Band students perform during the Lakeland Fine Arts Festival Monday at Brandywine High School. Leader photo/CRAIG HAUPERT

Hundreds of the area’s most talented band, choir, art and drama students were at Brandywine High School Monday for the annual Lakeland Fine Arts Festival.

High school students from Brandywine, Cassopolis, Buchanan, Edwardsburg, Coloma, Bridgman and Berrien Springs attended workshops throughout the day. The festival culminated with a visual/musical performance in the gymnasium that included every band, choir, art and drama student.

It was Cassopolis senior Celia Ash’s third time participating in the festival. Ash, who plays the alto saxophone, was one of about 100 band students performing Monday.

“Working with other people who love music as much as you do is the best part,” she said.

The band played four songs, including “Jubilee,” which was written in memory of Niles couple and band enthusiasts John and Carolyn Tarwacki. The Tarwackis were murdered in February 2010.

“It is an honorable moment to play for them, and an emotional moment, too, because they did so much for so many band students,” Ash said.

The choir students sang two songs in addition to combining with the band to perform, “I Hear America Singing.”

Drama students read and pantomimed scenes from Dr. Seuss books, “Green Eggs and Ham” and “One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish.”

Buchanan junior Alyssa Farmer pantomimed “Green Eggs and Ham.”

“It is a lot of fun to get out in front of a crowd and show what you can do,” she said.

Art students displayed their work prior to the show in addition to creating glow-in-the-dark sculptures based on Dr. Seuss books. Students used found items to create the sculptures. Each school created one sculpture, which was displayed under black lights during the performance.