A Summer Sing-Off in Norton

It was music to the audiences ears Wednesday night, as chorus groups from Norton and North Attleboro High Schools joined together for the Summer Sing-Off Concert at Norton Middle School.

There were about 80 students total in the concert, about half of them from Norton. Some 2011 graduates even came back to the school to participate. The groups included Norton High School Select Choir, North Attleboro high School Jazz Choir, Norton High School Chorus, North Attleboro High School Concert Choir and the Sing-Off Combined Concert Choir.

This is the second year the two schools have presented the Summer Sing-Off concert. It began last year when N. Attleboro director and Vermont native Robert Couture got his job.

"Music is a useful tool to unite communities, not only within themselves, but with others around them," Couture said.

The previous Attleboro director was on maternity leave when Couture filled in. She then decided to teach elementary school, opening the position up for Couture to take over. And Polak is more than happy to work with him.

"I think it's great to see kids working cooperatively together," she added.

The groups performed a variety of music, from the traditional Zambian song "Bonse Aba" to Cee Lo Green's "Forget You." But according to Polak, their favorites seemed to be the selections from Broadway's "Wicked" and Baba Yetu by composer Christopher Tin.

The harmony doesn't stop with the students, however. Polak, 26, and Couture, 24, are engaged to be married in August. The two hit it off at a music conference in Foxborough and have been together for a year and a half.