headed to Buhler High School for the KSHSAA State Music large group contest. The drive held cooler, cloudy weather, which turned to rain and eventually to snow by the time they reached their destination. The band had an eventful time unloading all the instruments in the snow! Shortly after arrival, the choir students left to warm up and perform their two pieces, “The Majesty and Glory of Your Name” by Tom Fettke and “Sing Praises” by L. Stanley Glarum. The choir did a great job, proving they were small but mighty and received a “I” rating for their performance. The band was next and warmed up on their two selections “Beautiful Savior” arr. by James Swearingen and “The Gathering of the Ranks at Hebron” by David Holsinger. The band took the stage and played beautifully, with a warm, vibrant tone quality and precision beyond compare, earning a “I” rating as well.
On Saturday, April 30, twelve solos and five ensembles met on the Friends University campus to participate in the KSHSAA State Solo and Ensemble Festival. The students had worked hard to put the finishing touches on their selections since the Regional Festival held three weeks earlier at Tabor College. Once again, our Berean students represented the Lord Jesus Christ well with ten of the solos and three of the ensembles all receiving a “I” rating. Thank you to the students for the hard work, dedication and extra time put into the music program at Berean!