Darling Disney characters and musical numbers filled WMU’s Dessert Concert

WINFIELD — Winfield Mt. Union’s Junior Senior High School’s Annual Dessert Concert invited the community to don their best Disney attire as the students created an evening filled with beloved childhood classics from the franchise.

Dessert tables decorated in various Disney movie themes and additional bleacher seating were filled with an excited audience.

The audience and musical performance groups welcomed a scattering of Disney characters such as Cinderella, Mickey Mouse, Rapunzel, Belle, and Tinker Bell to bring even more whimsey to the evening.

The middle school band led the charge with an enthusiastic performance of “Mickey Mouse March,” “The Tempest,” and “Circle of Life,” as people enjoyed their sweet treats.

“The middle school group has been a whole lot of fun,” Music Director Lindsey Pogmore said. “They bring a whole lot of energy to rehearsals.”

“They laugh and everything. They talk a lot,” she added with a chuckle and received some laughs from the audience. “We’ve really had a lot of fun and built something fantastic.”

WMU middle school musicians also showed of their vocal abilities as they sang “I’ve Got No Strings,” with engaging and animated solos from Abigial Loyd, dressed as Alice in Wonderland, Collin Pogmore, dressed as the Wonderland rabbit, Brilynn Novak, dressed as Barbie, and Arabella Coberly, dressed as Mulan.

These students even displayed their best British accents as they spoke and sang solos in “Supercalifragilisticexpilalidocious.”

An all-girls choir performed a tender and sweet “When Somebody Loved Me,” and built in power and volume as they moved into “All Is Found.”

The combined choir produced a variety of songs with sweet high notes, building emotion, and some noteworthy facial engagement.

The high school band kept the evening entertaining for all as they played a nostalgic medley of Disney Movie Marches.

Seeing a happy Tiger, also known as freshman Ella Kann, bouncing around as she played percussion for “Be Our Guest,” turned her costume into a full character because, as the Tigger theme song says, “The wonderful thing about Tiggers is, tiggers are wonderful things. Their tops are made out of rubber, their bottoms are made out of springs. They're bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun.”

Gabe Hemsworth performed a couple of vocal solos with his guitar in a beautiful clear tone dressed as a cowboy like Woody, including “Grow as We Go.”

Brynn Pogmore, dressed as Vanellope von Schweetz from Wreck it Ralph, sang a song from the The Little Mermaid beside her mother and music director Lindsey Pogmore at the piano.

While Brayden Cline gave a captivating piano solo performance came during the dessert concert, the title of the piece escaped him.

The evening rounded out with a performance from the WMU Jazz Band which strayed from the Disney theme, but still captivated the audience with toe-tapping energy.

According to Music Director Lindsey Pogmore, their set consisted of their three selections they have performed throughout the season for contest.

Their performances of “All In for The blues,” “Oceanside,” and “Wade in the Water,” earned this ensemble second place in their district jazz competition which means they will perform in Ames April 4.

The band is currently accepting individual and business sponsors, which will be recognized on social media and in concert programs, to cover the costs of hotels, meals, and other expenses as they head to Ames April 3.

While Miles Davis said, “There are no wrong notes in jazz: only notes in the wrong places,” WMU Jazz Band performed a beautiful set in which there were indeed no wrong notes, nor any notes out of place.

In addition to the musical entertainment for the evening, the WMU Art Club offered a silent auction of their artwork.

“All of our funds are going to our trip to Chicago, and we leave in a week,” Art teacher and Art Club sponsor Elizabeth Shoening said. “The kids and I are super pumped. We couldn’t have done it without all of their hard work.”

According to senior art club member Bayla Thomson, during their trip to Chicago they will, “visit museums and learn about and experience art.”

Other proceeds from the evening will help support the WMU Music Department’s upcoming trip to see “The Lion King,” in Des Moines.

“We are all very excited, and we know that it’s going to be an experience that we won’t forget,” Pogmore said.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com