On December 16th, approximately seventy students and chaperones departed from the Newell School District leaving the halls noticeably quiet.
The fifth-grade band along with the middle school and high school band and choir plus a handful of chaperones eagerly boarded transportation for a highly anticipated guided tour of the Historic Homestake Opera House.
The band and choir at Newell School District are under the direction of Kimberly Bachman who, in her second year teaching at Newell, is an award-winning professional musician who recently retired from the stage.
Bachman had one goal: to instill the love of music for the next generation. She has played the stage at the Historic Homestake Opera House many times. Knowing the rich history of this historic treasure, her first field trip with her students was an easy choice.
From the moment the students stepped off the bus, they were welcomed and awestruck by the fascinating stories, history, and beauty of the building as presented by Executive Director Todd Jones and a volunteer tour guide, Mr. Steve.
Some of the favorite locations on the tour were the former swimming pool, where acoustics were lively, and ghost stories were mysterious. Another favorite was the stage where the students sang a Christmas song and were in awe of the old-fashioned stage lighting controls. As the students sat in the balcony and looked over the stage, they drank in the full ambience of the theater which left them speechless. It piqued curiosity to imagine the full bowling alley on the lower level. The tour also included the restored library on the second level along with the original desk.
When the guided tour ended, a group picture was taken and the students departed for Pizza Ranch in Sturgis where they were fed to full and then some. The bus ride home was lively and animated on the heels of a delightful day.
“I am not sure we can top this outing,” said Bachman, “the Homestake Opera House is absolutely the Jewel of the Hills and lives up to its name. We are grateful for the guided tour.”
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