Students from Zephyr Elementary School, Whitehall-Coplay Middle School and Whitehall High School took the stage to entertain an audience in the Whitehall High School auditorium recently.

The district's music department held its "Voices Across Whitehall" choral concert Feb. 25.

As a finale performance, with all participants singing, the 386 singers combined their voices for "Sanctus from Requiem," followed by Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land."

The performance entranced the audience, which contained many family members who responded with a standing ovation.

Whitehall High School choral director Andrew Borghesani and Whitehall-Coplay Middle School choral director Donald Ryan, envisioned the event.

"It was in the summer when Mr. Ryan and myself got together and came up with the idea of having a choral concert with singers from the three schools," he said.

Accompanying the singers were Kenneth Schneider on the organ and Dan Smale on piano.

The district's music faculty, including Sarah Herot, L. Rick Hilborn, Steve Reistetter, Donald Ryan, Andrew Borghesani, Dan Smale, Matthew Tanzos and Kenneth Schneider, have been credited for the district's success in music and having an increased number of students in its music education curriculum.

Whitehall Trax opened with the national anthem, then the program started on a holiday note, as the Zephyr Elementary fourth- and fifth-grade chorus sang "Jingle Bells."

The middle school's concert choir sang "Aura Lee," and "Furaha."

The high school's concert choir took the stage next and pefromed a Russian song, "Bogoroditse Dyevo," and "True Light." Kim Casey and Leka Ward soloed in the selections.

Next was the Whitehall High School chorale, performing "All My Trials" and "Elijah Rock."

The Zephyr Elementary Chorus, numbered 160 boys and girls, Whitehall-Coplay Middle School Concert Choir numbered 120, Whitehall High School Concert Choir, Chorale and Trax numbered 106 students.