WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE — It was an exciting evening for the Washington Court House City School District as they hosted their annual “Arts Roar” event on Thursday, with each school in the district participating.

The festivities began at 4 p.m. with a rolling art show in each building, displaying the creations of hundreds of WCHCS students.

At 7 p.m., the Washington High School gymnasium neared capacity as community members prepared to witness a captivating concert with performances from students of all ages.

Prior to any performances, Trevor Patton, director of marketing, communications and safety at WCHCS, enlightened the audience with information regarding the history of the Alma Mater.

“There are a total of 23,499 public high schools in the United States. While many borrow their mascots, logos, colors, and songs from popular universities and professional teams, some schools have unique identities all to themselves. Such is the case for the Blue Lions, our fight song, and our alma mater. These unique items have filled our alumni with great pride well after graduation.

“While our district has been educating since 1813, Washington High School was established in 1875, graduating its first three students in 1876. For the next 148 years, Washington High School has been preparing young adults to enter the world well-equipped to become the leaders of tomorrow.

“While conducting research for the upcoming Sesquicentennial celebration, also known as the 150th anniversary of Washington High School, we stumbled upon early traces of the alma mater.

“First published in complete form, we see the complete song we know today as our alma mater simply titled ‘A High School Song’ in the 1925 Sunburst, the student annual publication that continues to this day. It is also first published in a graduation program in 1925.

“However, thanks to the keen eye of student Lynnon Haines, it was discovered that the reference to a song titled ‘We’ll Honor Washington,’ as well as the lyrics to the chorus, were written by students in the 1924 Sunburst.

“It does not appear in any form in previous yearbooks, marking 1924, 100 years ago today, as the earliest suggestions of our dear school’s song.

“There is still work to be done to confirm its exact origins, however we have strong indications that the Washington Alma Mater is celebrating at least its Centennial anniversary this year.”

Following Patton’s remarks, the Washington High School Pep Band played the Alma Mater for those in attendance.

Cherry Hill Music Club took the stage next and performed “I Love the Mountains,” a traditional American folk song.

Their performance was followed by the Belle Aire Choir, who sang a rendition of “Why We Sing,” by Greg Gilpin.

The Eighth Grade Concert Band then delighted the crowd with a rendition of “Let it Be,” by the Beatles.

This selection was followed with the Eighth Grade Choir who would sing “Does the World Say?” by Kyle Pederson.

The next performance by WCHCS students came from the Washington High School Combined Choir, who performed “I’ll Be on my Way,” by Shawn Kirchner.

Between each performance, the Washington High School Pep Band entertained the audience with smash hits from multiple eras.

Following the performances was the inaugural Washington Court House City Schools Fine Arts Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The first to be inducted into this hall of fame was Andy Sheridan.

The following biography was provided by the Washington Court House City School District.

Songwriter and producer Andy Sheridan was born and raised in Washington Court House, Ohio, where his passion for music began at a young age. Starting with piano, then with school bands and choirs, he found his real calling.

After graduating from Washington Senior High School in 2006, Andy moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to attend Belmont University, but quickly found musical success outside the four walls of the classroom. Sheridan swapped his college books for a life on the road, touring as a full-time musician/band leader.

Sheridan has toured the world with Phil Vassar, Hunter Hayes and Ben Rector, playing shows all over the United States, and dozens of other countries, ultimately earning a Guinness World Record for most shows played in 24 hours.

Andy has shared the stage and the studio with countless other artists, such as: Stevie Wonder, John Legend, and Jason Mraz.

He saw his first #l hit on SiriusXM Radio & first certified Gold Record with “Narcissist,” by Avery Anna. He has landed other numerous cuts with Avery Anna, Parmalee, Dustin Lynch, Sam Riggs, Tyler Farr (featuring Jelly Roll), Nate Smith, and many more.

Additionally, Sheridan produces projects for other artists, and has cultivated a solid network of hit co-writers in Nashville, ultimately proving himself in the room with his creative tracks and skilled musicianship.

Andy is married to the love of his life, Melissa, and together they have two children, Jett and Chandler.

Sheridan played an original song for the audience before sharing some comments with them.

“This is an incredible honor. I cannot stand up here and accept this award without giving recognition to a lot of people. So many people are a huge part of this and I can’t take credit for anything. I want to thank my wife and kids for putting up with my crazy schedule. I’m super proud of this. I’m proud to be from Washington Court House, I’m proud to be a Buckeye, and I’m proud to be a Blue Lion.”

Following this ceremony, WCHCS Superintendent Dr. Tom Bailey took time to thank each art and music faculty member.

The final performance of the evening came next as all WCHCS music departments came together to sing “Love Can Build A Bridge,” by the Judds.