Alumni praise local choir director of 36 years

“My sincere wish is that the tradition of musical excellence at Stanley-Boyd continues,” retiring choir director Janet Mickelson said as the Sunday May 22 Variety Show neared its end in the Stanley-Boyd high school gym. “And that means you all have to keep singing,” she said.

Hired from Adams-Friendship in 1986, Mickelson closes out 36 years with Stanley- Boyd this year, having inspired generations of students with a love of music— like those who sang Sunday.

“It was a good show,” Class of 2022 graduate and choir member Hannah Hazard shared afterwards. “Miss Mick has a legacy that will shine forever. The next choir teacher has big shoes to fill," with Hazard’s brother Jacob Hazard also a choir alum from sixth grade up. In the meantime, Class of 2011 graduate and Hovland Conservatory of Music piano instructor Austin Kirckou shared his own feel ings on the bittersweet occasion. CHORUS

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“It’s amazing,” he said of the Stanley-Boyd music program.

“Miss Mickelson is fantastic. She does the best job anyone could ever do…can’t say enough good about her.” With that for the intro and with Mickelson’s husband Mark Morrow also in attendance at the event, the concert, was as follows.

Starting out Sunday at 2 p.m. in the south portion of the Stanley- Boyd High School gymnasium, things kicked with a rendition of “No Business” (like show business), it was straight into the Madrigal, followed by a piano rendition of “Georgia Law Man” by Sasha Nitz on piano, with Nitz getting the pat down by emcee and deputy Carsen Hause prior to the performance as Hause and co-emcee Mike Karlen Jr. briefly donned sheriu's badges for the character acting performance.

From there it was into “That Lonesome Road,” followed up with “Cups” from Pitch Perfect, performed by Class of 2022 outgoing senior Breielle Thompson with a cup used for sound accompaniment.

From there it was into “Rainbows” with Class of 2022 graduate Hailey Schneider, piano accompaniment by long-time choir accompanist Lynn Grace. Lynn will also be retiring along with Miss Mickelson.

Closing out Set I for the Sunday May 22 Variety Show was a rendition of that 1950s-era classic “Summer Nights,” from Grease. Boys on one side of the risers and girls on the other, singing together in harmony.

From there it was into a brief intermission followed up with Set II of the Variety Show, opening with the signature piece from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma with music and lyrics from Shirley Jones, along with several others.

Following Oklahoma, it was into “Memories” as sung by the Concert Choir girls, then a duet by Mickelson and her daughter entitled "You Are The Reason," which brought a standing ova tion from the audience.

From there is was into the opening scene from “The Music Man,” while Carsen Hause exhorted his fellow traveling salesman lamenting a changed reality with, “No it hasn’t, but you gotta know your territory.”

Following the Rock Island scene from “The Music Man,” it was back to reality Sunday, with “When The Party’s Over” sung by Victoria “Torie” Szczech, Gracie Petranovich, Breielle Thompson, and Hailey Halls.

Followed in turn with a rendition of “Africa” that drew 10 former students out of the crowd to sing along with the present choir, it was into “Fall on Me,” said to be about the love between a mother and child. Closing out the Variety Show, meanwhile, was "Baba Yetu," a Swahili language number translating to the Lord’s Prayer, and including bird and other nature sounds imitated by the choir.

After the concert, Class of 2017 graduate and choir alum Braxton Thompson summed the performance up.

“It’s kind of weird,” he said. “Like it’s the end of something but it’s the beginning of something,” he shared, adding. “The next choir director has big shoes to fill."