Concerts on the horizon as years winds down to a close at IRHS

As I write this, there are 107 “happy campers” heading to Boston. This is the annual band/chorus trip, and the students and chaperones looked so excited at 4 a.m. I know they have worked hard for this trip, and wish them a safe and fun experience. Hopefully, we can report on their trip next month.

On that note, again we want to thank the entire community (businesses, neighbors, boosters and students) for their contribution to our successful 4th Annual Bingo Fundraiser. Some of the profits from this event helped to make the Boston trip possible for all of those students. We also thank you for the donations to the IR Key Club, which collected 1,012 items for our local food bank that night. Our community is awesome!

As far as upcoming events, we are proud that one of our own, Michele Justice, who is a junior at IRHS, will be performing the National Anthem for the Shorebirds on April 29. Michele did a fantastic job singing for the opening ceremony of the BunnyPalooza on the Bethany Beach bandstand.

Other IR students who also performed along the race route were Katie and Kassie Bird, Andrew Chapdelaine, Brooke Prendergast, Taylor Reeves, Austin Roadarmel, Rich Scrivani, Dylan Simpson, Ryan Staib, Phoebe Walls and Trey Williams. Thank you to these students for giving up their “sleep-in” Saturday morning to represent IRHS and support the Quiet Resorts Charitable Foundation.

The music department has arranged a trip to New York City on May 2 to see the Broadway show “Wicked.” The bus is full! Many are looking forward to seeing this great show.

It’s that time of year for our final concerts, so be sure to mark this on your calendar. We hope that many more community members will come out to see our performances. See for yourself the talent that lives within our school.

The first will be our annual Spring Concert, May 14 at 7 p.m. This is a free concert to all and includes both our band and chorus in a wonderful program.

Our next concerts will be our Stage Band concerts, Friday, May 18, and Saturday, May 19, both shows beginning at 6:30 p.m. Our “Broadway” show will include songs from more than 18 musicals, including “Jersey Boys,” “The Lion King,” “Grease” and “Les Miserables.” Costuming is currently under way, and this should be a spectacular show for all.

This year, tickets will be sold in advance, as well as at the door each night. Tickets will cost $7 each night or $10 for both shows, and will be available from the Stage Band members and at the high-school office. Profits will benefit our IR Music Department, so please come out and enjoy the show.

Our final event will be our Music Department Banquet on May 24. We always have a large crowd for this popular evening of a covered-dish meal for all music members and their families to attend. Recognition is given to our students for participation and awards throughout the year and, of course, a final “goodbye” to our graduating seniors.

We are on our countdown, but we have had a wonderful year, with many exciting accomplishments. Please be sure to mark our upcoming concerts on your calendar. We invite you to come and share with us our talented students, and be sure to bring a friend!