Also first performance of the community mass choir
By SHERRY DIGMON
News Staff Writer
You’ve heard it said, “If you weren’t there, you really missed something.”
Truer words were never spoken when referring to the Escambia County Middle and High School Spring concert Thursday, May 3. If you weren’t there … well, just ask anyone who was. They’ll tell you how memorable it was.
Once the school concert was over, the Atmore Community Mass Gospel Choir filled the stage (literally) and presented several praise and worship selections. The mass choir was composed of dozens of people from the community, along with some students who chose to participate following their own concert.
The ECMS sixth-grade choir started the school concert with Kuwa Furaha (Be Joy), then featured soloist Lajarion McCarty in A Million Dreams.
The concert was held in the newly renovated Hodnette Auditorium at ECHS. Choir director Conrad Weber felt it a fitting tribute for the choirs to perform 1960s #1 Hits Medley to honor the year the school was built (1960). He arranged a medley for the sixth-grade choir (featuring front vocalists Ava Penner, Kasiyah Atkins and Tiarra Lee) and one for the higher grade choir.
An impromptu performance of Leaning on You, Lord brought a couple of ECHS graduates to the stage to accompany some of the high school choir members.
The ECHS Ensemble performed White Winter Hymnal, arranged by The Pentatonix.
Soloist Adonis Williams brought the house down with A Change Is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke.
The ECHS and ECMS seventh- through 12th-grade choirs performed Jambo, Jesu, and a 1960s medley featuring Ty Rankins, assisted by Destiny Brown in part of the medley.
Accompanying the choirs were Justin Martin, electric guitar; Alex White, drums; Jace Weber, bass, cello; and Collin Richard, keys.
Members of the school choirs are listed below.
Sixth grade – Shameshia America, Kaisyah Atkins, Jyrin Brown, Jessica Cuenca, Areana Dread, Sasha Kidd, Shania Lee, Tiara Lee, Destiny Lynn, Paul Martin, Shontia Martin, Lajarion McCarty, Jakiya Owens, Ava Penner, Gabreyel Proctor, Takiya Riley, Jalesia Rivers, Elijah Thomas, Aubrianna Williams, Tynekia Harris.
Seventh and eighth grades – De’Untrey Cooper, Maurice Etheridge, A’Zavein Pettway, Trenton Smith, Si’Mya Sims, Jameesha Russell, Rachel Redmond, Jaliyah English, Isabella McGee, Jasmine Davidson, Savannah Gilden, Trinity Thames, Sy’Maria Banks, Ty’Qaja Brown, Delaneny Gurley, Makaila Foskey
High school – Zaniyah Anderson, Keyonna Atkins, Nija Backus, Josh Banks, Danielle Barnes, Katelyn Barron, Darius Brooks, Destiny Brown, Joseph Bryant, Mona Crenshaw, Jenia Cuenca, Dominae DuWhite, Shania Finklea, Marquez Gaines, Jermeria Gandy, Tequoria Gandy, Mikaylla Gibbs, Ariauna Gray, Mercedes Hall, Mitchlina Hall, Antonio Hardy, Shankina Henderson, Jada Johnson, Jon’Asia Johnson, LaShandrea Kelly, Tyshai Knight, Alexis Lambert, Olivia Lee, Taliyah Leslie, Bria Montgomery, Jayla Moore, Mariah Moore, Brianna Morrow, Danishia Murray, Darriona Nichols, La’Karlton Nye, Destiny Page, Chamichael Pettway, Sanaa Pleasant, Latrice Pryear, Adriaunna Richardson, T’Naijah Roberts, Mardaizah Salter, Arianna Sitar, Alexxius Simpson, Anita Shoemaker, Jessi Spicer, Mariah Stallworth, Tiyashia Hall, Jac’Lynn Tucker, Ty Rankins, Adonis Williams, LaDasia Willis, Michael Wilson, Sheyanne Wooley.
News Photo by Ditto Gorme