Students offer 'Evening of Arts'

Sonrise Christian School entertained in old-fashioned style at its "Evening of the Arts" performance Thursday, May 22 at Sisters Community Church.

The program was set in the 1800s and specifically focused on early America and Napoleonic Europe. And these K ­ 8 students looked the part.

Dressed in costume, these students showcased an assortment of acts. From renditions of "Home on the Range" sung by grades K-2, to demonstrations of fencing performed by the fifth and sixth graders, it truly was a variety show.

Blake Ehr, a Sonrise seventh grader, performed a humorous monologue as Napoleon Bonaparte. At one point during the lengthy speech, Ehr paused to remember a line. Instead of breaking character, he simply said, "I know...my memory is over 300 years old."

Another highlight was the traditional French song "Sur la Pont d'Avignon" sung entirely in French by the K-4 students.

The students educated their parents throughout the course of the evening. A short play put together by Rebecca Locklear, the school music teacher, was set around a little known historical event of the Peninsular War.

The four-act play was set in Spain in 1812. It showcased fifth graders Geoff Houk and Sam VanDiest as British soldiers.

The grand finale of the evening was set in an English orphanage. Students were dressed in rags and they held out empty bowls, singing "Food, Glorious Food" from the well-known musical "Oliver." It was their tribute to the fight against world hunger, said fourth-grade student Jordan Richerson.

Dan Cole, School Administrator of Sonrise, invited the audience to stay for an Open House following the program. Students' artwork was displayed for visitors to see and classrooms were opened to the public.