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From Broadway to opera, Young Singers of West Georgia will present a variety of music in their spring concert, “Classics, Fairy Tales and Wishes,” running Thursday at 6 p.m. and Friday at 7 p.m. at LaGrange High School’s auditorium.

Stacey Hardigree, artistic director and conductor, said each production is originally developed from scratch.

“Having a theme gives me a creative direction to explore as I search out high-quality music across multiple genres so my students from third-grade to high-school seniors can experience the best,” she said

Although the theme was used in 2013, this production is uniquely its own, using only a handful of songs from that show.

“‘Classics’ are a must in a choral presentation,” Hardigree said. “Our audience will be privy to several of these sprinkled throughout the program, from standard classical repertoire to old-school Richard and Rodgers’ Broadway numbers including ‘If I Loved You’ from ‘Carousel,’  sung by Cameron Tankersley, a Troup High senior vocalist and recipient of the Marty Davis Memorial Music Vocal Lessons Scholarship.

Hardigree said she is thrilled to be a part of the scholarship program at Lafayette Society for Performing Arts.

“I am honored to help carry on the legacy of my dear friend and mentor, Marty Davis, through the hosting of a music scholarship fund at LSPA in her memory,” she said. “The scholarship benefits junior and senior college music majors, as well as selected Young Singers who qualify for private vocal instruction in addition to our training.

Going back to the show, Hardigree said planning the fairy tale portion of the show was a delight.

“There are hundreds of stories and novels that have been set to music, from opera to Broadway,” she said.

One of the group’s most challenging adventures has been learning two French pieces from separate operas, “Barcarolle” from
“The Tales of Hoffman” and “Dome Epais” from “Lakme.”

Kullen Nash, a sixth-grader from Gardner Newman Middle School, said in rehearsal this week that his favorite piece is the French river song, “Barcarolle.”

“It is so rewarding to hear this after the short-lived moaning of learning French in the classroom,” Hardigree said. “They’ve had to work so hard to learn the language itself and the very intricate music to top it off.”

Some of the classic novels and fairy tales to be featured include selections from “The Secret Garden” featuring Jared Alfaro, a senior from Callaway High School, singing “A Bit of Earth,” as well as “Lily’s Eyes” performed by Kenny Horlander, a senior at LaGrange Academy, and Lucah Prophett, a LaGrange Academy freshman, also a Davis Vocal Lessons Scholarship recipient.

Other stories set to music will include selections from “Hansel and Gretel,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Wicked,” “Little Women” and “Peter Pan.”

“We’ll also be performing selections from the late Stephen Sondheim’s beloved intersection of fairy tales, ‘Into the Woods,’” Hardigree said.

“These numbers will spotlight Amelia Comerford, a freshman at Lafayette Christian School, and Lydia Camp, a senior from Springwood Academy, both of whom have been vocal lessons scholarship recipients.”

Hardigree said it is especially moving to see the growth of seniors who started with Young Singers as elementary school students.

“Lydia, Kenny, Cameron and Sam Corley now perform with such skill and ease as seniors,” she said. “Seeing these students transition through each phase of childhood to becoming confident adults and capable musicians is a rare privilege I get to experience and truly cherish.”

Other seniors Demetri Hatten, Kaleia Lewis and Jared Alfaro have been great assets to the group, Hardigree said.

Jared said he is grateful for everything he’s learned as a Young Singer.

“I’ve been a part of the group for two years,” he said. “I’ve gained so much confidence and musicianship, and enjoyed every bit of learning, singing and dancing in rehearsal and performances. I am truly grateful for Young Singers and all that it has done for me.”

Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for adults, and can be purchased at https://www.lsparts.org/tickets/index.html. For more information, call LSPA at 706-882-9909.

Upcoming season auditions begin in May and can be scheduled here:

https://linktr.ee/yswestga