The New Desert Harmony Singers concert gala to benefit the NMSU Center for the Arts
Who: The New Desert Harmony Singers
What: Benefit Christmas concert
When: December 3, 2009
Where: NMSU Corbett Center Ballrooms
Contact: (575) 646-3587
The New Desert Harmony Singers concert gala to benefit the NMSU Center for the Arts
Ready to ring in the holidays? What better way than with beautiful music, exquisite desserts, and champagne? The New Desert Harmony Singers (NDHS), a well-respected Las Cruces community chorus, and the Center for the Arts at NMSU are collaborating to offer a Benefit Christmas Evening of Song on Thursday evening, December 3, in the ballrooms of Corbett Center on the NMSU campus. The doors open at 6 p.m. and the concert begins at 7. NDHS has traditionally performed a Christmas concert, but this year has chosen the Center for the Arts project to be the recipient of the concert proceeds.
This is the first time the NDHS has performed a benefit concert. NDHS Director Dave Kinkaid promises, “This one will be very different and lots of fun. Patrons will enjoy specialty desserts, and champagne or other beverages during the concert.” The festive atmosphere will be augmented by table seating rather than theatre-style rows.
The chorus has chosen to perform many traditional holiday songs, such as “Sleigh Ride,” “There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays,” “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” “Merry Christmas Darling,” “Santa Baby,” “O Holy Night”, “Sweet Little Jesus Boy,” “Silent Night,” “Breath of Heaven” and more, including a sing-a-long or two. Special guest performers at the concert will be the Crimson Chord Company, a popular barbershop quartet. It is rumored that Santa himself will make a brief appearance.
Tickets are $25 for general admission and are available at several locations: the NMSU Foundation offices in Dove Hall; Hubbard’s Music-n-More, 1108 Wyatt Drive; Cutter Gallery, 2640 El Paseo Road; and White’s Music Box, 200 S. Downtown Mall. You may also call 575-646-3587 or purchase tickets from any member of The New Desert Harmony Singers.
The Center for the Arts, a major project of New Mexico State University, will bring the university’s arts programs to one central location, providing the opportunity for increased collaboration and giving the community far easier access to creative programs offered by the university. The scope of this project makes collaborations such as this very welcome.
“The Center for the Arts complex is going to be a vehicle to bring the university, the students and the community to one place to experience the arts and culture of our community,” explained Sally Cutter, a member of the Center for the Arts @ NMSU Leadership Advisory Committee. “We need the full support of the community for this project and for the community to feel ownership of the center, so we need everyone’s help. Small or large gifts, they’re all important.”
The New Desert Harmony Singers is a mixed community chorus that performs popular music. Recent concerts have featured Broadway show tunes, Beatles songs, and other favorites. The New Desert Harmony Singers evolved from a former Sweet Adelines chorus that sang barbershop harmony, to the group that now includes men and women. Kinkaid also comes from a barbershop background. He has sung and directed barbershop since 1971, beginning with the El Paso Border Chorders. He then directed the Las Cruces Grande Sweet Adeline Chorus and later the El Paso Sun Gold Chorus.
Kinkaid says, “We are doing choral music that nobody else in town is doing and it is all popular music from Big Band to Broadway, gospel to patriotic. We have a lot more fun singing songs that we all know and love.”
For additional information about the New Desert Harmony Singers, contact Jane Jurrema at 575-526-9618 or go to www.newdesertharmonysingers.blogspot.com. For more information about the Center for the Arts, go to their website at www.artscenter.nmsu.edu.