Yates Takes Home Big Award

Newnan, Georgia's Jerry Yates came out a big winner at the 2008 Roots Music Association's Award Ceremony, held on November 15th, in San Marcos, Texas.

The ceremony, was part of the World United Music Festival and Radio Conference, presented by the Roots Music Association and the United States Entertainment Forces. The festival and conference were the premier radio and music industry networking events for professionals involved in the music industry, around the globe. The event's focus was on the national and international radio, music industry, and related press, within the worldwide music market, providing a platform, primarily for independent musicians and artists, but including established performers, to gain exposure and be heard.

Although bad weather forced the cancellation of the music festival Saturday night and Sunday, the event was not a total wash out.

Rev. Jerry Yates, a solo Gospel artist, who sings, writes songs, and plays acoustic guitar, with a country blues, rockabilly style, performed Friday afternoon, showcasing his talents before a small, but enthusiastic crowd. However, the big event for Yates came during the award ceremony, which was held in the Embassy Suites Hotel, in San Marcos, when he walked away with the 2008 Roots Music Association's "Gospel Artist of the Year Award"! Other nominees in the "Gospel Category" included Ricky Scaggs and the Blind Boys of Alabama.

"It was absolutely impossible for me to win" Yates said, after the ceremony. "But God is known for doing the impossible, and I know it was only by His grace that I won! I need to hurry and get back home, to see if I'm dreaming" he said.

To learn more about the music ministry of Jerry Yates, listen to some of his music, and find booking information, visit www.jerryyatesministries.com or www.indieheaven.com/artists/jerryyates. Jerry's radio promotion is managed by RhonBob Promotions, www.rhonbob.com.
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Southern Nights Chorale Holding Mid-Season Auditions

The Southern Nights Chorale, a South Metro men's precision acappella chorus, is holding mid-season auditions during the first two weeks of January. They have performed at the Governor's Mansion, Turner Field, and Clayton County Performing Arts Center. Their repertoire consists of sacred, popular, and patriotic music. Members must be able to read music. Those who are interested, please call J.D. Holmes, 770-461-3258.
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Chairman Dubs USO Tour 'Smiles Around the World'

Photo: American Idol contestant and country musician Kellie Pickler grants a Christmas wish for a kiss to Marine Corps Sgt. Christopher Lambert at the 2008 USO Holiday Tour stop at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Dec. 19, 2008. DoD photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

The enthusiastic reception servicemembers are giving performers on this year's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff USO Holiday Tour have led Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the nation's top military officer, to call the trip "Smiles Around the World."

The tour started its third day today with shows in Mosul and Al Asad Air Base in Iraq, and ended with a performance here.

At Mosul, more than 1,500 servicemembers trooped into a large fest tent for the show featuring Kid Rock, Kellie Pickler, Lewis Black, Tichina Arnold, Zac Brown, Kathleen Madigan and John Bowman.

In Al Asad, the performers entertained more than 3,000 Marines, sailors, airmen, soldiers and civilians at the soccer field from a stage that Navy Seabees built for the occasion.

The show at Al Asad started with decent temperatures, but once the sun went down, the temperature went south pretty quickly, too. The musicians felt the cold the most, but still kept "pickin' and grinnin'" through a number of songs that brought the house down.

The comedians – led by Lewis Black – clearly were enjoying the energy they were getting from the crowd, and all of the performers were on longer than scheduled. At the end of the show, the servicemembers started a chant of "One more song, one more song, one more song!" Kid Rock, Kellie Pickler and Zac Brown played John Cougar Mellencamp's "Little Pink Houses." The servicemembers all sang the chorus -- "which begins, "Ain't that America?" -- along with the performers.

The show here didn't start until midnight. It originally was scheduled to begin at 8:30, but the plane was late getting in, and then weather forced the group to motorcade from the airport in Kosovo's capital of Pristina to the base. The sound equipment took some time to get to Bondsteel and be set up. Mullen came early, spoke with the servicemembers and passed his personal coin out.

Few members of the mostly National Guard audience left the theater, despite the long wait. "We're sort of forgotten here in Kosovo," one specialist said. "Believe me, we're so pleased to have people like this come and entertain, we'd sit here all night, if necessary."

This is Mullen's second holiday tour.

"'Smiles Around the World' is what I call it," he said during an interview aboard the C-17 taking the troupe to Kosovo. "These performers can relate to the troops, and they appreciate the troops' sacrifices. They know how they feel at this time of year."

During the day, the chairman not only introduced the shows, but also received operational updates in Mosul and in Pristina. Earlier in the morning, he met with leaders of Multinational Corps Iraq at the Al Faw Palace at Camp Victory, outside Baghdad.

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
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John Jorgenson Quintet to Play in Ellijay

John Jorgenson Quintet
Saturday, January 10, 2009
7:30 pm
Ellijay Elementary Auditorium
Ellijay, GA
(70 miles north of Atlanta)
Tickets: $17.99 - $37.99 (plus tax)
Buy online at www.gilmerarts.org or call 706-635-5605

Jorgenson is known as one of the pioneers of American gypsy jazz, and amazes audiences with his dazzling guitar work as well as his mastery as a clarinet player and vocalist. He tours nationwide with The John Jorgenson Quintet.

Gilmer Arts and Heritage Association
207 Dalton Street
Ellijay, GA
706-635-5605
www.gilmerarts.org
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Songwriters and BBQ Make For A Fun Family Holiday Outing

Hit Nashville songwriter, Kim McLean and former Kerrville Folk Festival winner, Mark Elliott join forces onstage Friday and Saturday, December 19 and 20 at two 10pm shows at Swallow at the Hollow. Two headliners sharing a band, these two headlining song spinners will keep you entertained as part of their national Folklahoma Appalachi-Groove Train Tour.

Kim McLean has been a career songwriter for twenty years with over 200 song credits from Tim McGraw to Trisha Yearwood to Lee Ann Womack to having her own performances on TV’s JAG, West Wing, and Hope & Faith. As an artist, her duet with Dolly Parton, “Angels and Eagles” has become an anthem from parents to children.

Mark Elliott is a folk troubadour who weaves stories and songs in a jubilant look at life with a cock-eyed sense of humor. With song credits by artists like Neal McCoy and the late Chris LeDoux, Mark’s meaningful masterpieces are thought provoking as well as entertaining. Sharing a small acoustic band, the show sprinkles stories and humorous anecdotes with tight harmonies and groove-laden rhythms.

The two perform at 10pm shows on Friday and Saturday, Dec 19 and 20 at Roswell’s Swallow at the Hollow; located at 1072 Green Street in Roswell, Georgia (30075) and tickets are $17.50. Reservations can be made by calling 678-352-1975. There are show only tickets available as well. Swallow at the Hollow is a mainstay for good southern cooking with great BBQ being their mainstay, and specialty dishes like their homemade chocolate chip banana pudding as well as becoming a destination location for intimate acoustic live music. For more information, check online at www.swallowatthehollow.com.

Listen for Kim McLean’s live performance on the Moby in the Morning Show, at 8:30am on Friday, Dec. 19th at 8:30am on WEKS 92.5 Griffin, GA (or visit online www.mobyinthemorning.com for other stations) for a sneak preview of what you will hear at Swallow at the Hollow. Call 615-400-5140 for interview information about Kim McLean or Mark Elliott.
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It’s Meteorology with a Musical Twist!

Who Knew Learning about the Weather Could be so en “Lightning?”

Jon Ludwig ignites the skies in Weather Rocks!, a musical revue back by popular demand! Don’t miss this sun-rockin,’ thunder-rollin,’ twister-tappin,’ cloud-coverin’ good time! It’s an exploration of the elements that any science teacher would approve. Weather Rocks! is presented as part of our 2008-09 Family Series, January 8 – March 22, 2009.

With original music ranging from gospel and jazz to bluegrass and rock, five lively meteorologists and over 20 engaging string, rod, and full-body puppets explain the mysteries of Mother Nature. The Sun explains how he sets the weather in motion, Tommy the Talking Thermometer reveals secrets about temperature, and cloud-lounging angels share the glory of the sky.

Written and directed by Jon Ludwig, Weather Rocks! features puppeteers Denise Arribas, Bryan Mercer, Julie Dansby Scarborough, Spencer Stephens, and Clint Thornton. The music is composed by Klimchak & directed by Bryan Mercer. The sound is designed by Mimi Epstein and lighting is designed by Liz Lee. Costumes are by Stephanie Kaskel Bogle.

With puppets created by Ronald Binion, Jason von Hinezmeyer, and Jon Ludwig, Weather Rocks! is a Center favorite and will be presented in the Mainstage Theater. Showtimes are as follows: Jan 8 – Feb 15, 2009: Tues-Fri @ 10am & 11:30am; Sat @ 11am, 1pm & 3pm; Sun @ 1pm & 3pm. Feb 17 – Mar 20, 2009: Tues-Fri @ 10am & 11:30am; Sat @ 12pm & 2pm; Sun @ 2pm.

Mar 21 – Mar 22, 2009: Sat @ 11am, 1pm, & 3pm; Sun @ 1pm & 3pm
Tickets for patrons ages 2 and older are $14.82 + tax for the general public and $8.33 + tax for Members. The ticket price includes a performance, the Create-A-Puppet Workshop, and admission into the permanent Museum exhibit Puppets: The Power of Wonder and special exhibits including Jim Henson: Wonders from His Workshop. Please visit www.puppet.org/museum/index.shtml for more information on the Museum.

Order your tickets “FEE-FREE” online at www.puppet.org or call the Ticket Sales Office at 404.873.3391. The Ticket Sales Office is open Monday through Saturday from 9am – 5pm and Sunday 11am – 5pm, with extended hours during evening performances. The Center is located in Midtown Atlanta, across the bridge from Atlantic Station, is accessible from MARTA, and has limited free parking.
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Joe Gransden Big Band Christmas Playing at Spivey Hall, December 13

Here's a recipe for Christmas cheer: Take jazz trumpeter and vocalist Joe Gransden, add a 16-piece big band, some special guests and timeless tunes, and swing into the holiday spirit at Spivey Hall.

It's all happening on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 8:15 p.m.

Not long after high school, Gransden was on the road as a sideman with the big bands of Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller. He has since performed around the world, winning fans everywhere. A metro-Atlanta jazz scene favorite, he has recorded seven CDs, including I'll Be Home for Christmas as well as Plays and Sings, featuring Gransden with renowned jazz guitarist, Earl Klugh.

Welcome Christmas at Spivey Hall with the music of Joe Gransden's big band, (www.joegransden.com) sponsored by Hot Shoe Records (www.hotshoerecords.com) Tickets are $40.

For tickets and more information, call the Spivey Hall Box Office at (678) 466-4200. Full-price tickets only are available online at www.spiveyhall.org (a per-ticket service fee applies).

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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Ritmo Blu World Percussion Trio at Spivey Hall December 11

Ritmo Blu, an energetic, fun-filled percussion trio guaranteed to make you laugh and want to bang a drum, will be presenting two Young People’s Concerts at Spivey Hall on the campus of Clayton State University on Thursday, Dec. 11, at 9:45 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.

Ritmo Blu’s program celebrates the world’s winter holidays, including Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Ritmo Blu will travel through the holiday traditions of Europe, Israel, Africa, and the United States, teaching about the music of various cultures and inviting the audience to sing along on favorites.

These performances, as part of Spivey Hall’s Young People’s Concerts, last approximately 45 minutes and are educational in nature. The concerts are designed for school children, but adults are welcome to attend and learn as well. Admission is $1 per person; the fee for all Clayton State faculty, staff, and students is waived. For more information, please contact Deborah Teske at 678-466-4491.

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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Sarah Garcia Chosen to Participate in U.S. Army All-American Marching Band

Sarah Garcia, a senior at Starr's Mill High School, has been chosen to participate in the second annual U.S. Army All-American Marching Band. Representatives of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl traveled to Fayetteville recently to announce Garcia's selection.

As a member of the All-American Marching Band, Garcia will participate in bowl game festivities and march in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl half-time show along with 96 other high school musicians from around the country. The bowl game will be broadcast live by NBC from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on January 3, 2009.

The senior clarinetist is the clarinet section leader of the Starr's Mill High School marching band and has been selected as a Georgia All-State Band member for 5 consecutive years. She is pictured with her parents, Anthony and Elaine Garcia, of Peachtree City.
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Spivey Hall Kicks off the Holiday Season Dec. 7th

Clayton State University’s Spivey Hall is once again preparing for the holidays, and this year, the holidays start on Sunday, Dec. 7 with the Spivey Hall debut of The Empire Brass.

One of America's leading brass quintets, the Empire Brass enjoys an international reputation for its stylistic excellence and the unparalleled diversity of its repertoire. Giving more than 100 concerts each year and adding to their discography on the Telarc label, the five musicians of the Empire Brass – Rolf Smedvig (trumpet), Marc Reese (trumpet), Gregory Miller (french horn), Alexei Doohovskoy (trombone) and Kenneth Amis (tuba) – "simply have no competition when it comes to the beauty and clarity and accuracy and balance and interaction of their playing – the first phrase of any Empire Brass performance live or on recording sends a thrill of pleasure through your nervous system" (The Boston Globe).

“Christmas With The Empire Brass” starts at 3 p.m. and celebrates Christmas through the ages with glorious music from the Renaissance to the present day. Tickets are $40.

For tickets and more information, call the Spivey Hall Box Office at (678) 466-4200. Full-price tickets only are available online at www.spiveyhall.org (a per-ticket service fee applies).

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.

National Endowment for the Arts Announces First Round of Grants for FY 2009

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) today announced its first round of funding for fiscal year 2009, including Access to Artistic Excellence, Challenge America Fast Track, and Creativity and Aging in America grants, and Creative Writing Fellowships for individuals. The Arts Endowment will distribute $23,215,500 in this first round of fiscal year 2009 funding to support 1,951 projects by nonprofit national, regional, state, and local organizations nationwide as well as to 42 poets.... Click to read: National Endowment for the Arts Announces First Round of Grants for FY 2009

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Tara Winds Holiday Concert, Dec. 13th

Please join us on Saturday, December 13, 2008 at 8 PM for a musical gift to the community

20th Music of the Season
TARA WINDS

Dr. David Gregory, Conductor
Dr. Andrea Strauss, Associate Conductor

with

THE CHEROKEE CHORALE
Don Stafford, Conductor

STARR’S MILL HIGH SCHOOL CHANTICLEER
Dr. John Odom, Conductor

DURHAM MIDDLE SCHOOL BEL CANTO
David Hirschorn, Conductor

featuring soloists Amber Harris and Matt McCord

Admission Free

For more information contact
Clayton County Schools PAC
770-473-2875

(We've requested the location for the event, will include just as soon as we know!)

Enjoy "The Wonder of Christmas" at First Presbyterian Church of Peachtree City

First Presbyterian Church of Peachtree City will be hosting a Christmas Concert titled “The Wonder of Christmas” on Sunday, December 14 at 6:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. This will be the third of six concerts given during the church’s 2008-2009 concert series season.

An orchestra and choir, along with organist Sam DeCarlo and accompanist Sue Eutermoser, will accompany the program’s festive seasonal works and carols. Talented ensembles and soloists from the First Presbyterian congregation and community will also share Christmas favorites. The orchestra and Chancel Choir will be conducted by Dr. John Odom. The praise band will be led by Jay Akins.

“The Wonder of Christmas” was created by renowned composer David Hamilton. This concert will weave contemporary songs and traditional Christmas carols with biblically based narrations. You will be reminded of the majesty of the Savior's birth. Sentimental heartstrings will be tugged by well-known songs and carols of the Christmas season and the original underscores that depict the many facets of the Christmas story.

This concert is free to the community. A love offering will be taken. Childcare will be available for children ages 4 and younger.

First Presbyterian Church is located in Peachtree City at 206 Willowbend Rd. across from the library and city hall. For more information, please call (770) 487-7757 or email concerts@firstpresptc.com.

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Valdosta State Chamber Singers Perform by Candlelight Sunday, Dec. 7

The Valdosta State Chamber Singers, an elite choral ensemble of 24 singers, will perform holiday programs by candlelight at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7, in the grand acoustical stage of west Hall’s rotunda. the joyous occasion will feature renaissance motets, new compositions, and familiar favorites such as “Joy to the world,” “Angels we Have Heard on High,” and “Silent Night.”

Director of Choral Studies Dr. Paul Neal, who arranged the concert, said the Chamber Singers will also present the southern premiere of “In the bleak Midwinter,” a new Christmas carol written by Dr. Jim Shrader, chair of the Department of Music. Proceeds from the hour-long performance, which costs $10 for adults and $5 for students, will support the Chamber Singers’ spring tour to Nashville, tenn., in March 2009.

For tickets, please call the (229) 333-5812. tickets will not be sold at the door the night of the performance, so please reserve tickets today!

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AT&T, Ludacris and Soulja Boy Tell'em to Throw 'Unofficial' SEC Championship Afterparty at Tabernacle in Atlanta

/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The air outside is chilly, but the forecast for Atlanta is HOT for Saturday, Dec. 6. AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) announced it is hosting a free concert featuring performances from Ludacris and Soulja Boy Tell'em following the 2008 SEC Football Championship. Doors open at 8 p.m. ET at the Tabernacle, following red carpet appearances by the artists.

Fans can text ATTLUDA to 66937* for the chance to win a mobile ticket good for two people. Mobile tickets will be sent to the winners by Dec. 3. The first 1,000 fans in line on Saturday with a mobile ticket will be admitted.

"I'm excited to be helping AT&T recognize and celebrate the SEC Championship, which is such a time-honored tradition," said Ludacris.

Soulja Boy Tell'em said: "I receive an amazing amount of love from the South when it comes to supporting my projects -- especially in college football games where I see some of the players and fans doing my dances when they score. We even tried to capture some of that excitement in the video for my new single, 'Bird Walk.' Performing a free show at an SEC Championship game afterparty is the least I can do to give some of that support and love back."

Tim McGhee, executive director of Sponsorships for AT&T, said: "The South is known for its love of college football, and Atlanta is renowned for its thriving music scene. As a leader in mobile music and a sponsor of the 2008 SEC Football Championship, we couldn't think of a better way to celebrate both passions than with a free, high-energy, 'unofficial,' after-game concert with two of today's hottest artists."

Ludacris will perform some of his most popular songs as well as some new cuts from his album "Theater of the Mind," which dropped on Nov. 24. Soulja Boy Tell'em, who will open the show beginning at 9 p.m. ET, plans to perform songs from his upcoming album, "iSouljaBoyTellem," which drops Dec. 16.

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Flute Ensemble Makes Beautiful Music on December 1

The University of West Georgia will present the UWG Flute Ensemble concert on Monday, Dec. 1, at 8:15 p.m. in Kathy Cashen Recital Hall. The event is free and the community is invited to attend.

Under the direction of Melanie Fuller, instructor of flute, the audience can sit back and enjoy an evening listening to a Baroque Concerto for five flutes by J.B. de Boismortier, and to “Masques,” a contemporary piece by Anne McGinty for six flutes including a piccolo and alto flutes.

Six popular music arrangements that span decades from “Because” by the Beatles to tunes from the popular movie “Pirates of the Caribbean” and an arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s beautiful “Andante Cantabile” will round out the evening.

For more information, call 678-839-6516.
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Festive Concerts for the Holiday Season

Celebrate the festive spirit of the season with the return of Emory's traditional holiday concerts and performances by student ensembles.

The Emory Jazz Ensemble with director Gary Motley presents a free concert on Dec. 2, at 8 p.m., featuring jazz favorites such as “My Little Suede Shoes” by Charlie Parker, “Watermelon Man” by Herbie Hancock and “Milestones” by Miles Davis.

The Emory Symphony Orchestra welcomes Emory Coca-Cola Artist-in-Residence Katherine Wolfe, violin, performing a free concert on Dec. 4 at 8 p.m., including “Finlandia” by Jean Sibelius, Vaughan Williams’ “A Lark Ascending” and Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 1 in C Major.”

The Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta (ECMSA) presents on Dec. 5 in a free Noontime Series concert of solo works for violin by J.S. Bach.

On Dec. 7, at 4 p.m., the Vega String Quartet performs an ECMSA Family Series concert “Father Christmas’ Favorite Music,” where England’s Santa Claus will make a personal appearance to hand out holiday treats.

Emory’s University Chorus and Concert Choir with director Eric Nelson, organist Melissa Plamann, and pianists Lisa Leong and Deborah Thoreson present the “Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols,” on Dec. 5, at 8 p.m. and Dec. 6 at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Established in 1935, this candle-lit evening service of choral music and scripture includes readings by special guests from the community.

Scott Stewart directs the Emory Wind Ensemble in a free concert on Dec. 7, at 4 p.m. including James Newton Howard’s “Grand Canyon Fanfare” with organist Melissa Plamann and the Atlanta Trumpet Ensemble. The Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony performs works by John Williams and James Barnes on Dec. 15 at 8 p.m.

The Emory Guitar Ensemble directed by Brian Luckett performs a keyboard fugue by Bach arranged for three guitars, three waltzes by Spanish composer Enrique Granados and two period pieces by Neapolitan guitarist Ferdinando Carulli on Dec. 8, at 8 p.m. The Emory World Music Ensemble with director Tong Soon Lee performs Dec. 9, at 8 p.m.

James Flannery hosts the “Sixteenth Annual Atlanta Celtic Christmas Concert,” Dec. 12-14. This popular event highlights Celtic and Appalachian music, dance, and story with Grammy winning banjoist Alison Brown, Risin’ Appalachia and the Elders, The Buddy O’Reilly Band and clog dancers.

For tickets and venue information: www.arts.emory.edu, 404-727-5050.

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Berry Student Chosen for Georgia’s All-College Band

Three Berry College students are among the 80 college musicians selected to perform with the Georgia Music Educators Association All-College Band. The selected musicians represent a total of 19 colleges around the state including The University of Georgia and Emory University.

Students are nominated by college faculty across Georgia. The final selections are made by a statewide committee with representation from all institutions and instruments. This is the fifth consecutive year that Berry has participated in the event.

The All-College Band will perform at the conclusion of the Georgia Music Educators In-Service Conference, scheduled for Jan. 28-31, 2009, at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center. Dr. Scott Teeple, director of the woodwind ensemble and associate professor of music at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will conduct. Call 912-651-6556 for ticket information.

The following students were nominated by the Berry College music faculty and selected to perform:

Elizabeth Callahan is a senior animal science major from Ringgold, Ga. Elizabeth plays the flute and is the daughter of Dobbin and Linda Callahan.

Thomas Ryan is a junior music education major from Silver Creek, Ga. Thomas plays the euphonium and is the son of David and Melinda Ryan.

Marc Johnson is a sophomore music education major from Rome, Ga. Marc plays the tenor saxophone and is the son of James and Araceli Satcher.

By Leah Ryan
Berry College

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Yellow Jacket Marching Band Set to Play in Macy's Parade

Georgia will be well represented in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as Georgia Tech’s Yellow Jacket Marching Band takes center stage. The group is one of two college bands selected to perform during the traditional kick-off to the holiday season.

The parade will be broadcast live Thursday, November 27, 2008, on NBC from 9:00AM until noon (EST). The Yellow Jacket Marching Band has been informed that they will be marching by the camera at approximately 10:07AM

“With 2008 representing the band’s 100th anniversary, we cannot think of a better way to celebrate than taking part in this traditional holiday event,” says Band Director Chris Moore.

Transporting 360 members plus their instruments is no small task. The group will be transported via eight buses along with one truck loaded with instruments ranging from 30 tubas to 31drums. The band is set leave on Sunday, November 23 for the 800-plus-mile trek.

Established in 1908, the Yellow Jacket Marching Band is one of the oldest such programs in the country. Members of the band are part of a group of more than 1,100 Georgia Tech students who sing, play or study music each semester at a university that offers no undergraduate degrees in music. Band members represent every major and many nations around the world.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade is not the first time the band has been in the limelight. Band members appeared at the Kenny Chesney and Sugarland concert during their 2007 summer tour in Atlanta. They also were asked to perform with Keith Urban during his spring concert at Gwinnett Arena earlier this year.

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Fayette County Whitewater Chorale Receives Highest State Honor

The Whitewater High School mixed choir has received the highest honor in Georgia. Whitewater High School is in Fayetteville.

The chorale has been invited to perform at the 2009 Georgia Music Educators Association conference in January 2009. A recording of the group was submitted to the association in the spring for consideration to perform at the event. Whitewater is one of only two high school mixed choirs that received an invitation.

“We are so proud of our singers and are happy to offer them this extraordinary musical experience,” says Hannah Beth Potter, assistant director of chorale activities at the school.

The chorale will perform at Christ Church in Savannah on January 30. The students have been preparing and practicing their music for the event since August.

Prior to leaving for the conference, the group will host a pre-concert at the school on January 13.

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Festival of Lessons and Carols November 30 at First Presbyterian Church in Peachtree City

The Sanctuary Choir of First Presbyterian Church will present A Festival of Lessons and Carols on November 30 at 11:15 am. The Festival of Lessons and Carols is a format of Christian worship service celebrating the birth of Jesus and traditionally followed at Christmas. The story of the fall of man, the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus is told in short Bible readings, interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols and hymns.

The service is based on the format of the traditional service held each Christmas in the Chapel of King’s College, Cambridge, England. First presented on Christmas Eve in 1918, the festival of Lessons and Carols format was created by Eric Milner-White, whose years as an army chaplain convinced him that the church needed different forms of worship. His original service was adapted from an order drawn up by E.W. Benson (later the Archbishop of Canterbury) who presented a similar service in 1880 in a wooden shed which served as his cathedral in Truro.

Almost immediately, other churches adapted the service for their own use.
The first broadcast of the service from King’s College took place in 1928. It has since been broadcast every year (with the exception of 1930), and there are millions of listeners world wide.

First Presbyterian Church in Peachtree City is located across from the City Library at 206 Willowbend Rd.

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Students Selected for Top Chorale Group

Photo: Photo: (L-R back row) Carolyn Groover, Christopher Greco, David Brewer, Lucas Patelles, Drew Van de Motter, Jennifer Stadelmeyer (L-R front row) Jessica Bell, Abby Israel, Anna Hansen and Elizabeth Jowers. (Not pictured: Camila Cando).

Some of the best young singers in the state represented Fayette County at the 25th Annual Georgia Music Educators Association Statewide Elementary Honors Chorus.

Nine students from Peachtree City Elementary and Peeples Elementary performed with other top singers from throughout the state on Saturday at the Clayton Performing Arts Center. The students were Christopher Greco, David Brewer, Lucas Patelles, Drew Van de Motter, Jessica Bell, Abby Israel, Anna Hansen, Elizabeth Jowers and Camila Cando. Music teachers Carolyn Groover, Peachtree City Elementary, and Jennifer Stadelmeyer, Peeples Elementary, accompanied the students.
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The students sang under the direction of Cheryl Dupont, director of the New Orleans Children’s Chorus and Youth Chorale and Dr. John E. Simmons, associate professor of choral and sacred music, director of graduate studies and director of the Townsend-McAfee Institute for Sacred Music Studies at Mercer University.

Georgia Tech Launches Center for Music Technology

PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Georgia Tech today launches the new Center for Music Technology with more than 20 researchers from the arts, sciences and engineering. Several interdisciplinary projects already in progress will be demonstrated today at an exclusive launch event for potential collaborators.

"Our goal is to build an international center for creative and technological research in music that will redefine the way we create, perform, listen to and consume music," says Dr. Gil Weinberg, co-founder and director of the Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology. "To that end, we brought together top researchers from across campus who together can address current challenges in the field and develop new solutions that cannot be achieved in the framework of a single discipline."

Unlike much current research in music, the Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology is committed to bringing new ideas to the market, with applied solutions for businesses and consumers. Researchers are already working on ways to improve existing acoustical instruments, as well as defining new approaches for music making. "One of our new projects, called ZooZ Beat, for example, allows anyone with a cell phone to use expressive gestures to create and share music in a group," explains Weinberg. "Other projects explore concepts like wearable devices for music therapy, audience participation in live performance, robotic musicianship, music as an assistive medium for the visually impaired and computational analysis of music at the signal level." Other research areas include composition, machine listening, materials science, music information retrieval, digital signal processing, design and manufacturing, networked music, music perception, music theory, multimedia development and acoustics.

"It is important to note that the students who work with our faculty members bring with them a wide range of skills and experiences, from the technical to the artistic," stresses Weinberg. "More than half of our students are pursuing a Master of Science in Music Technology degree in a relatively new program at Georgia Tech that encourages students to explore their creativity both technically and musically. We are currently in the process of proposing a PhD degree in Music Technology, which will allow our students to deepen their education in these areas and help develop a strong intellectual backbone for research activities in the Center."

The Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology is a unit of the College of Architecture at Georgia Tech, and jointly funded by the Office of the Provost and the Colleges of Architecture, Computing and Engineering.

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Army Ground Forces Band to Perform 23rd Annual Free Holiday Concert

The Army Ground Forces Band (www.forscom.army.mil/band) will perform its 23rd annual Holiday Concert at the Georgia World Congress Center, 3 p.m., Dec. 14.

The performance will include traditional holiday music, a sing-along and a special salute to the men and women of the Armed Forces far from home during this special time of year.

To order free, general admission tickets, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Army Ground Forces Band, ATTN: Public Affairs - Holiday, 1294 Cobb Street, Fort McPherson, GA 30330-1071.

Indicate how many tickets are needed (maximum of 8 tickets per order) and if disability-accessible seating is required. For group tickets of more than 20, call 404-464-5676.

Ticket requests must be received no later than Dec. 1 and are available on a first come, first serve basis.

Tickets may also be picked up at the Georgia World Congress Center outside the ballroom on Nov. 3 and 6 between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Free, short-term parking will be available on Andrew Young International Blvd. at the 90-degree turn between the Congress Center and the Georgia Dome.
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Costume Concert for Kids October 31 in Fayette County

The Sandy Creek High School Chorus will present a mini-variety show on October 31. Show times are 4:30 and 5:30 at the Sandy Creek High Patriot Hall Auditorium.

Be sure to wear your costumes!

Admission is $5 per person. Proceeds will be used for the upcoming Chorus trip to Carnegie Hall in New York City.

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Arts Centre Providing Free Holiday Concert on Dec. 6

Army Ground Forces Jazz Guardians Performing Big Band Music

The Centre for Performing and Visual Arts of Coweta County has during the past four years hosted several concerts by bands from our armed forces. On December 6 at 7 PM an Army Ground Forces group from Fort McPherson called the Jazz Guardians will be at the Centre performing big band holiday music. The concert is free.

The Army Ground Forces website provides this information about their jazz band:

The Jazz Guardians

The Jazz Guardians is an 18-member group whose primary mission is to maintain and promote Jazz, a uniquely American art form. The Jazz Guardians pay tribute to the big bands of yesterday by performing the music made popular by such greats as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Glenn Miller, and Woody Herman. Demonstrating their great versatility, the group also performs the latest and most innovative sounds of today's most popular composers.

The Jazz Guardians have been featured at numerous jazz festivals around the United States, performing with such notable artists as Louis Bellson, Cab Calloway, Bill Watrous, Conrad Herwig and Jamey Abersold.

Equally comfortable in live performance or the studio, the group recently finished recording its second compact disc, appropriately titled The Jazz Guardians.

Given their broad talents and diverse repertoire, the Jazz Guardians offer concerts that will be sure to entertain any audience.
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Free Outdoor Concert at Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church in Peachtree City

Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church announces a free outdoor concert on Sunday, Oct. 26, at 6:00 p.m. at the church in Peachtree City. GraceFlock, the church’s contemporary worship band, is releasing a second compact disc, “Alive in the Lamb.” The concert will feature these new songs, written by members Lans Rothfusz and Gary Pederson. “Alive in the Lamb” follows the group’s successful first CD, “Living Treasures.” The public is invited and encouraged to bring a lawn chair. Refreshments will be provided. In case of rain, the church’s sanctuary will be used.
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Starr's Mill High School Band Wins and Wins!

Photo: Starr's Mill High School Band Drum Majors Molly Wenske and Keegan Christensen are shown holding the Grand Champion trophy earned by the Panther Pride Marching Band at the 26th Annual Super Bowl of Sound Marching Band Festival and Contest held in Carrollton, GA on October 4.

Starr's Mill competed against 21 bands from throughout Georgia and achieved Superior ratings in all categories judged. In addition to being named Grand Champion Band, Starr's Mill won the Norman L. Padgett Award for the highest music score of the competition, the Best Woodwinds in Contest award and the highest score in Open Class competition. The Color Guard took third place honors in Open Class competition.

After a short period of celebration, the band took to the practice field in preparation for their next competition. On October 11, the Panther Pride competed in the Marching Warrior Invitational sponsored by Gordon Central High School in Calhoun, Georgia.

The band was awarded their second Grand Champion trophy of the season along with 2nd place Drum Majors and Auxiliary in Open Class competition, 1st place Majorette in Open Class and Gold Division (AAA and Open Class bands) and 1st place band in Open Class and Gold Division.

The band will travel to Jacksonville State University in Alabama on Saturday, October 25 to compete against high school bands from throughout the south. The Starr's Mill Band is directed by Mr. Scott King and assisted by Dr. Andrew Poor.

To follow the band's progress, go to http://www.smhsband.org/.

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Family-Friendly Comedian is ‘Just Pure Laughs’ at PTC First Presbyterian October 19

First Presbyterian Church of Peachtree City will be hosting family-friendly comedian and worship leader Dan McGowan in a concert titled “Just Pure Laughs” on Sunday, October 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. This will be the second concert given during the church’s 2008-2009 Concert Series season.

Dan McGowan is known for delighting audiences of all ages with his observational humor, parody songs, and interactive hilarity. Dan was most recently seen auditioning last season on NBC’s Last Comic Standing which led to his opening for Kathleen Madigan, national touring comedian and judge for Last Comic Standing.

In addition to being a clean comedian, Dan has been serving churches in the area of Creative Worship for over 30 years. Currently, he serves as Music and Worship Director at Faith Church outside Denver, Colorado.

This concert is free to the community. A love offering will be taken. Childcare will be available for children ages 4 and younger.

First Presbyterian Church is located in Peachtree City at 206 Willowbend Rd. across from the library and city hall. For more information, please call (770) 487-7757 or email concerts@firstpresptc.com.

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Spivey Hall Opens 2008/2009 Jazz Series, October 17

World famous Spivey Hall, on the campus of Clayton State University, is preparing to open its 2008/2009 Jazz Series on Friday, Oct. 17 with an 8:15 p.m. performance by the Kenny Barron Trio.

Lauded as "one of the top jazz pianists in the world" (Los Angeles Times) and "the most lyrical pianist of our time" (Jazz Weekly), Kenny Barron is a master poet of jazz piano with an unmatched ability to mesmerize audiences. A major headliner appearing at leading jazz venues and festivals internationally, he has been named "Best Jazz Pianist" by the Jazz Journalists Association four years in a row. His outstanding recordings have been showered with honors, including eight Grammy nominations for his featured recordings on the Verve label.

Tickets to this performance are $40 (Fifty percent off for Clayton State faculty and staff; Clayton State students pay just $10.)

Following Barron, on Saturday, Oct. 18, will be guitarist Robert Belinic making his Spivey Hall debut.

The sole winner of the 2001 Young Concert Artists European Auditions in Leipzig, and the first guitarist ever to win the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York, Croatian guitarist Belinic is "a genius, a poet, a super-sensitive musician" (SanDiego.com) Belinic has given recitals in New York at Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall and Merkin Concert Hall and in Boston at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. As concerto soloist, he has appeared with the Phoenix Symphony, and the Orchestra of St. Luke's in New York.

His Spivey Hall program will include: J.S. BACH/Belinic Prelude, Fugue & Allegro in E-flat Major, BWV 998; SOR Introduction and Variations on "Marlborough s'en va-t-en guerre"; MANGORÉ Vals No. 3, Opus 8, Julia Florida, Cueca; CAGALJ Four Dances for Guitar; BROUWER Sonata; and LAURO Two Venezuelan Folk Dances.

Tickets to Belinic’s 8:15 p.m. performance are $30. (Fifty percent off for Clayton State faculty and staff; Clayton State students pay just $10.)

For tickets to both performances, and more information, call the Spivey Hall Box Office at (678) 466-4200. Full-price tickets only are available online at www.spiveyhall.org (a per-ticket service fee applies).

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.

UWG: Faculty Music Concert Celebrates A DAY

In the mood for a little music? The University of West Georgia will present its annual A DAY Music Faculty Concert on Monday, Oct. 13, at 8:15 p.m. in the Townsend Center for the Performing Arts.

A donor reception will be held before the concert in the Townsend Center at 7:30 p.m. The events are free and the community is invited to attend. Dr. Kevin Hibbard, chair and professor of music, is coordinating the event.

“The annual A DAY Music Faculty Concert showcases the spectacular talent of our faculty as a musical gift to the community,” said Hibbard. “We perform for A DAY to show our appreciation of the wonderful support that the community provides to the university.”

“The music faculty spends all day long teaching. They lead rehearsals, research, write and supervise student teachers, yet they still find time to keep their performance chops in tip top order. This sets a superb example for our students.”

This year’s concert will feature two new faculty: Peter Mueller, a trombonist who plays in the Macon Symphony, and Dr. Reverie Berger, a mezzo-soprano with extensive operatic credentials.
Performances for the 2008 concert include a piano duet performed by Jan Adams, instructor of piano, and Dr. Dawn McCord, assistant professor of music education; a violin and piano duet featuring Dr. Carol Gingerich, associate professor of music, and Dr. Elizabeth Kramer, assistant professor of music; and a trio led by Dr. Daniel Bakos, a jazz studies and music professor.
Also performing are Dr. Larry Frazier, a bass singer and professor of music; Melanie Fuller, an instructor of flute; Michael Lanier, instructor of trumpet, guest Terry Lowry, conductor and pianist.

The community is invited to enjoy the musical talents of West Georgia’s faculty and staff. UWG students benefit from scholarships obtained through the generosity of donors who contribute to the university’s annual A DAY campaign.

For more information regarding the A DAY for West Georgia campaign, contact the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at 678-839-6582. For more information on the 2008 A DAY Music Faculty Concert, call the Department of Music at 678-839-6516.

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"Night of Worship" at First Presbyterian Church in PTC Set for October 12

Join First Presbyterian Church in Peachtree City for a "Night of Worship" on Sunday, October 12 at 6 pm.

First Presbyterian Church in Peachtree City is one of the oldest churches in Peachtree City and is located in the heart of the city across from City Hall on Willowbend Rd.

For more information, click here.

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2008 Gospel Choice Awards Selects Emmanuel Praise Church for Its Church of the Year Award

PRNewswire/ -- Emmanuel Praise Church, the founding church of Angel Food Ministries, in Monroe, Ga., has been chosen as this year's recipient of Church of the Year for the Gospel Choice/Pepsi Bottling Group's Community Outreach Award.

This prestigious award is given to one church each year for humanitarian work in their community and throughout the United States. Emmanuel Praise Church was nominated along with 15 other churches across Georgia known for their outreach and benevolent impact on their community.

The Gospel Choice/Pepsi Bottling Group's Award was presented Monday, Sept. 29th at the World Congress Center in Atlanta, as Executive Pastor Wes Wingo from Emmanuel Praise was on hand to accept the award. Pastor Wingo was thankful to receive the award on behalf of the church and Angel Food Ministries.

"One of our founding core values at Emmanuel Praise has always been to lend a helping hand to families in need. God has blessed this church as we have reached out to help feed thousands in our local community and millions across America," Pastor Wingo said.

Founders, Pastors Joe and Linda Wingo, began feeding 37 families in need from the back porch of their farmhouse in 1994. Since then, Emmanuel Praise Church has impacted the lives of millions of people through the founding of Angel Food Ministries. Each month, hundreds of thousands of families across the United States are impacted by this food ministry. Throughout the local community and the nation, Emmanuel Praise Church and its Pastors are known for their great generosity and compassion for the poor and hurting.

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Natalie Cole Concert at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Cancelled

Natalie Cole's recent hospitalization and continued fight with Hepatitis C has prevented plans for a fall concert tour this year in support of her new CD, Still Unforgettable. As a result, the Atlanta performance set for Sunday, October 19 at 7:00 p.m. at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre has been cancelled. Ticket buyers should return their tickets to the point of purchase for a full refund.
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Clayton State Chorale Singing at CMS National Convention Tomorrow

The Clayton State University Chorale, under the direction of Dr. Shaun Amos, Clayton State director of Choral Activities, will present “PHOS HILARON” by Bruce Neswick, at the CMS (College Music Society) National Convention on Friday, Sept. 26, 2008. The National Conference will be held at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis Hotel, 265 Peachtree Center Ave., Atlanta.

Amos expects a large turn out for the concert, which will be held at Sisters’ Chapel on the campus of Spelman College at 7:30 p.m.

“The piece was written specifically for the Clayton State University Chorale by Bruce Neswick, who is now the Organist/Choirmaster at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world,” he says. “We are both honored and excited to have been invited as one of the groups to represent collegiate choral music at this years’ convention. The ensemble and I will do our very best to make Clayton State University and the whole region proud!”

Amos points out that the College Music Society is a consortium of college, conservatory, university, and independent musicians and scholars interested in all disciplines of music.

“Its mission is to promote music teaching and learning, musical creativity and expression, research and dialogue, and diversity and interdisciplinary interaction. This year’s convention marks the 50th anniversary of the College Music Society,” he adds.

Atlanta area faculty and students not participating on the conference program can register at a special daily registration rate — $25/day for faculty or $15/day for students. The regular registration fee is $220 for members of CMS and $300 for non-members. The registration form will be available at the conference registration desk in the Marriott Marquis Hotel… anyone who is interested in coming should just check in there.

For more information on The College Music Society’s 2008 National Conference go to
www.music.org.

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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Clayton State Music Department to Present Orpheus and Euridice September 30 in Spivey Hall

The Clayton State University Music Department will feature a presentation of American composer Ricky Ian Gordon’s song cycle Orpheus and Euridice, on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m. in the University’s world-famous Spivey Hall. The concert will take approximately 70 minutes with intermission.

Performers for Orpheus and Euridice will include Assistant Professor of Voice Dr. Gina Harvey, soprano, and staff accompanist Alexander Benford, piano. Joining Clayton State’s Harvey and Benford will be, from Boulder, Co., guest artist Kristen Denny on clarinet. This performance is free and open to the public.

Gordon’s work puts a new spin on the traditional myth of Orpheus and Euridice, even to the point of giving Orpheus a reed instrument instead of a lute. Orpheus and Euridice was commissioned by clarinetist Todd Palmer, who thought it would be effective to have a piece for clarinet, voice and piano. The first performance was given in October 2001 at Cooper Union as part of the Cooper Arts Series. In October 2005, a fully choreographed version of Orpheus and Euridice premiered at Lincoln Center with an entire dance troupe.

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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Savannah Jazz Festival is on Tap to Start September 20

Savannah, Georgia is known for its commitment to the arts and the many festivals that are offered during the year. The week-long Savannah Jazz Festival, one of the largest and most popular of the Savannah festivals, is presented by the Coastal Jazz Association and is dedicated to the growth of jazz and jazz audiences in the Coastal Empire.

The 27th Savannah Jazz Festival, celebrating jazz as a living art built on a constantly evolving tradition will offer all types of jazz, from Dixieland, traditional swing, straight-ahead and bop to melodic standards, and funky down-home "gutbucket" blues. The Festival kick-off on Saturday night (Sept 20) will be a Jazz Concert-Wine Tasting event to raise money for the Backus Children's Hospital. The Jazz Trio featuring Ben Tucker, is headlining for this evening.

The festival features the best in international, national, regional and local jazz talent. The 2008 festival will feature (among others), Bob James, The Savannah Jazz Orchestra-Featuring "Simone", Donald Harrison, The Ben Riley Trio featuring 'Larry Willis', Ben Tucker, Teddy Adams, Wanda Johnson with Shrimp City Slim, James Cotton, Eric Culberson’s Blues Band, Freeport, Bob Baldwin, Eric Mintel, The Coastal Jazz Association All-Stars, The University of North Florida Jazz ensemble with Trombonist, Steve Davis, The Jazz Corner Quintet, Beer Parlor Ramblers, The Jazz Trio, & The Skylite Jazz Ensemble."

All events are free to the public.

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VOICES Concert Receives Standing Ovation

by Forrest Schultz, Coweta Arts Tidbits

By now everyone who is au courant with the Southside arts scene has heard about the greatness of VOICES and the launching of its 2008-2009 season with a Fall Benefit Concert at The Wadsworth in Newnan on Saturday. Those who attended this important musical event expressed their appreciation by giving VOICES a well-deserved standing ovation at the conclusion of the Concert.

The program consisted of a medley of various kinds of song, all of which were performed to perfection. The most moving was Zaphyra's singing of various pieces from The Phantom of the Opera, which evoked the poignancy of that tragic tale. The most striking was The Southern Nights Chorale's unusual rendition of Georgia On My Mind.

The post-concert "Meet and Greet" event in The Wadsworth lobby was skillfully catered by its sponsor, the Ten East Washington restaurant in downtown Newnan. The aesthetics of the cranberry punch fountain and drinking cups and the hors d'oeuvres serving trays was impressive and quite apropos for the conclusion of an important arts event and for providing a great atmosphere in which to meet the performers. The Concert program booklet was also noteworthy for its beautiful design, another appropriate feature for a great performing arts event. And the wardrobes of the performers were very impressive.

Cowetans are grateful to VOICES for this Concert and to its Artistic Director, Maria Pia Ugarte, for honoring Coweta County by selecting a Coweta venue to launch this season. Cowetans can heartily recommend to others in the Southside that they attend the VOICES concerts which will be held in their counties! Information about VOICES is available on their website, www.voicesonline.org.
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America Supports You: National Freedom Walk Ends With Musical Tribute

Photo: Grammy-winning country music group The Oak Ridge Boys perform a musical tribute at the Pentagon following the fourth annual National America Supports You Freedom Walk in Washington, D.C., Sept. 7, 2008. Nearly 10,000 walkers participated in the one-mile walk from Arlington National Cemetery. Defense Dept. photo by Samantha L. Quigley

Nearly 10,000 people walked the mile between Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon's South Parking lot here to commemorate the events of Sept. 11, 2001, as part of today's fourth annual National America Supports You Freedom Walk.

More than an hour after the walk began, the walkers watched as a well-known country music group took to the stage to perform a musical tribute.

"Did we mention the Oak Ridge Boys are here, and Secretary [Gordon] England, and the Oak Ridge Boys, and cabinet members and the Oak Ridge Boys?" asked Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as he addressed the crowd.

Before turning the microphone back over to Fox News Channel Anchor Kelly Wright for the group's formal introduction, Cartwright took a minute to thank a few groups.

He thanked those who are deployed on the nation's behalf for "all of the things that they do, whether in uniform or civilian, to support this nation and serve so that we can get up every day free. Thank you to them."

He went on to include another group: families.

"I'd be remiss if I didn't pick up on one other group, the group that supports us ... so that we can serve, in uniform and as civilians, this nation," he said. "Their contribution should never be forgotten.

"Did I mention the Oak Ridge Boys are coming out?" he joked with the crowd.

Shortly the air was filled with a familiar melody and the crowd's unified voices as the Oak Ridge Boys led them in the national anthem.

The musicians followed that up with their patriotic song, "Colors."

"It's one that's red as the bloodshed, blue as the wounded, white as the crosses on our soldier's graves," they sang as they reached the chorus. "Through the rain, through the sun, these colors never run."

"Now I've seen people treat her like she was some old rag, clueless to the human sacrifice," they sang referring to the flag. "But you'll always find a mother, a widow, a child, a sister or a brother with a carefully folded teardrop in their eyes."

For some, those teardrops weren't necessarily attached to a loved one's passing, just the fear of the possible.

"I was sitting on the balcony of our building at 6th [Street] and Pennsylvania Avenue, watch the planes in the air not knowing if they were ours or if they belonged to a terrorist," said Leeann Hall, as she remembered the Sept. 11, attacks. "My daughter was in school in Arlington, and I could see the planes flying near there. I thought, 'Just stop. Just get away.'"

It's that fear, the thought of what could have happened, that prompted Hall to participate in the walk. "I don't want people ever to forget the terror we felt on that day and the importance of our freedom," she said.

Her daughter, Samantha, now 14, was just in second grade on when terrorists hit the Pentagon.

"I don't really remember, to be honest [what it was like that day,]" she said. "I'm not sure I really grasped what was going on, but now I definitely understand how severe and scary it really was."

Another thing she understands is that the troops need continued support from back home. By participating in the walk with her mother, she showed that. "They're protecting us and their families, and we just really need to appreciate that and how fortunate we are to have people who care," she said.

Regardless of the solemnity of the walk, both mom and daughter were excited to hear the Oak Ridge Boys, and they weren't alone.

Shelley Marshall, with Military Officers Association of America's Scholarship Fund, was elated that the group was performing. "I'm thrilled," she said. "I'm a country fan and ... I think we've got the best seats in town!"

MOAA, as well as 25 other organizations that support America Supports You, were on hand to provide information to the walkers about what the groups do and how individuals can get involved.

The majority of the walkers and all of those representing the troop-support groups enjoyed the Oak Ridge Boys nearly hour-long musical tribute.

America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.

By Samantha L. Quigley

American Forces Press Service

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How Sweet The Sound Seeks Atlanta's Best Choir and No-Longer-Used Wireless Phones

PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless announced today the Atlanta-area semi-finalists in the search for the country's best church choir. Atlanta-area choirs and their choir directors who have made it into the semi-final round of the Verizon Wireless' How Sweet The Sound(SM) national competition are:

-- Small Choirs (6-35 singers):
- Atlanta Praise Ministries, Pastor James Jackson (Atlanta)
- Enon Church, Kevin Styles (College Park)
- Eagles Nest Cathedral, Johnathan Williams (West Point)
- Due West United Methodist Church, Billy Payne (Marietta)

-- Large Choirs (36-100 singers):
- Beulahland Bible Church, Dr. Jay Terrell (Macon)
- Atlanta West Pentecostal Church, Brandon Frazier (Lithia Springs)
- Hamilton Mill United Methodist Church, Celia Stockton (Atlanta)
- Shaw Temple Mass Choir, Keyth Lee (Atlanta)

The semi-final competition will be held September 15 at Philips Arena. During the event, Atlanta area church choirs will perform for a chance to compete in the national grand finale for a cash prize of up to $25,000 and the title of the best church choir in America.

Bring Your No-Longer Used Phones for a Good Cause

Atlanta gospel music fans planning to watch their favorite choirs compete during this event are encouraged to bring their no-longer-used wireless phones and donate them to the company's HopeLine(R) program. Verizon Wireless will collect the phones at booths set up at different locations throughout Philips Arena. All collected phones will support local domestic violence organizations.

HopeLine is Verizon Wireless' exclusive phone recycling and reuse program that collects no-longer-used wireless phones, batteries and accessories in any condition from any wireless service provider to benefit victims of domestic violence. Proceeds from the HopeLine program are used to provide wireless phones and cash grants to local shelters and non-profit organizations that focus on domestic violence prevention and awareness. Since 2001, HopeLine has collected more than 5 million phones, awarded more than $5 million in cash grants to domestic violence agencies and organizations throughout the country.

Those who cannot make it to the September 15 show can drop off their used wireless phones, batteries and accessories at any Verizon Wireless Communications Store across the state of Georgia, at any time of the year.

Award-Winning Gospel Artists Hosting and Judging

The Verizon Wireless How Sweet The Sound national finals are in Atlanta November 8. The semi-finalist winners from 11 cities will compete in the national grand finale. GRAMMY(R)-winning songwriter, producer arranger and music director, Donald Lawrence, will be the tour emcee at each of the 11 semi-final competitions and at the finale. Marvin Sapp, Hezekiah Walker and other gospel artists will join the competition as judges.

Tickets Available

The doors to Philips Arena will open at 6 p.m. before the How Sweet The Sound competition begins at 7:30 p.m. on the 15th. Tickets can be purchased via Ticket Master or the Philips Arena Box Office and are $7 for floor seats and $5 for upper level seats.

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Daniel Pyle to Perform in Spivey Hall September 13

Dr. Daniel Pyle, adjunct instructor of Music Appreciation and Harpsichord for the Clayton State University Department of Music, and music director/organist for The Church of Our Savior in Atlanta, will be performing in the University’s world-famous Spivey Hall on Saturday, Sept. 13.

Pyle’s free concert, an organ recital presented by the University’s Department of Music, begins at 7:30 p.m., and will feature music of Northern Germany and Scandinavia by Baroque master Dieterich Buxtehude and Commotio by 20th-century Danish composer Carl Nielsen.

As an organist, Pyle has performed in the Netherlands, at the Universities of Kansas and Alabama and LSU, and elsewhere in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Kansas. As a harpsichordist, he has played with baroque ensembles in Paris, Amsterdam, the Utrecht Early Music Festival, London’s St. Martin-in-the-Fields and the Boston Early Music Festival; and throughout the American Southeast.

The regular harpsichordist and a member of the board of directors for the newly-founded Atlanta Baroque Orchestra, Pyle’s recording of Elizabethan music on a lautenwerk, The Maidens Song, is available on the Gasparo label (GSCD 334).

Pyle holds bachelors and masters degrees in organ performance and music history from the University of Alabama, where he was a student of Warren Hutton. His doctorate is from the Eastman School of Music.

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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National Endowment for the Arts to Honor 2009 NEA Jazz Masters at Awards Ceremony & Concert at Jazz at Lincoln Center

The National Endowment for the Arts will sponsor its annual NEA Jazz Masters Awards Ceremony & Concert on October 17, 2008, at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. The event will begin at 8 p.m. in Rose Theater at Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center at Broadway at 60th Street and feature the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis in a program dedicated to the honorees' works. The concert also will include brief video biographies on each 2009 NEA Jazz Master.

In addition, a pre-concert conversation with the 2009 NEA Jazz Masters moderated by NEA Chairman Dana Gioia will be held at 6:15 p.m. in Rose Theater. The conversation will explore the careers, influences, and ideas from the Masters' experiences in jazz. Each year, this conversation with the Masters is an occasion for light moments, stories, and personal insights from six distinguished lives in music.

Earlier that day, the NEA Jazz Masters from past and current classes will gather for an extraordinary photo opportunity. More information on this photo opportunity will be available at a later date.

The 2009 NEA Jazz Masters include: vocalist and guitarist George Benson, drummer James Wilbur "Jimmy" Cobb, saxophonist Lee Konitz, harmonica and guitar player Jean-Baptiste "Toots" Thielemans, and trumpeter Eugene Edward "Snooky" Young. The A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Master Award for Jazz Advocacy is awarded to recording engineer Rudolph "Rudy" Van Gelder.
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Newly Formed Fayette Pops Symphony Orchestra Kicks Off with Fayetteville Concert

The newly formed Fayette Pops Symphony Orchestra is ready for their Introductory Concert at the Villages Amphitheater on September 27. Gates open at 7 PM with the concert set to begin at 8:00 PM. Tickets for the Introductory Concert are available at the Villages Amphitheater box office located at the Old Train Depot 250 Lanier Avenue West in Fayetteville or they may be purchased at any Ticketmaster outlet as well as the Ticketmaster online service. Prices for adult tickets are $25, Students 15 years and younger and lawn seating is $15. Orchestra Circle tables for 8 are $240.

The Fayette Pops Symphony is a 70 piece professional symphonic orchestra. “Many of our musicians play with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra as well as other area orchestras,” stated Ken White, Director. “We have a wonderful concert planned featuring music from blockbuster motion pictures, famous Broadway musicals, the Beach Boys, Hollywood Classics, Big Band Swing, Hooked on Classics and much more,” he said.

“Also, share in the inspiration as some of our promising young instrumental and vocal artists selected from our Fayette county schools perform with the orchestra at special moments during the concert. It will be a night to thrill and inspire all!”

The orchestra is under the sponsorship of the Endowment Committee for the Cultural Arts of Fayette County. “We were thrilled when Ken approached us with the idea of our helping to sponsor the new orchestra. Our board is enthusiastically working to promote this first in a full season of concerts. Fayette and the surrounding area are ready for a symphony and there is no one better than Ken White to head this wonderful symphonic pops orchestra.” stated ECCA President, Sandra Jungers. “His 30 year background in concert music, directing and performance virtually assures the very best has come to Fayette County,” she stated.

The Fayette Pops Symphony Orchestra will begin its Inaugural Season with a “Holiday Concert” scheduled for November 29 at the Peachtree United Methodist Church, followed by “Phantom of the Opera in Concert” on February 7 also at the Peachtree United Methodist Church. The public will be introduced to the new Fayette Youth Symphony Orchestra at their inaugural event scheduled for the Villages Amphitheater in April, 2009. The inaugural season continues with “Night at the Movies a Tribute to John Williams” in June and a gala Fourth of July Concert and Fireworks event.

“This first concert will surely demonstrate the talent and professionalism that is available right here in our own back-yard! Bring the whole family, enjoy a picnic, and relax under the stars, as Maestro Ken White introduces the new Fayette Pops Symphony Orchestra!”

Additional information on the orchestra and how you can become a Founding Member please visit the orchestra web page at www.peachtreepops.com

Salute the Troops on ABC September 7

(BUSINESS WIRE)--A diverse cross-section of America’s most popular performers and entertainers – including Toby Keith, Janet Jackson, ZZ Top, Jessica Simpson, Snoop Dogg and others – are coming together on the same stage for one night only at an all-star salute to the nation’s military men and women.

USAA, a diversified financial services firm, is honored to present America United In Support of Our Troops, airing on ABC Sunday, September 7, at 9 p.m. Eastern/8 p.m. Central.

Other performers and celebrities slated to appear include country musician Clint Black, comedians Carlos Mencia and Kathy Griffin, and many more. Filmed in front of audiences in Iraq, Camp Pendleton, Calif., and Fort Campbell, Ky., the show features popular music, celebrity cameos, tributes to the troops, and heart-warming stories.

“America United in Support of Our Troops - is all about standing together as a nation to say a very heartfelt ‘thank you’ to the men and women of the U.S. military,” said USAA President and CEO Joe Robles. “USAA has proudly served our nation’s military families for 86 years, and it is our honor to sponsor this tribute. We hope Americans will tune in this Sunday, support our troops and enjoy this terrific show.”

The show will be re-broadcast Monday, Sept. 8 for military members serving overseas and on ships at sea through the American Forces Radio and Television Service.

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Starr's Mill HS Band Hosts Marching Band Exhibition

The Starr's Mill High School Band is hosting the Third Annual Fayette County Marching Band Exhibition on September 20 at Starr's Mill High School stadium. The public is invited to attend and preview five fabulous half-time shows as the Fayette County High School marching bands kick off the marching band competition season. The gates will open at 4:30. A combined band of Fayette County 8th grade band students will open the event with the National Anthem at 5:30. McIntosh High will lead off the performances beginning at 6:00 and hosts Starr's Mill will end the evening with their performance at 7:20. Admission price is $3 at the gate. For further information, contact the event chair at jmjands@bellsouth.net.
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Voices Finalizes Details for September 6th Concert

August 28, 2008: Voices is finalizing details for the upcoming Fall Benefit Concert on September 6 at The Wadsworth in Newnan. The concert brings together extraordinary talent from The Southern Arc: the female solo ensemble Zaphyra (who will also be performing at the upcoming Powers' Crossroads Festival in Newnan this weekend;) the Southern Nights Chorale, a men’s precision a capella ensemble; and young talented violinist, Matthew Roberts, are included in the program.

This season’s first more intimate production unites the talent in solo and ensemble combinations, offering, as it has now become the trademark of this performing arts organization, and eclectic amalgamation of music. The program blends soundtrack and musicals selections from “Cold Mountain,” “Evita,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Oliver,” & “Porgy and Bess;” classical evergreens such as Puccini’s “O mio babbino caro” and Delibes’ “Flower Duet” from the opera Lakme; as well as a tribute of pieces made popular by Celtic Woman, Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli.

Hair design is being developed by Carlos Salon in Peachtree City. “Part of our intension is to engage businesses from The Southern Arc in a creative capacity,” explained Ms. Ugarte, Voices Artistic Director. “So we approached Carlos Salon to join us in this adventure and they enthusiastically agreed.” Piano Crafters in Newnan will be contributing the use of a grand piano, “which will add a magic touch to the performance.” Zaphyra’s wardrobe, obtained at David’s Bridal, has received the Voices touch, another staple of these performances. The Post Concert “Meet & Greet” Reception is being sponsored by Ten East Washington. This prime Newnan restaurant will helping crown the night with some delectable platters.

Tickets are available for sale at the Voices website (www.VoicesOnline.com,) through Brown Paper Tickets (24/7 Ticket Ordering Hotline: 800-838-3006.) Tickets can also be purchased at Scott’s Bookstore in Newnan (28 S Court Sq.) Please contact info@VoicesOnline.org or call 404-358-2950 for more information. Updates, directions and details are available at the Voices website.
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Organ Concert at PTC First Presbyterian September 21

A new tradition begins at First Presbyterian Church in Peachtree City on Sunday, September 21 at 4 pm as organist Sam De Carlo presents an afternoon of inspirational music. De Carlo will be joined in concert with John Beresford, senior music student from the University of Michigan. The community is invited to attend the concert at no charge. A love offering will be taken. First Presbyterian Church is located in Peachtree City at 206 Willowbend Rd. across from the Library and City Hall. For more information, please call (770) 487-7757 or email concerts@firstpresptc.com.



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Natalie Cole to Perform in Special Concert at Cobb Energy Centre October 19th

Fidelity Investments Broadway Across America – Atlanta presents as a season special Natalie Cole in concert Sunday, October 19 at 7:00 p.m. at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. The performance follows the release of her much-anticipated new CD, Still Unforgettable, which will be available in stores September 9.

When Natalie Cole’s seminal Unforgettable…With Love came out in 1991, the jazz collection set a new standard for reinventing the Great American Songbook. The CD, which captured six GrammysÒ, including Album and Record Of The Year, spent five weeks at No. 1 and sold more than eight million copies in the U.S. alone.

Yet instead of exploiting the moment and rushing out a second volume, Cole thoughtfully took a step back, devoted herself to several other stellar projects including her riveting autobiography, and waited until she felt ready to return to the songs that fulfill her heart and soul.

“Timing is everything, and I wasn't in a hurry to make this kind of a record right away,” Cole says. “Something about now just seemed the right time. There is never a guarantee of success when you are ready to put out a record—especially one like this. You have to go with your gut, but I didn't want to be shamelessly chasing after the success of Unforgettable…With Love, so I waited.”

A co-venture between Natalie, DMI Music and Rhino/WEA, Cole lovingly wraps her unparalleled supple voice around 14 standards. On this, her 21st studio album, Cole also takes the reins as producer for the first time.

Just as she lovingly partnered with her late father, the legendary Nat “King” Cole, for a posthumous duet on the title track on the 1991 masterpiece, this time they reunite on the delightful “Walkin’ My Baby Back Home,” first recorded by Cole’s father in the early ‘50s.

“If there was going to be another ‘duet’ with Dad, I felt it should be something more whimsical, fun and light,” Cole says. “At the same time, I was looking for a song that would also be familiar to a certain type of audience. I think this is going to work just as well. It’s adorable and loving between parent and child. It feels like he’s right there with me. How do you top that?”

Still Unforgettable combines much-beloved classics like “The Best is Yet To Come,” “Come Rain or Come Shine,” “Nice ‘N’ Easy” with great songs that Cole discovered for the first time, such as “Coffee Time,” a recommendation from Tony Bennett. “Every single one of these songs was a challenge to sing because the original performances are so iconic. It was difficult to find a way to approach each one without losing the essence of what makes them so great,” Cole says.

Therefore Cole and her co-producer Gail Deadrick turned to a who’s who of A-list arrangers including John Clayton, Patrick Williams, Nan Schwartz and Victor Vanacore, all of whom paid homage to the originals, while creating something new.

Before she captured 1975’s Best New Artist GrammyÒ, Cole appealed to fans and critics alike with her versatility as an R&B, pop and jazz singer of the first order. Her canon includes such No. 1’s as “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love),” “Inseparable,” “Our Love,” “I’ve Got Love On My Mind,” “Pink Cadillac” and “Miss You Like Crazy.” The eight-time Grammy winner continues to astonish with her vocal dexterity and her intimate, knowing way with a lyric and melody.

Tickets for the Atlanta performance of Still Unforgettable: An Evening with Natalie Cole are on-sale now for $57.50 - $127.50 and available through authorized ticket sellers at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre box office, Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or by phone at 404-817-8700. Orders for groups of 15 or more may be placed by calling 404-881-2000.

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Contemporary Christian Music Featured Sunday, Aug. 31 at Powers' Crossroads 3-Day Labor Day Weekend Festival in Newnan, Ga.

PRNewswire - The three-day Powers' Crossroads Country Fair and Art Festival, which opens for its 38th consecutive year on Labor Day Weekend, will feature an afternoon of contemporary Christian music on Sunday, Aug. 31.

Scheduled entertainment beginning at 2 p.m. on the festival's main stage includes One Way Caravan from St. Louis, Mo., featuring Adam Trotter and Kevin Schulte.

West Georgia local favorites Jake Eugene and The Summit of South Fayette, and Chandler, featuring lead vocalist Jeff Chandler, are also scheduled to perform. Contemporary Christian radio station J93.3, WVFJ-FM, Atlanta, is sponsoring the afternoon of music.

The festival, which is held every year on the rolling and wooded 100 acres of historic Powers Plantation in Newnan, Ga., near Franklin, Ga., will open at 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 30 with the annual Rising Star competition set to kick off at 10 a.m.

The festival will wrap up at 5 p.m. Labor Day afternoon, Sept. 1, after a 2 p.m. Miss Coweta County Pageant, a preliminary event for the Miss West Georgia competition in January 2009.
Visitors to this year's festival will also find perennial favorites in shopping for unique arts and crafts. Each of the more than 175 artisans showcasing their work for sale is selected by judges during the course of the year.

Festival hours are 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and military personnel, $3 for children ages 5-12, and free for children 4 and under. Parking is free and complimentary shuttle service is available from the parking areas.

Visit www.newnan.com/powers for additional information and driving directions.

The Powers' Crossroads Country Fair and Art Festival is organized and produced by five local non-profit organizations as their annual major fundraiser with net proceeds divided among the organizations. They are: Newnan Coweta Chamber of Commerce, Newnan Coweta Arts Association, Coweta 4H, Newnan Coweta Jaycees and The Pilot Club of Newnan.

Presenting sponsors include Buffalo Rock Beverages and Food Services, Newnan, Ga., Toyota of Newnan, and in part by the Georgia Department of Economic Development through the Georgia Tourism Foundation.
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Voices to Hold Concert in Early September

Voices will be holding a benefit concert this upcoming September 6, 2008 at The Wadsworth in Newnan. This production launches the recently announced two-year season in The Southern Arc, presenting Voices’ usual eclectic combination of music. “This whole series has a mysterious quality to it. There is an abundance of haunting melodies that will most certainly be following you home!” explained Ms. Ugarte. The program combines soundtrack and musicals selections from “Cold Mountain,” “Evita,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Oliver,” & “Porgy and Bess;” classical evergreens such as Puccini’s “O mio babbino caro” and Delibes’ “Flower Duet from the opera Lakme; as well as a tribute of pieces made popular by Josh Groban, Celtic Woman, Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli.

Returning for its second appearance will be the solo female vocal group Zaphyra. Zaphyra was born as a result of the first Voices concert in 2006 and formally organized during 2007. “While working on the mixing of the recording of the 2006 Voices concert, I was drawn to a particular song, Sale ascende.” explained Ms. Ugarte. “This is what triggered the idea of creating Zaphyra.” The ages of the group range from 11 to 44. Original members Maria Pia Ugarte and Alison Chambers, have recently welcomed Megan Zerbe, Paige McCauley and Jill Safko to join the ensemble. “Each singer has a very different kind of voice and style. Each member is a unique strong individual performer and at the same time has the ability to combine in a group with a special quality and warmth.” Zaphyra will be performing solo and ensemble pieces, including an a capella arrangement of “Somewhere” from West Side Story. The group recently finished recording a new version of “The Star Spangled Banner” that will be released as a maxi CD in the next few months.

The Southern Nights Chorale -- a men's precision a cappella ensemble – joins Voices for the first time. Founded by and under the direction of J. D. Holmes, it is made up of singers from the South Metro Atlanta area. They actively perform in The Southern Arc and have also been heard at Turner Field singing the National Anthem as well as at the Governor’s Mansion. “I heard about the Southern Nights Chorale and decided to approach their director to see if they would be interested in being part of Voices this season,” explained Ms. Ugarte. “J. D. accepted and we are very excited about the collaboration.”

Also returning for a second year is young violinist Matthew Roberts. Roberts started playing the violin at the age of six. He is a talented young musician who really enjoys playing his instrument and has an unlimited future ahead of him.

Hair design for Zaphyra will be done by Carlos Salon. “Imbedded in the concept of Voices, is the idea of fostering creative synergy among different channels within the community. Hair design is certainly an art form. I have known Carlos for several years, as well as his wife Julisa. They are both exceptional hair stylists.” Carlos Salon is located on Highway 74 in Peachtree City and is proud to offer the community an exceptional quality of service.

Another creative aspect that has become a characteristic of the Voices concerts is the wardrobe. Daivd’s Bridal in Morrow has supported this effort this year. “People have really enjoyed the visual and sophisticated nature of the performances and costumes,” said Ugarte. Zaphyra’s wardrobe has been a key component and received many compliments last year. David’s Bridal has responded very enthusiastically to being a part of Voices. “But expect surprises, as the dresses will most definitely have the Voices touch!”

This first concert – as well as the two following events -- will help fund the full scale production in 2009. This initial, more intimate performance will be taking place at The Wadsworth in Newnan (25 Jefferson Street.) The 1930’s Art Deco landmark -- listed on the National Register of Historic Places – was designed by noted Georgia architect R. Kennon Perry. “I learned of it through my friend and artistic colleague, writer Jeanne Chambers, one the founders of The Twilight Theater. I was very surprised that I had not heard of this place before. It is certainly worth a trip just to come and see this magnificent building, which has been recently restored.” Gene Surber, award-winning historic architect, served as the consultant for its rehabilitation. “Rein Pirn, who designed the acoustics for Spivey Hall at Clayton College and State University in Morrow, developed the acoustical plan.”

Presale tickets are available at the Voices website, www.VoicesOnline.org. Doors open at 7:00 pm, with the performance starting at 7:30 pm. A petite silent auction will take place before the concert and during intermission. A Meet & Greet Reception will take place after the concert. Please visit the Voices website for continued updates and information about this and upcoming events.
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