On Nov. 2, 2023, students from LHS’s feeder schools, Highland, Oak Grove and Rondout, arrived at the high school for the annual Fall Choral Festival. The event was followed by a concert later that evening in the Butler Lake Auditorium.
“It was a very good day, a lot of energy, a lot of good vibes,” Dr. Jeffrey Brown, the choir director, said.
As this festival is a long-standing tradition, Dr. Brown has been inviting guest conductors to work with both the middle school and high school groups. This year, Dr. Paul Nielsen conducted four songs including “Hey Jude” by the Beatles and “Sisi Ni Moja” by Jacob Narverud.
“I thought [this morning] was a blast,” Dr. Nielsen said. “I had such a great time here. It was so much fun. The kids are great to work with.”
Along with Dr. Brown and Dr. Nielsen, the middle school directors have spent the last few months preparing for this concert.
“It was really a great opportunity for the middle school students to connect with each other and connect with the high school students,” Ms. Anna Ausmann, Rondout School’s choir director, said. “[Students got to] meet Dr. Brown and just see what this is all about.”
Another unique part of this concert was the grand reveal of the Spring Break 2025 trip to… Sicily, Italy! Upon hearing the news, the crowd of high school students, middle school students, parents and other spectators broke into a round of applause. Pending board approval, anyone enrolled in Dance II, Dance III or any choir class will be eligible to participate in this group trip.
Overall, the middle school teachers viewed high school choir as a positive experience.
“You can be a part of something bigger than yourself,” Mr. Logan Ferris, the Oak Grove Choir Director, said. “You can make a big school feel smaller.”
Dr. Brown feels that choir and its program at LHS provides unique opportunities and benefits for all students, especially at this moment.
“I feel like right now, in the general population of the school, being in choir or being in a singing group is looked down on as a negative thing,” Dr. Brown said. “That’s not the case. Singing is something that can be uplifting. It can give you a sense of joy, a sense of peace. I think that’s really special.”
All of the high school choirs will perform at their annual Choral Holiday Festival on Dec. 12, 2023 at the Butler Lake Auditorium.

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Aarna Mishra

Staying true to the Halloween spirit, the combined school choirs performed the song “Nightmare Before Christmas Medley,” composed by Danny Elfman. The students danced along to the words of the song. “A lot of the choreography we did [in that song] was just improv,” freshman Nathan Likosar said.