The Newton County School System will soon host its Fifth Grade Elementary Honor Chorus concert.

Fifth-graders from each of the districts’ elementary schools will perform at 2:30 p.m. March 8 at Newton High School, 1 Ram Way. Amy Rains, music specialist at Heard-Mixon Elementary, said the concert is free and open to the public.

Each elementary school in Newton County sends approximately 10 fifth-grader to represent their schools. In order to make the honor chorus, students must audition with their school music teachers. School system officials said chorus members have been busy rehearsing the music with their teachers and will practice and perfect the music with a clinician the morning of the concert.

This year’s clinician is Rick McKee, is a Georgia teacher, state clinician, and composer/arranger. Students will perform two of his pieces, "Giver of Life’"and "Barn Dance."

Students will also perform "Ayele," a traditional song from Ghana; "Alexander’s Ragtime Band," by Irving Berlin and Nancy Price, arranged by Don Besig, and Tutira Mai; and "We Stand as One,’"a traditional Maori folk song arranged by Martin Ellis and Henry Leck.

In addition to student performances, the Newton County elementary teachers will perform Psalm 136, another piece written by McKee. This year’s accompanist is Eva Bone, who currently is an accompanist for the Oxford Singing Children/Oxford Youth Singers and Grace Baptist Church of Newton County.