The instrumental program from The Blake School visited from Minneapolis, Minnesota and performed in the gym April 5.

The Blake School has many musical arts programs and many have performed for the students multiple times on campus throughout the years. Their performances included string and brass instruments, drums, and two student-led organizations, a violin trio and a jazz combo. The jazz combo’s performance included solos from students on the trumpet, piano and trombone. The group played nine songs total at the assembly.

“All the instruments blended really well together and were balanced with each other,” junior Avery Kuhls said. “They sounded professional.”

Grande Choeur members senior Jordan Harrison, juniors Colleen Byrne and Lilly Denney and sophomore Emma Aguayo also performed with the Blake School. The quartet sang while the orchestra and band performed “For the Beauty of the Earth” composed by John Rutter.

“We walked [into the gym] and our jaws dropped because it was four of us and all of them,” Denney said. “It went really well though. Mulkey said we did this one part perfectly that we kept messing up in practice.”

The Blake School were only in town for a short time and performed earlier at St. Thomas More School and went back to Minnesota Saturday morning, April 8. They rotate performing at schools in Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri and Nebraska. Director of Instrumental Music for The Blake School Brian Olson said they would be enjoying Kansas City for a little bit before heading home. The band ended with Toto’s “Africa” and received a standing ovation from the crowd.

“I thought it was a great time, they played well and the audience was terrific,” Olson said. “We love the energy of the audience here.”