Big Send-off for Retiring Choir Teacher

When Brookfield East High School Choral Director Mary Bigus directed her final concert Wednesday, former students from as long as 20 years ago returned to pay tribute.

Among those who took the stage at Carroll University's Shattuck Auditorium were Maria Carini, a 1994 grad who teaches music in the Chicago area and moonlights as an opera singer. She performed Puccini's "O mio babbino caro."

Janice McCarthy Rodden, a '99 alum, sang Gershwin's classic "Summertime." Kabir Daya, a 2006 grad, performed "Unforgettable," accompanied by his mother Shanti Daya, a Carroll University music faculty member. 

And Ben Li and Karissa Secora, who graduated in 2009, sang "Con te Partiro," also known as "Time to Say Goodbye."

Bigus fought back tears as current and former students sang "For Good" while a video montage of Bigus' 21 years at Brookfield East played on a large screen. The song includes the lyric "because I knew you, I have been changed for good."

In all, Bigus taught music for 33 years, starting in 1978 at the Almond-Bancroft School District. She also taught at Madison East and Oak Creek high schools before joining Elmbrook in 1990.

Joan Bridge, president of the Friends of Fine Arts, announced that every year one student each in Brookfield East High choir, drama and orchestra will receive an award for excellence. The awards will be named after the three fine arts teachers retiring this month: Bigus (choir), Linda Aeppler (drama and English) and Anne Marie Peterson (orchestra).

East invites Pilgrim Park Middle School to perform at the annual spring concert, and Pilgrim Pizzazz performed "Livin' on a Prayer." (see )

Stay tuned: Brookfield Patch plans to post video of Bigus tributes from the choral concert. 

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