Outstanding concert; small but deeply appreciative audience

The Yavapai Community College Community Chorale, Women’s Chorale, and Symphonic band presented the “Homeland: Veterans Day Salute Concert,” Thursday evening, November 5 in the Community Room on the Verde Valley Campus. A small but very appreciative audience thoroughly enjoyed the concert.

The 57 member (40 for this concert) Community Chorale, directed by Dr. Judith E. Burns, sang a variety of patriotic songs including “A Tribute to the Arms Services,” “Shenandoah,” and “Give me Your Tired, Your Poor.”  The 15 member Women’s Chorale, directed by Arlene Hardy, charmed the audience with special renditions of “Johnny Aroo,” “I hear America Singing,” and the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” 

The 22 member symphonic band, directed by Maurice Terrell, played a wide-range of music from the stirring “In Storm and Sunshine” march to the emotionally moving tribute to military veterans of the Vietnam War, “Mekong.”  The three groups joined in a number of other patriotic musical presentations.

The excellent narration for the program was provided by Dr. Craig Ralston, Yavapai College Dean for Arts and Humanities. Ralston, who joined the Yavapai faculty in July, 2014, is responsible for curricula in art, music, and humanities including art history, creative writing, history, humanities, philosophy, religion, Spanish, and theater. He obviously worked very hard to put together this program for the Verde Valley Campus.

Disappointing turnout. The turnout of local residents for the program was disappointing, with an estimated 25-30 in attendance.  However, with around 60 singers and a 20 piece orchestra in the community room, there wasn’t room for many more concert goers.

Community Room completely inadequate. The need for a small 350 seat auditorium on the Verde Campus has never been more evident than it was at this concert.  The Community room is simply not equipped for a concert program of this magnitude and quality.  It does not have a stage that can accommodate such a program, seating is far from acceptable, and the ability to effectively utilize visuals such as lighting is almost nonexistent. It is not an attractive  or comfortable venue for performing arts programs. (The College recently invested about $5 million in the Prescott campus Performing Arts Center to upgrade seats, lighting, sound, stage, etc.)  

College administration ignores need since 2008. Verde residents have called for construction of an adequate small on-campus performance hall facility since 2008, when a comprehensive land-use study incorporating views from throughout the Verde Valley was presented to the College Governing Board.  As with other recommendations in that study, it has been ignored by the Wills’ administration.