CRESTVIEW — The 115-voice Crestview High School chorus will have a performance year combining traditional choral music, rock oldies, show tunes and pop hits.
Along the way, plans include adding instrumentation and choreography, putting more “show” in its show choirs’ performances.
FUNDRAISING
Choral Music Director Kevin Lusk plans to take at least 40 chorus members to a March 17-22 choral music festival in Hawaii, as well as to regional and state competitions, so the chorus has shifted fundraising efforts into high gear.
Along with a series of recent car washes, plans call for program advertising and food sales benefiting performance costumes and travel costs.
“This year’s is a pretty big program and we’re very, very active,” Lusk said. “But it takes money. Luckily, Crestview is very generous.”
There’s one expense the chorus doesn’t need to cover this year: As other school districts cut funding for the arts, Lusk said Okaloosa School District Superintendant “Mary Beth Jackson made sure we got money this year to actually buy music.”
The allocation covered the purchase of new sheet music for the chorus’ library.
A PREVIEW
The audience at Aug. 31’s Meet the Chorus night saw some show choir works-in-progress.
With music and lyrics down on “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” the all-girl Destiny nailed most of their choreography in time for the season debut. “We’ve got at least one dance down,” senior Lindsey Wakayama said. “We have more to go, but we’re really working hard.”
Chanticleer rocked the Pearl Tyner Auditorium with a spirited rendition of Walk the Moon’s “Shut Up + Dance,” but still must work on the number’s choreography. “We started out a little shaky but that’s because some people are new, but we’re getting it together," senior Michael Brooks said.
Chorale, the chorus’ mixed traditional choir, started the evening performing “From Sea to Shining Sea,” a sweeping choral setting of “America, the Beautiful.”
The Women’s Choir’s musical setting of late 19th-century American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar’s “Invitation to Love” delighted the audience, while the Men’s Choir’s rendition of The Beatles’ “Ticket to Ride” revealed a musical generation gap.
“The first day we’re working on this song, it was OK,” Lusk said. “The second day, I’m like, ‘Come on, come on, come on.’ The guys said, ‘Hey, you know this song. We don’t.’
"I was, ‘gasp!’” Lusk said, clutching his chest in a feigned coronary. He couldn't believe that one of the Fab Four’s most famous songs should be unfamiliar to anyone.
WANT TO HELP?
The Crestview High School chorus will sell Krispy Kreme donuts and advertising in its program book to raise money for travel to regional and state choral competitions, and for March 2016 performances in Hawaii.
Donuts — $7 a dozen glazed, $8 a dozen chocolate — must be ordered by Sept. 10 for Sept. 11 delivery.
Order donuts and reserve program ad space from any chorus member or Choral Music Director Kevin Lusk, LuskKe@mail.okaloosa.k12.fl.us, 689-7177, ext. 1210.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Hawaii-bound Crestview High chorus raises funds for regional competition and '16 trip (VIDEO)