BY KAREN BOSSICK

The sound of music will fill the air this week and next as Colla Voce and other award-winning Wood River High School choral groups and bands present their free end-of-the-year spring concerts.

Colla Voce, an award-winning elite women’s choral group, will serve up their annual concert full of Top 40 and other spirited songs over three nights at the Liberty Theater in Hailey.

The free concerts will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday—May 17 through19.

The Spring Orchestra Concert will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, May 21, at the Wood River high School Performing Arts Theater at Hailey’s Community Campus.

It will be followed by a Band Concert at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 22, and a Spring Choir Concert at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 23. Both will be at the WRHS Performing Arts Theater.

Judges sang the praises of Wood River High School’s music program, as they always do, at the 2018  Heritage Music Festival held over Spring Break in Anaheim, Calif.

More than 1,200 students from around the United State participated in the competition; 162 students and chaperones from Wood River High School took part.

Wood River High School won the coveted Festival Sweepstakes trophy for having the highest combined scores of choir and instrumental groups of any school.

Colla Voce under the direction of Max Stimac won a gold medal and first place in the Jazz Choir Division.

The B-Tones men’s group under the direction of R.L. Rowsey won a gold medal and first place.

The Spiritus Mixed Choir won a gold medal and second place.

The Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Rebecca Martin and Ellen Sanders, won a gold medal and first place, as well as the festival’s Adjudicator’s Trophy.

The Concert Orchestra won a gold medal and first place.

The Dixie Band directed by Tony Randall won a silver medal and first place, and Randall’s Jazz Band won a silver medal and second place.

The Concert Band won a bronze medal and third place.

Individually, senior cellist Mark Verst won the festival’s Maestro Award for solo performance, and Emma Flolo won the festival’s Disney You Make the Magic Award for outstanding community service and dedication to the music program.