Music

All-State Junior Chorus members sang, swayed and stomped their feet Sunday as South Hagerstown High hosted their concert, which drew a packed house. Among the more than 150 singers on stage were two Washington County Public Schools students from Barbara Ingram School for the Arts. Ingram freshmen and Hagerstown residents Josh Geblein, 14, and Nadia McClain, 14, have been practicing since Friday with their colleagues from around the state, they said. “It was awesome,” said Josh, a tenor.

Beth Smith has had a fondness for "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" since she was a child. "I remembered I always loved that show," said Smith, Clear Spring High School drama and choral teacher. And when she was teaching at another school years ago, she watched the musical again. She said she thought, "Yeah, some day I'm going to do this. " "It's pretty much has always been on the back burner," she said. "This year, I finally had the cast. " Clear Spring High School Drama Club will present the iconic musical, " Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" Friday, March 8, through Sunday, March 10, at the high school.

“Save A Horse, Hire A Cowboy,” the live and silent auction benefiting the Franklin County 4-H Therapeutic Riding Center, will be held Sunday March, 24, from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Orchards Restaurant in Chambersburg. The auction will include merchandise and service vouchers donated by local businesses and community members, as well as 10 local cowboys to bid on. Officials said funds generated from the event are important to further the center's goal of helping people with special needs receive therapy, relax and build confidence through horsemanship.

Local bands played to an eager crowd Saturday at Bridgefest 13 in Hagerstown. Bridge of Life Church hosted the all-day music festival in its laid-back, dorm-like youth room. Some audience members lounged on secondhand couches chatting, texting and swaying to the music from the room's far end, while others were at the foot of the stage, hanging on every note and lyric and rocking out. Youth pastor Justin Perrow said the church wanted to give area bands a place to play. “We just wanted them to have a place to have a crowd, for some youth groups to come together and for the church to get into the community,” he said.

“Hello darkness, my old friend.” That's the first line of Paul Simon's 1964 hit, “The Sound of Silence.” Recently, the phrase “Dear Emptiness” appeared on my computer screen as I tried to compose a message to a friend. No, I wasn't trying to add a new verse to the iconic song. The young man's name is Antonis - not emptiness. I was trying to thank him, my computer scientist adviser, for recommending that I upgrade my laptop's operating system so that I would have access to built-in voice recognition.

Deadlines for Nightlife and karaoke, open mics, DJs, trivia listings is noon Friday for the next Thursday's edition. Send items to lifestyle@herald-mail.com . For more information, call Lifestyle editor Crystal Schelle at 301-791-7136. Thursday, Feb. 28 The Allstars Band Open jam session with guest host Ted C, 8 p.m. to closing, Crazy Horse Steakhouse and Saloon, 116 Railway Lane, Hagerstown. 301-791-2611. ClearSpring Bluegrass Band 7 to 9 p.m., Beans in the Belfry Meeting Place and Cafe, 122 W. Potomac St., Brunswick, Md. 301-869-6610 or 202-415-6610.

St. John's Episcopal Church , organ recital by Mark King, featuring classical, jazz and opera music at 7 p.m. Sunday. Free. Call 301-733-2560, ext. 108.

A private donation is allowing the Waynesboro Area School District to create a music technology lab in the high school, giving students access to programs used by music producers and sound engineers. The donation from an anonymous donor is being funneled through “Support the Solution,” an initiative of the Waynesboro Area Business, Education and Community (WABEC) Foundation. Support the Solution will contribute $72,296 toward the music technology lab. The lion's share of the Support the Solution money for the music technology lab came from one person, officials said.