CEDAR FALLS - A musical flap could take some of the joy out of graduation day for some Cedar Falls High School seniors.

The high school choir had hoped to perform the contemporary version of "Joyful, Joyful," made popular by the movie "Sister Act 2," during the graduation ceremony Sunday, but the song was vetoed by several administrators. Principal Rich Powers said he was asked late last week to OK the song, though the choir had been rehearsing for weeks.

"We traditionally sing 'America the Beautiful,'" Powers said. "I told them graduation was a formal event and I didn't think this song would be appropriate."

Though many of the school's music concerts include pieces that are considered religious, Powers said there had been complaints several years ago about Christian music at the graduation ceremony. He was also concerned that the senior leadership team, which is in charge of planning graduation, was not included in the process of chosing a song.

"We were at the 11th hour and there was no time to include them in the process," he said. "If something is asked at the last minute, if I have to make a decision in a hurry, I will be conservative in that decision. … I feel bad they had gone on the assumption they could make their own selection."

Senior Andrew Clopton said fellow choir members collectively chose the song they felt appropriately expressed their class' feelings about the day. Now, instead of singing a song they spent several weeks practicing they will sing "I Have Had Singing," a song they learned this week.

Clopton organized a petition, which he said half of the senior class signed in just a few hours, expressing disappointment with the district's decision.

The petition was presented to Superintendent David Stoakes earlier this week.

Clopton also spoke about it this week on 1040 WHO-AM radio. The Iowa Family Policy Center and the Alliance Defense Fund wrote a letter to Stoakes in support of the students' decision.

Stoakes has upheld the decision originally laid out by Powers and again by Dan Conrad, the district's director of secondary education, because he shared Powers' concerns about the song.

"Three years ago there was a decision made to remove the song 'May the Lord Bless and Keep You' which was always sung at the end of commencement," Stoakes said. "We are really just trying to be consistent with our past practices."

Contact Emily Christensen at (319) 291-1520 or emily.christensen@wcfcourier.com.