|
By David Stephens, HOMETOWN NEWS
Rita Parker was the chorus director at Boiling Springs High School for 25 years beginning in 1977 until her retirement at the end of the 2001 school year. During that time hundreds of students passed through Parker’s chorus room where they developed their singing talents and grew to love choral music as much as their chorus director does. Through the years Parker organized a 10 - year and a 15 - year reunion of her students, but it ended there.
Last year, however, Rita Parker began to think about bringing some of those former singers back together once more. That idea will culminate in a reunion concert on March 21, 2009, at Boiling Springs Junior High School.
In a telephone interview Parker said, “I have missed choral music and I had a desire to see the students and their families. Last fall I was expressing this to some of my friends and it just blossomed from there. Being on the internet and on Facebook has given me an opportunity to reconnect with many of those former students. As of February 12, 130 former students have registered to perform in the concert. Some of them are coming from as far away as New York, Texas, Florida, and Kentucky.”
Parker is excited about seeing those students, but also about how many of them are using their musical talents. Parker said, “Many of them are still involved with music whether it is singing with a group, a band, at church or another venue. It is a way for many of them to give something back to the community by using their musical talents. There is also supporting data that shows that many musically trained students perform better on academic tests and have a high graduation rate.” Parker also said, “The Upstate Family Resource Center is serving as a sponsor for the concert reunion and we have set aside time for them to tour the Center and see some of the wonderful outreach to the community that comes from there.”
Rita Parker is the current Chairman of the Upstate Family Resource Center Board of Directors. The reunion concert will be held on March 21, 2009, at Boiling Springs Junior High School beginning at 5:00 p.m. The program will begin with the Star Spangled Banner and move on to favorites like Bridge Over Troubled Waters and seven other selections. Rita Parker will be assisted by Krisila Foster, chorus director at the junior high school.
Parker said, “Krisila sent me many, many talented singers from the junior high and continues to send them to the chorus director at the high school now, Dennis Stepp, who was a 1997 student of mine.”
A reception will follow in the junior high cafeteria. For more information about the reunion concert visit the internet website www.bshschorusreunion.com.
 Email This Post
|
