s capital

Having friends in high places has its perks. Relatives with connections can be even better.

Thanks to his sister’s job as an events planner at the most-recognized home in America, Southwest Junior High School vocalist Scott Penny and fellow choir member Lorenzo Ricketts recently landed a gig at the White House.

With about four weeks notice, the two students and SWJH choir director Janeal Krehbiel worked up a program of six holiday tunes they performed last weekend in the East Room and the East Foyer during a holiday open house for government employees.

The entire Honors Esemble of Bel Canto, SWJH, was invited to perform, but four weeks wasn’t enough time to do the fund raising required to take the 22-member group on such a long trip, Krehbiel said.

Ricketts had never been to Washington, D.C., or the White House.

“It was just huge,” the 15-year-old said. “It’s amazing being in the East Room, where so much history has taken place.”

Penny knew what to expect because he went to the open house as a tourist last year.

“I’d seen the choirs there,” he said. To be on the performing end, though, “was kind of exciting.”

The Lawrence delegation was one of about 40 performance groups chosen from across the country to perform at the open houses, which occur weekends throughout December, when the giant home is decorated to the nines for the holidays.

For this year’s theme, “All Creatures Great and Small,” decorators adorned the White House with miniatures of the dogs, cats, birds, horses, sheep and even alligators and raccoons that have entertained, befriended, comforted and worked for presidents and their families through the decades.

Ricketts laughed as he recounted the story of how his mother, an interior decorator, tried to adjust one of the ornaments. A swarm of secret service agents descended on her, and she kept her hands to herself after that.

Penny, Ricketts and Krehbiel sang together on a few numbers; each boy sang a solo; they did a duet of “Silent Night;” and Penny played “Greensleeves” on guitar. A misunderstanding led them to prepare just 15 minutes of music. They actually performed for two 50-minute stints.

“We kind of sang six songs over and over,” Krehbiel said.

Nevertheless, the boys said it was a good experience, even though they didn’t get to meet the man of the house.

“He was in Louisiana, trying to get the Republican candidate to win,” Krehbiel said of President Bush. “They left on Air Force One. We saw them from our hotel in the morning.”