Concert Brings Town Officials on Stage

The last of two planned benefit concerts for Bridge the Gap on Sunday, June 6, was a success, filling Arlington's Town Hall with family and fans of choral and rock and roll music.

Performing were the Ottoson Middle School chorus, the Sensational Singing Senseis (composed of school committee chair Joe Curro, selectman Kevin Greeley, Ottoson principal Tim Ruggere, and Arlington High School principal Charlie Skidmore), school committee member Judson Pierce's band Trial Run, and finally a sing-a-long section featuring members of the Board of Selectmen.

"We need to bridge the gap because the water is wide," said Kevin Greeley who started off the evening before the Sensational Singing Senseis, who were brought together in honor of the Nagaokakyo celebration of the Cherry Blossom Festival, broke into a rendition of Luigi Zaninelli's "The Water is Wide." Afterward, Greeley humbly replied to riotous applause, "There must be some sake out there in the audience."

Although outside the rain beat down heavily on the Town Hall building, the noise was no match for the Ottoson Grade Six Chorus, who sang a very hopeful turn on "Everything's Coming Up Roses."

They followed with a haunting measure of "The Moon," and finished off with an audience charged rendition of "Build Me Up Buttercup."

The Ottoson grades seven and eight chorus paid tribute to the Nagaokakyo exchange program by performing an absolutely show-stopping performance of Japanese folk song "Hotaru Koi (The Firefly)" by Ro Ogura, followed by crowd pleaser "Don't Stop Believing."

When the Ottoson Girl's Chorus got up to sing the Carl Stommen tune "Wings," their singing became something of a magical event as they performed their hopeful tune just as the storm outside began to dissipate and the sun broke through the clouds and right through the windows of the Town Hall, reflecting off the choral girl's faces. "Carry me along the rising of the sun," they sang as the sun began to appear.

Judson Pierce's band Trial Run ran through some crowd favorite oldies, covering the likes of Bob Dylan, the Byrds, B.B. King, and the Eagles, while also featuring a couple original songs by guitar player Lenny Nason.

During the set, food from Adrianna's pizza and sandwiches donated from various sources were served for free to attendants of the event. "Everybody has been very generous to us," said organizer Marie Krepelka, who administered the raffle tickets for a 50-50 raffle. Other raffles features items like gift certificates and mp3 players.

After the round of rock and roll was over, the Sensational Singing Senseis took the stage again to bring the event toward a close. Kevin Greeley got up to thank everyone for their support, and elaborated on the sheer necessity of the Bridge the Gap campaign to save the jobs of teachers throughout the city.

"What all of this is about is to teach your children well," said Greeley, before the Senseis broke into a piano and harmonica backed performance of Graham Nash's "Teach Your Children Well."