History isn’t just recorded in books; it is also set to music and preserved for the future. Music can be about more than just love, a day gone wrong, or a simple lullaby. People through the centuries have sung about war, politics, and religion. Think about the ballads you have heard sung about 9/11. A textbook can tell you the facts, but music can give you the emotions that make you feel what that day was like.

The Central Oregon History Performers is a group of homeschooled students who remember history through song and drama. Directed by Rebecca Locklear, the Performers have put on public performances for 10 years. Along with history, Mrs. Locklear teaches vocal and music theory skills for grades 3-12 and brings them together too as one choir. When asked why she enjoys working with homeschoolers she answers, “One thing I love about the History Performers is their attitude: These students love history and want to perform well. We have just ten rehearsals and then we perform.”

What makes the performances a joy to hear and see is each year’s focus on history. The Performers work hard to help the audience experience history in a whole new way.

You can feel the darkness of the Middle Ages as well as the hope in the featured songs sung in Latin such as “Veni, Veni Emmanuel” and a Gregorian chant of “Hodie, Christus natus est.” The comedy skit “St. George and the Dragon” rounds out the program and has been a favorite that has been performed a couple of years.

Not all the pieces of music come from the actual time period, but the music chosen is used to reflect what life was like during that time. “Blow High, Blow Low” is a whaling song that depicts the type of work and ships that sailed from Europe and America in the 1600s.

During the reign of Napoleon, Europe was at war. The skit and music of “Over the Hills and Far Away” reminds us of the duty to fight for king and country. The song was a kind of advertising campaign to join the British army.

The 1700s were the time of the relocation of the Acadians, slave ships, and piracy. Spirituals show the sadness that the slaves had to endure as well as the hope they had in their new faith. “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel” is upbeat but remembers the years of bondage and freedom in Biblical history. The skit set to the poem “The Whydah” by Grady Locklear romanticizes piracy and tells of the dangers of robbing on the high seas. This skit was performed for and won honorable mention in the Living Books for the Ears 2006 Radio Contest.

The Central Oregon History Performers put on their main concert of the year just before Christmas. For this reason Christmas carols that represent the reason for the season have been included in the programs. Several years have focused on Christmas throughout history. One of the choir’s favorite Christmas pieces is “Miss Fogerty’s Christmas Cake,” a humorous song about a fruitcake and the demise of those who eat it.

In every performance, members have also enjoyed participating in dance numbers and various demonstrations with the weapons of the period, such as the pike and sword. The props are simple but effective and are made by the parents and family members. The Performers benefit in numerous ways and make comments such as the following: “I enjoy choir. Mrs. Locklear makes it fun and easy to learn history. The whole family can participate in helping to make our concerts great” and “I have gone from wanting to blend into the background to hoping I get speaking parts.”

The Central Oregon History Performers are highly sought after for entertaining at a variety of community events. They have performed at Habitat for Humanity dinners, Hospice, a 4-H Recognition Dinner, a Retired (public) Educator’s Association luncheon, and as a backup choir for a Glen Yarbrough Christmas concert. Repeat performances are often requested. Mrs. Locklear always includes the Christian music pieces as a way to witness to the audience.

Not only are the Performers gifted in music and drama, but each year they are asked to make educational displays to teach the public more about the time period they will be covering. Posters, masks, and metalwork created by the Performers have been hung in the public library for a number of years.

Music is a part of history—an artifact for the future of what life was like then and now. It has something to teach us about the political and spiritual climate of the times. Will choirs in the centuries to come remind us of the sweet voice of history?

Tia Linschied is Senior Editor for www.HomeschoolBlogger.com. She and her husband, Todd, homeschool their four children in Prineville, Oregon. Tia enjoys writing about her family, homeschooling, and her experiences as a foster and adoptive parent. Her hobbies include geocaching, scrapbooking, and blogging. You can check out her blog at www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/sagerats.