The end of the school year is drawing close.

The Senior year for youngest son, and wife's godson. Young men now, no longer boys, it is at the same time heart warming and heart breaking to see them behaving so mature.

'Course, it's never too long before they say something to you that proves they aren't yet quite grown up. That they still need you for some things.

Even if it is just money.

The money was all spent on Prom night last weekend. And on the band's trip, with the choirs, to the state competition in River Town. Now, Wednesday night, the bands and choirs will repeat their performance at home, for friends and family. The next to the last performance of the school year, the next to the last performance for the seniors, period.

Band was first. Hate to say it, but I was less than impressed. Three compositions, but none too moving. Musically challenging, yes, but the second was more a funeral dirge than a spring number. As the choir director explained later, the competition requires three performance numbers of different tempos, origins and styles.

With the band, that was mechanically interesting, but not exciting.

Next up was Jazz Band. No matter how you change styles or composers, the music is still jazz, so that was good. Including the youngest son's solo, and a duet. And I was happy to note that, even though they have changed pianists, since one graduated, they are keeping her tradition, and their name:

Lady in the Red Dress.

The choirs director and instructor is both effective and well loved (including by us), but I have always been a little annoyed at his choices of music, leaning strongly, or exclusively, to christian hymns. Me, I love hearing inspired voices in religious choirs, but in a public school, I always have to wonder how the kids with Pakistani, Indian, Chinese and Sumatran heritages feel about participating in these songs of christian worship.

So I was pleased to hear some real diversity in their songs tonight. Including a Zulu number on rain, and an Aboriginal round number between the men and women.

And I noticed that, of the ten or so solos granted to the 150+ kids in these choirs, two went to the instructor's daughter, a graduating senior. Yeah, you expect a music teacher to promote music with his kids, and you expect them to do well. But two out of the limited number of solos to your own offspring, well, it don't look so good. Not to me, anyways.

But the high point of the evening may have had nothing to do with music.

It was neckties.

The men's choir has typically performed in white shirt with black pants. Two businessmen in town, one of which has a son in that choir, thought ties would make their performance a little more classy, more professional. So they bought ties.

For everyone.

SpongeBob SquarePants ties.