Every major city that is worth its salt can boast a grand performing arts center.

Sydney has its Opera House. Paris has the Palais Garnier. New York City has Carnegie Hall. Toronto has its Music Hall, and the list goes on.

Hardly any auspicious occasion is ever complete without music. So it was quite in order when I was regaled with some of the most distinguished sounds in music while attending the festive shindig on Feb. 26 at Federal Way City Hall.

There was much pomp and circumstance on display. Yes, Federal Way turns 20! There’s an old Southern gospel classic, “Up Above My Head, There’s Music in the Air,” which brought back much gladness to me as I sat watching/listening to those homegrown performers showcase their talents. I felt very honored to be in their midst.

Master of ceremonies Keith Eldridge of KOMO-TV made the evening a memorable one as he bantered back and forth with politicians then and now. Past and present mayors spoke, as well as city managers. I enjoyed everything and then some. Nevertheless, I would like to highlight the musical aspects of the evening.

The Federal Way Harmony Kings, under the direction of Karen Frerichs, kicked off the evening with a beautiful rendition of our national anthem. Bracing sartorially in their red and black tuxedos, those gentlemen indeed looked like kings. No misnomer here. They matched those regal images by raising the roof a few notches with their other riveted selections.

The next performing group was the Northwest Korean Art Center Dancers, with instructor Esther Kim wowing the audience with pulsating beats of the gigantic drum.

Children can never seem to go wrong when performing, and that evening was no different. They brought a smile on everybody’s face, strutting their stuff with their classical dances.

More music in the air. Barbershop harmony was very much alive and well. Jet Cities Chorus, the all-female group, under the directorship of Teresa McCafferty, put on a sterling performance.

We learned later on that two members were absent because one of them had donated one of her kidneys to the other less than a month ago. Now, that got me recalling yet another song, “If that isn’t love, then the ocean is dry.”

Did we have room for another performance? You bet the answer was yes. The Federal Way Chorale, with Laird Thornton as its director, graced us with two songs from its diverse repertoire. They sang most beautifully.

The pièce de résistance was the combined group of all the singers performing “America the Beautiful.” What a sound that was. City Hall will forever be haunted by that sound.

I love Federal Way, and I know that it is still a very young city. Attaching a zero or two to 20 years of our existence, and you would be looking at cities like Boston, New York, London, Athens, Sparta and Rome. And speaking about Rome, what is that saying about it not being built in a day?

There are pressing needs that abound in our city today on every stratum, and it would be foolhardy on the parts of the keepers of our city treasury to set aside funds to build grandiose buildings to show off our performing arts.

But I beg of you city council members, et al., to please consider building a home for our performers where all of us can be proud as soon as funds are in the budget to do so. This will be a legacy that will last for generations to come.

As I watched each group perform that evening, there was a certain pride that was exuded by all involved. There was no fuss about being on a “riser.” As they huddled together in that cramped space, people were just happy to make do with what they had to give an A-class performance for their beloved city.

Because they were professional in their conduct, it felt as though City Hall was their old stomping grounds. I hope over time, these selfless performers will be rewarded for their erstwhile sacrifice.

I look forward to 2015, when these same groups will be making their grand entrances to their newly-dedicated building, and singing happy 25th birthday to Federal Way like what they did last Friday.

Our name is out there internationally. During the Olympic Games in Vancouver, Federal Way was spoken of in encomiums. It is home to Apolo Ohno and J.R. Celski, and don’t ever forget Sanjaya Malakar of “American Idol” fame. It is also home to NFL Hall of Famer Floyd Little.

What do all these people do best? They perform on ice, stage and the field. We have Pattison West Skating Center and the renowned Aquatic Center. I wish to thank the people who oversee those great landmarks.

But we desperately need a state-of-the-art performing center. Fast! We, too, will have earned our salt as a bona fide city.