A farewell to tradition
After more than 20 years of bringing the spirit of music through the ages, the Sunburst singers and dancers prepare to say goodbye.
People from all over Cache Valley and other cities in Utah and Idaho will never forget them. The Glenn Miller Show was a highlight in many lives.
Linda Stevens, manager of The Book Table, went to the show as many times as she could afford. She grew up dancing to Glenn Miller songs, so the program had special meaning for her. The Crestmark Orchestra did a great job at recreating the songs, she said.
“It was as good as anything you’d see on Broadway,” she said. “Anyone who ever went to it just raved about it.”
Derek Furch, director of Programs and Entertainment, has worked with the Sunburst group for the past 20 years. The heart of his career has been seeing the students grow, he said.
“[The Sunburst experience] is one of the greatest forms of education I can think of,” Furch said.
He saw the singers and dancers become even greater and more talented than they already were. They learned to “dream big, believe in [themselves] and go for it,” he said.
Ken Webb, a patron from Smithfield, said people came to the Glenn Miller Show from all over the state because they enjoyed it. It was especially significant for people who lived through World War II, like himself.
Members of the Utah State University Swing Team didn’t have to live through it to love it. They love the swing era and they dressed the part.
Marsha Hamilton, Swing Team president elect, has been to the show three times.
“The music was jammin’ as always. The dancing was awesome, and the costumes were solid and tight,” she said about this year’s performance.
French Miller, one of the current Swing Team presidents, said, “It’s like going back in time.”
This year’s rendition of the Glenn Miller Show, “When America Sings,” was performed 19 times for 6,500 patrons and 675 USU students.
The singers and dancers have also performed at BYU-Idaho and are showing at the Tuacahn outdoor theater in St. George this weekend.
During the Christmas season, the Sunburst Singers become the Aggie Carolers and entertain locally as well as in Sun Valley, Idaho. A smaller touring show, “The Golden Days of Radio,” has been featured in Ogden, Burley, Idaho and Pocatello, Idaho and at the Sun Valley Jazz Festival.
Furch said, “Every show has its own personality and character.”
He doesn’t have plans yet for the future, but the most difficult thing for Furch is going to be not teaching the students.
“I just absolutely loved teaching college students,” he said.
Webb said, “There’s no doubt that it was good. It was an excellent evening and an excellent show.
“There are many of us who wish it didn’t have to go,” he said.