North Kansas City High School students and alumni join together to celebrate the school’s 100 years with a monumental musical and cultural event, according to a district press release.

The Centennial Celebration Concert takes place at 7 p.m. Monday, April 7 at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, 1601 Broadway Blvd. The program includes choir and orchestra performances featuring music representative of the multicultural population of the school and a performance by the Fan Dancers from the school’s Asian Student Union.

This once-in-a-lifetime concert also features the performance of “Home of a Hundred Years,” a signature piece specially commissioned for this occasion composed by Jackson Thomas and orchestrated by Jeremy Litster. The performance will be enhanced with a video highlighting pictures from each decade of the school.

Alumni musicians, returning to their roots, join current students in a powerful display of unity, as past and present come together in celebration of the school’s legacy and continued growth and success for the next 100 years, according to the press release.

Dave Duncan and Alan Mast, both from the class of 1966, said when they heard about the concert collaboration, they immediately wanted to be part of it. Mast said, “Oh I have to do this, Northtown was such a big part of my life.” Both sang in the high school choir and have continued to sing throughout their lives. Duncan whose kids graduated from the school says, “Music and singing has always been a big part of my life, and I’m just thrilled to be part of the Centennial Celebration.”

Cheyenne Martin has performed at Kauffman once before. The 2020 graduate is playing violin in the orchestra and says performing at the Kauffman Center is an unbelievable experience. “You can hear every instrument and every chord, the sound is remarkable. I wouldn’t have missed this for anything!”

Orchestra Director Sheree Yoder wanted to showcase the school’s ongoing commitment to excellence in music, arts, and community engagement.

“We are thrilled to bring together our alumni and current students for this extraordinary celebration, according to Yoder. This concert is a tribute to the many generations of students, teachers, and families who have made our school a cornerstone of the community. The commissioning of ‘Home of a Hundred Years’ is just one of the many ways we are honoring our past and looking forward to the future.”

Tickets and information about this event can be found at linktr.ee/NKCHSMusic.