“The clouds are kissed by the sun on high, the flowers are kissed by the butterfly, the sparkling wine doth kiss the glass, and you my friend, how have you been?”  Larry Myers quoted the toast that was often used by the late Charles Laurin Swisher during the  2008 17th Annual Apple Alley Players Laurin Swisher Scholarship Banquet held at on Thursday at the First United Methodist Church. 
Meyers noted that Swisher had always started the banquet with a toast.
Swisher passed away on August 5, 2007 at the age of 93, but his legacy lives on through this scholarship
Throughout his life, Swisher was instrumental in the Apple Alley Players.
The scholarship provides students who are interested in the arts with $500, and is available to any students interested in pursuing a career in the arts in Mineral County — or for students of any other county that have been a member of the Apple Alley Players.
Kathryn Wood and Brianna Phillips — both Keyser High School students — had the privilege of receiving  the 2008 17th Annual Apple Alley Players Laurin Swisher Scholarship.
“From what I have read Swisher, was an amazing man and I wish I could have met him,” Wood said.
Wood is currently a senior at Keyser High School, where she is ranked seventh in her graduating class. 
She has always enjoyed singing and is a member of the choir at Calvary United Methodist, where she is the main soloist.
Wood grew up in a family of performers. 
“My aunts were in singing groups in high school, and it was quite unusual for family reunions to go by without a

(See MUSIC, page 2)
single canon being sung by at least ten members of my family,” said Wood. “Music has always been a big part of me. I remember growing up listening to and singing Shania Twain with my mom. I guess I will be involved in music until the end of my days.”
Wood has played clarinet for the last eight years, and for the past three years has been a member of the Region XI Honor Band. She was also the 2008 first chair.
For the past two years, Wood has auditioned for and been accepted into the West Virginia University Honor Band. 
She was also ranked as the 2008 second-best clarinet player of those who auditioned.
Wood plans to attend WVU, where she will major in music education and will earn a Master’s degree so that she can teach arts at the high school level.
“I’m so excited,” she said. “I can’t wait to go to college and study everything I love. My hope is to expand music programs in the high school or in the area. I believe music can change lives and help adolescents find their identities. I want to be the person who can help these students.”
Phillips is also a Keyser High School senior. 
She is an active member of the KHS Hi-Y Club, the Keyser Krazies, Youth Alive, and the Student Council, and plays on the girls’ tennis team.
“Brianna is very into her Christianity and gives 110% to her community and her church,” said Melissa Riley, Phillips’ aunt, who was accepting the certificate of recognition on her behalf. “She has a very strong foundation in church and family.”
Phillips has been very active in the community. She has volunteered with the soup kitchen, has rung bells for the Salvation Army, has taken meals to shut-ins, read to children for the after school program, and has walked in Relay for Life.
“Last summer, she had the chance to travel to Mississippi for seven days to help rebuild homes that had been destroyed by Hurricane Katrina,” said Riley. “It changed her life.”
Phillips has a passion for music, too. She plays the French horn in the KHS Concert Band, trumpet in the KHS Jazz band, mellophone in the KHS Marching Band, flute in the church orchestra, and hand bells in the church bell choir.
She is currently taking voice lessons and has participated in high school chorus for the past three years.
Phillips sings and leads the children’s praise and worship service at the Fountain United Brethren Church.
“My dream is to be a praise and worship leader,” she says. “I want to share God’s love through my songs.”
Phillips plans to attend Potomac State College for one year and plans to transfer to Alderson-Broaddus as a music major.
Aside from being a worship leader, Phillips also plans to teach music.
“My personal goal is to leave each of my students with the gift of music the way so many of my teachers have done for me,” said Phillips.