One of the Absolute Best Concerts...

Let me tell you this. If you did not make it to the Wichita County JR/SR High School Christmas program tonight, you missed a superb performance. Practically every seat in the auditorium was filled with people who were so pleasantly quiet all of the way through the vocal and instrumental performance so that they did not miss anything. Between the choir's performance and the band's performance, people all around us were discussing what a magnificent concert the singers had given. You could absolutely understand each and every word that was sung by the kids from 7th through 12th grades. All eyes were on their instructor, Mrs. Torie(Graff) Koehn, as the kids gave it their all. Simply beautiful and not something that all high schools put on. Far from it. The musicians thoroughly enjoyed their songs and it was shown through to their audience.

If I had been the instructor who had to follow that outstanding performance, I think that I would have been a nervous wreck. Not Mr. Allen Brockmeier. He was calm, poised and ready to show off what his kids could do. The kids didn't let him down either. This was, without a single doubt, one of the best band concerts, school AND professional, I have ever been to. These kids knew what they were doing and did it oh so well!

We had begun the evening with having Grandma and Mama over for Blau stew before he headed to the school. Of course, we all went in our van. Once the concert was over and all of us had returned to the van, Mama remarked to Leighlyn that she should be so very proud to be in the music department that Mrs. Koehn and Mr. Brockmeier head.

Something else that we really enjoyed was seeing how all of the students were dressed in beautiful outfits. So many of the girls' dresses were gorgeous. All of the sequins with the light reflected from them, did alot to add that extra "spark" to their Christmas music!

Before the band played their lost song, Mr. Brockmeier thanked everyone for coming to the program (in all honesty, we should have been thanking the musicians and their directors). While he was doing that, he reminded all of us to remember the reason for the season. Beautifully said...

Thursday, December 16th, is when the grade school kids will meet at the high school auditorium to give their musical, The 12 Days of Christmas. Do yourself a favor and come and watch it! You do not need to have a child performing. EVERYONE is invited! The RBSES music director is Mrs. Jamie (Brown) Bishop. She is also an unbelievable music teacher! Her musicals are so very well done that it is difficult to believe that the musicians are still so young! Without outstanding elementary music instructors like Mrs. Bishop, the junior high and high school directors would not have the same success with their students. Mrs. Bishop is doing a wonderful job of preparing these students to be the stars of tomorrow's secondary music departments!!!

By the way, Mrs. Koehn and Mrs. Bishop are hometown girls who are serving their community very well! Mr. Brockmeier came to Leoti several years ago from Salina. He is now married to Lynda Schwindt. Mrs. Koehn is married to Jason Koehn and Mrs. Bishop is married to Buck Bishop.

See you all next Thursday!!!

VLE-B