In just a short time the choir has performed at a variety of events and competitions. The group will be on the Victoria Theatre stage in Dayton on April 30 to back up singer/composer Mark Lowry performing his famous song “Mary, Did You Know?”
“Last January, I started a volunteer choir to sing at the Performing Arts Consulants Festival at Cedar Point,” said Ferguson. “Anyone who wanted to sing could practice after school once a week, and 36 kids showed up.
“They received a superior rating, and were able to enjoy a day at Cedar Point. They realized they were good and wanted to continue. Our principal agreed, and we started a sixth-period choir class for sixth-(grade) through high school students.”
A ’93 graduate of Dayton’s Colonel White High School for the Arts, Ferguson went on to Cincinnati Christian University, graduating with a double major in Music and Biblical studies. After working as an adjunct at Stivers School for the Arts, he landed the full-time position as junior high Bible studies teacher at East Dayton Christian School. Now he’s also choir director.
This has been a busy year for the choir, with concerts, contests and invitations to perform at a variety of venues, but one of Ferguson’s favorites was the Cincinnati Christian University’s Spring Festival in February. “That was an honor for the choir, because it’s a high school program and most of our members are junior high — and for me, since I’m an alumni.
”We sang at the Riverside Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast April 9th, then got on the bus to Cedarville University for the 2016 Christian Schools International Music Festival, where we got a superior rating,” Ferguson said.
But this year’s highlight will be the April 30 performance at the Victoria Theatre. “We were practicing ‘Mary Did You Know?’ for our Christmas concert and our assistant principal heard us.”
Assistant principal Stan Ellingson is also a DJ on the Faith and Friends radio station, which was bringing Mark Lowry and The Martins to Dayton as part of the station’s fifth anniversary celebration.
“After hearing our rehearsal, he asked if we’d be interested in the program; then, our technical director made a video of the choir and sent it to Mark Lowry. He responded and wanted us to back him up on that song, but we had to learn his arrangement,” said Ferguson.
“When the choir members heard we were actually going to sing with the composer, they got excited. I was honored, and it will be an experience the kids will talk about years from now.”
In addition to working on the new arrangement, the choir is rehearsing for its annual Music and Worship Arts Spring Concert on May 6 at the school, 999 Spinning Road. “We’ll have dance, drama and music, with our featured group coming from Cincinnati,” said Ferguson.
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