Morgan Wenter and the band Jiving Board showcased a selection of Burt Bacharach favorites that would win over any crowd.

Wenter composed the selection of songs for his junior music education recital, a requirement for the major, and performed Thursday in Rowland-Taylor Recital Hall.

The songs varied from the soft string melodies of “I Say A Little Prayer” to the comedic upbeat tune “What’s New Pussycat?”

“I bought a bunch of tapes from a thrift store,” Wenter said. “I didn’t know a lot of them but I recognized some of them. I realized they all had lyrics, and I just love cheesy love songs.”

His recital was accompanied by Jiving Board, a school-affiliated, 17-member band that features many Chico State students, including Polo Hedriana and Aaron Drange from The Upstairs Neighbors.

Almost all of the members of Jiving Board were brought together through Wenter’s love of the band and determination to make it the best it can be. It became a school ensemble last semester.

“Morgan approached the faculty and made it a school ensemble, so we’re all getting credit for this.” Hedriana said. “It exists also as an independent band, so we are technically affiliated with the school but we do book a lot of shows that are independent from the school.”

The recital was met with thunderous applause after every tune, and Wenter’s lead vocals and Samantha Nickel’s backup vocals were perfectly blended into the whole ensemble, especially during “Say A Little Prayer.”

“I just love cheesy love songs,” Wenter said.

Veronica Hodur can be reached at [email protected] or @VeronicaHodur on Twitter.