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The Tehachapi High School Show Choir has had quite a year! Shortly after the attack on America on September 11, 2001, the director Linda Pettitt felt compelled to take the Choir to New York City to sing at Ground Zero and at the Statue of Liberty. The whole community pitched in to send 30 girls and 10 adults to New York City. They left May 8, 2002 and were able to sing at those places and tour the city, returning late on May 13th. On May 18, just 10 days after leaving for New York, the choir performed at a competition hosted by Music in the Parks. They performed before two judges, a hand full of parents, and the Jacobsen Junior High School (Tehachapi) Mixed Choir, and Show Choir - who had also competed, in the gymnasium at Western High School just a couple of miles from Disneyland.
At the awards ceremony later that afternoon at Disneyland, the THS Show Choir not only won first place in their division, but also first place over-all! They sang four songs for the competition: Prayer of the Children, On Holy Ground, New York, New York, and In the Mood. The last three songs they also sang in New York. They sang On Holy Ground at Ground Zero ! I hear it was a powerful time.
Below are mp3 recordings of the songs as they performed them May 18. I think the lousy acoustics in the gymnasium actually lent a cathedral-like quality to the recording, that works well for the first two numbers. However, they performed in the gymnasium for a more practical reason, they had In the Mood choreographed, and they simply needed the space. The words to Prayer of the Children andOn Holy Ground are reproduced below.
Click on a link to hear their May 18th performance.
My YouTube Videos
(Be sure to click the link watch in HD)
This Tehachapi News article describes their trip to New York.
Tehachapi High School Girls Show Choir
Sings At Ground Zero (by Coleen Dunwoody)
PRAYER OF THE CHILDREN
Words and Music by KURT BESTOR
Can you hear the pray'r of the children
on bended knee, in the shadow of an unknown
room?
Empty eyes with no more tears to cry,
turning heavenward toward the light.
Cryin' Jesus help me to see the mornin'
light of one more day,
but if I should die before I wake,
I pray my soul to take.
Can you feel the hearts of the children
aching for home, for something of their
very own?
Reaching hands with nothing to hold on
to,
but hope for a better day, a better day.
Cryin' Jesus help me to feel the love again
in my own land,
but if unknown roads lead away from home,
give me loving arms, 'way from harm.
Woh, lah dah dah dohm, lah dah lah dah
dohm,
Wohh, doh doh dah dah dah doh.
Can you hear the voice of the children
softly pleading for silence in their shattered
world?
Angry guns preach a gospel full of hate,
blood of the innocent on their hands.
Cryin' Jesus help me to feel the sun again
upon my face?
For when darkness clears, I know you're
near,
bringing peace again.
Dali cujete sve djecje molitive?
(Croatian translation: 'Can you hear all
the children's prayers?')
Can you hear the pray'r of the children?
On Holy Ground
Written by Geron Davis
When I walked through the doors I sensed
his presence
And I knew this was a place where love
abounds
For this is a temple the God we love abides
here
And we are standing in his presence
On holy ground
We are standing on holy ground
And I know there are angels all around
Let us praise, praise God now, praise
him anyhow
For we are standing in his sweet presence
On holy ground
In his presence I know there is joy beyond
all
measure
And at his feet sweet peace of mind can
still be
found
For when we have a need he is still the
answer
Reach out and claim it for we are standing
On holy ground
We are standing on holy ground
And I know there are angels all around
Let us praise, praise God now, praise
him anyhow
For we are standing in his sweet presence
On holy ground
LINKS
Tehachapi Unified School District Music Boosters - This site it stuck in time too.
A
tribute to 9/11 (Music: Prayer of the Children sung by Kurt Bestor and
Sam Cardon)
NOTE: There are NUMEROUS YouTube Videos of performances of On Holy Ground and Prayer of the Children.