The best of the best of area county high school choral and band students performed at Arcadia High School this year on Saturday, February 24 during the Hancock County Honors Music Festival. The performance included students from Arcadia, Arlinton, Cory-Rawson, Liberty-Benton, McComb, Riverdale, Van Buren and Vanlue.

Sponsored by the Hancock County Educational Service Center and the Board of Education of all attending schools, students auditioned for the Festival at Van Buren High School in December. Cory-Rawson hosted rehearsals and Arcadia hosted the rehearsal and performance.

61 area students performed in the Honors Band, directed by Professor Jack M. Taylor of the University of Findlay. Songs included Russian Sailor’s Dance composed by Reinhold Gliere, arr.Issac, The Phantom of the Opera , composed by Andrew Lloyd Weber, arr. Barker, American Cival War Fantasy , composed by Jerry H. Bilik, IrishTun from County Derry, composed by Percy Grainger, Folk Song Suite, Movement 1 , composed by Ralp Vaughan Williams.

The Honors Choir was comprised of 79 students and was directed by Charles R. Snyder , music director and conductor since 1991 at Coshocton Community Choir and is director of the Coshocton Children's Choir and the Coshocton Youth Chorale. The students performed Sing We and Chant It written by Thomas Morley, Festival Sanctus, written by John Leavitt, When I hear Music, written by Michael Martin, Shout to God, written by David A. Gerig, Lord Listen to Your Children, written by Ken Medema: arr. Schrader.