Germantown Academy continued its celebration of 250 years on Saturday, January 2, 2010, with a special event to kick off the New Year - GA Celebrates!  The audience was in awe during this unique day where GA’s Upper School choral group, the Singing Patriots, and the first-ever Singing Patriots alumni chorus, gathered on the same stage to lead the assembled group through a lesson in GA history, and American history, by song and speech. The production was the brainchild of Upper School choral director Michael Kemp, and was authored by faculty emeritus and school archivist Edwin Probert 1760.

More than 80 performers gathered on stage, including the Select Strings orchestral group, featuring senior Sophia Wu '10 and alumna Joanna Frankel '01, performing a special Bach Double Violin Concerto. Narrators who helped tell the stories included Bobbie Crane Devlin 1760, Keith Williams, Francis Ballard 1760, Richard House, Shelby Hightower '10, Maggie McVeigh 1760, Kathryn Kleppinger '00, Michael Meloro '08, Ryan LaMont '04, Aaron Sprecher '07 and Jim Connor 1760. After each of the eight narrations, Mr. Kemp conducted music to match the era while a slideshow was presented on either side of the stage.

To end the evening, Mr. Kemp introduced his premier of “A Tribute to our Forefathers,” which combined God Bless America, America the Beautiful, and the Germantown Academy alma mater. It was the perfect ending to a special celebration of GA’s rich history.