Haile hails for National Park Service centennial

When there were only 10 days to learn a new song, choral director Sarah O’Kelly was up for the challenge.

Especially for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

At De Soto National Memorial on Thursday, 33 members of the Haile Middle School swing choir recorded their versions of the “Star-Spangled Banner” and “Children’s Earth Anthem,” written by Louise Parker, to be compiled in a video of the voices of nationwide children’s choirs in celebration of the National Park Service centennial.

The National Park Service was created on Aug. 25, 1916, as part of the Organic Act and since then, 413 national park units have been established.

“I think it’s so exciting and honoring to be a part of this,” said eighth-grader Emily Taylor.

She added she was proud of how well the chorus did for learning the piece in such a short time.

Zadda Bazzy, the Manatee County visual and performing arts curriculum specialist, said the project was open to all choirs in the school district, but because they learned about it at the end of the last school year, it had to take a choir willing to learn the song quickly in the new school year.

“(We) worked on not just memorizing the music, but really internalizing what it means to be a community, not just with each other but with our environment,” O’Kelly said.

This story was originally published August 25, 2016 at 2:29 PM with the headline "Haile hails for National Park Service centennial."