The opening number was Bohemian Rhapsody.
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But it was not until the chorus of Beyonce's Crazy In Love that the students got to their feet.
Hosted at Coolamon Central School for the first time, the Kapooka Army Band played a medley of old and new hits to the group of 400 students gathered on Monday afternoon.
With students aged from five to 18, organiser Joshua Celi recognised it would be a challenge for the band to play a spread of familiar songs for each age group.
"It's a bit of an education on music, but when you've got so many kids ranging in age, it's hard to find something they all like," said Coolamon's head teacher wellbeing.
By the end of the second song, most of the students had risen to their feet, proving the multi-generational appeal and power of song.
The event was organised as a means for the school to support its neighbours during a particularly tough season.
Adding to the 315 students from kindergarten to year 12 at Coolamon Central School were 95 students from St Michael's Primary in Marrar and another 18 from Marrar Public School.
"Mental health is a big problem here, and we've found that while we do have services, they are limited," Mr Celi said.
Wagga is only 25 minutes away, so things tend to come from Sydney and go there instead of coming to Coolamon.
"We've recently invested in a minibus so that we can transport our neighbours here easier, and so this was a good way to get the kids all together to relax and get away from the daily pressures they face in their communities."