A local choir director hosted a community performance last Saturday, celebrating America’s 250th anniversary through American music’s identity and Appalachian culture.
Nick Hibbard, choir director at Corbin High School, is a member of the American Choral Directors Association. He said around one year ago, a group within the association was putting together a program called “Sing Democracy,” but he did not think the required songs matched what he thought this concert should be.
“They were not pieces I felt fit in well with our community, audience and the people who would be singing. I wanted to do something, so instead I created my own,” Hibbard said.
The choir was made up of volunteer performers from the community. They began rehearsals twice a week at the end of May and continued through the day of the concert. Hibbard said the range of identities represented on the stage cast the “perfect picture” of what “America Sings” was meant to be.
“We want a concert reflecting the American people, who we are and what we believe. I think this choir has done a fantastic job,” he said.
The choral lineup for “America Sings” included classic patriotic songs like “The Star Spangled Banner” and “A Tribute to the Armed Forces,” sacred pieces like “Amazing Grace” and “City Called Heaven” and songs touching on the country’s diverse history like “Life Every Voice and Sing” and “My Old Kentucky Home.”
The performance concluded with “The Spirit of America,” a medley arranged by Hibbard and performed for the first time at the concert. He said he wanted to remind people that even those who disagree are fellow Americans, and when he could not find an arrangement reflecting that, he wrote one of his own.
“This year, we are celebrating our 250th year as a country, and regardless of whether people think we’re on the right track or not, our country is still our country,” he said. “We want to see her thrive and see the best of everyone in our country.”
