On Tuesday evening students from Eden Marine High School, Bega High School, Bega Valley Public School, Pambula Public School, Quaama Public School, Tathra Public School, Towamba Public School and Wolumla Public School, performed their hearts and souls out to a packed house.
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It was the first night of two performances showcasing the hard work of the all those involved in bringing the sixth annual Sapphire Coast Learning Community Performing Arts Festival to the stage.
Over two hours, the audience was treated to a diverse program of choirs, big bands, hula hooping, musical theatre, dance, rock and vocal performances.
For $10 a ticket, it was the best value entertainment to be had in the Bega Valley.
The fresh, hopeful faces of the Combined Primary Schools Choir started the night with a rousing rendition of the National Anthem.
They backed up with performances of Assalaam Alaikum and Hey Brother conducted by Hayley Fragnito.
The bar was certainly set high right from the start of the evening.
The Music Camp Festival Big Band , conducted by Sam Martin – who must have just about run the equivalent of a marathon over the course of the evening – performed the perennial favourite Peter Gunn Theme.
Julie Colwell led Bega High School Year 11 Music in their rendition of Poison Wine.
Sam Martin with Robyn Martin directed the Eden Marine High School Year 11 Music band in Possibilities.
It was such an apt song choice, leaving many wondering just what was possible for the hundreds of students performing so brilliantly on the night.
Towamba Public Schools’ Hula Hooping routine to Pharrel Williams Happy nearly brought the house down.
Krista Dodsworth and Louise Hopson who directed this bright, fun, uplifting performance deserve high praise, as do the wonderful Towamba Public School children.
They were stupendous.
Garry Jones and Candy McVeity then led The Bega Valley Public School Band in a very groovy rendition of Signed Sealed Delivered.
What a performance!
Wolumla Public School Musical Theatre wowed with their Annie/Oliver stage musical numbers and had many believing it was some Broadway group, performing in the Bega Valley.
The Pambula Public School Choir performed a nostalgic version of Cold Chisel's Flame Trees. Everyone was silently singing along - if you were the right age of course!
Then the energy levels went through the roof as Tathra Public School's dance performance of Disco Fever had the audience grooving along and back to the 70's.
It was everything good disco is - bright, flashy, fun, sparkly, and with big hair!
Bega High Schools Year 12 Music then performed Colours of the Wind, bringing tears to some eyes with the clear, pitch-perfect voices of their very talented singers.
Eden Marine High School Year 12 Music slammed their version of Do I Wanna Know?, once again directed by Sam and Robyn Martin.
Quaama Public High School then completely changed the pace with their Rubbish - No Way performance, including some great throwing and tricks with metal bins.
Their costumes, made entirely from plastic garbage bags, were a great example of the creativity that goes into this festival.
The Tathra Public School Guitar Group then got toes tapping with Blue Suede Shoes. Garry Jones and Robyn Hoare energetically led the band and deserve praise for the stellar performances they helped the kids to give.
Candy McVeity then led Bega Valley Public School Choir in this year's Disney favorite, Let it Go from Frozen. Looking around just about every mum and dad was mouthing the words, proving yet again how popular this hit from the movie has been among the young - and older- set.
King and Lionheart was next to be performed by the Pambula Public School Rock Band. What an awesome song performed by an awesome group of kids.
Lisa Freedman then led the Music Camp Combined Schools Vocal Group in a very different, but no less joyful, version of Happy.
In an entirely different performance, Eden Marine High School Year 11 Drama then performed The Voice Inside Your head.
What a clever, inspiring, helpful way to show how pressured it can be to be a self-doubting teenager, your own worse critic, and also your own salvation.
It was truly inspiring...and funny!
The evening wrapped up with two big performances by Bega High School Year 11 Music who performed Chuck E's in Love, directed by Julie Colwell, and the SCLC Festival Combined Schools Band performing Superstition, led by Lisa Freedman, Sam Martin and Garry Jones.
The Bega Valley certainly has got talent.
Don't miss Wednesday night's performance, it promises to be another night of superstars.