ELLINWOOD — The Mystic Blues choir from Ellinwood High School will once again be teaming up with choir alumni to perform the National Anthem Friday night before the boys’ homecoming basketball game at the high school, at 7:15 p.m.
“This is very important to the students to be involved with the choir and being part of the community which the choir provides for them,” said Paige Stegman, vocal music teacher at EHS. “Not every student excels at sports and the choir gives those students that opportunity. They get to feel successful and they are very excited to be singing the National Anthem with some alumni. Some of the students have had family members that were in the choir and they are excited to be part of that.”
This is the second year that the choir has performed with alumni. They are expecting 10 to 15 former Mystic Blues members to show up to the event, but according top Stegman they really have no idea on how many will show up until the day of the event. Once everyone is there they will do a rehearsal just before the singing of “The Star Spangled Banner.”
Friday's program is not the only thing on the horizon for the school's show choir. The Mystic Blues are getting ready for Valentine’s day where the choir will go out within the community of Ellinwood and sing for people that have made special requests for loved ones.
A storied choir
A Hutchinson News article from April 8, 1974, mentions the new EHS singing group, the Mystic Blues. Members had recently performed at schools at WaKeeny, Russell, Ellsworth and Lyons, completing their tour before a home audience. The show included choral selections from the rock musical “Godspell,” and popular tunes such as “One Tin Soldier” and “Make Your Own Kind of Music.”
“Everybody seemed to appreciate us everywhere we went,” said James Dahlke, an EHS senior who was a member of the group. The News reported that costumes included long blue, knit formals with puff sleeves and scoop necks for the girls, while the boys wore high-waisted pants with blue ruffled shirts, and bow ties.
