Chorus of Westerly Charitable Gala

Description

 THE CHORUS OF WESTERLY TO HOLD
CHARITABLE GALA ON MARCH 5, 2011
GENERAL PUBLIC INVITED

The Chorus will also be honoring the late Anne Utter as part of the Gala.

WESTERLY, RI – The Chorus of Westerly invites the general public to join them for an evening of fine dining, light music, a high-end live and silent auction, and other special presentations at The Chorus of Westerly Charitable Gala on Saturday, March 5, 2011, from 6pm to 9:30pm in the George Kent Performance Hall, 119 High Street, Westerly. Tickets to the Gala are now on sale through the Chorus Box Office (401.596.8663) or online at http://www.chorusofwesterly.org.

The Chorus of Westerly Charitable Gala is a special fundraising event created to support the Chorus of Westerly (a not-for-profit performing arts charitable organization) and all of its activities including: The Classical Concert Series, Christmas Pops, A Celebration of Twelfth Night, The Collegiate Concert Series, and the annual Summer Pops performance presented by the Chorus each June in Wilcox Park. Funds raised at the Gala will directly support these programs as well as the continued operation and preservation of the historic George Kent Performance Hall, the Chorus of Westerly’s home for the past five decades.

The event will feature an elegant multicourse dinner prepared by some of the Chorus of Westerly’s most talented cooks and chefs. Light music will be featured throughout the evening as well as special Chorus displays and other activities. As part of the festivities there will be a high-end silent and live auction. All items in the silent auction (between 75-100 items) will have a value of $75 or more. Items in the silent auction will include specialty baskets featuring products of local and national merchants, beautiful artwork, home furnishings, sporting and theatre tickets, jewelry, and more. Items in the live auction will include special trip packages to Colorado, Ireland, New York, and Switzerland, special hotel, dinner, and event packages (including a Clam Bake served by Maestro George Kent), special works of art and fashion and more. A list of items on the auctions is constantly being updated on the Chorus of Westerly’s website at http://www.chorusofwesterly.org.

As part of the festivities of the Gala, the Chorus of Westerly will award its annual Legacy Award. The 2011 award will be awarded at the Gala to the late Anne Utter. Mrs. Utter, a charter member of the Chorus, was a champion of the arts and culture in not only Westerly, but for all of Rhode Island. For thirty years she wrote and produced the Chorus of Westerly’s A Celebration of Twelfth Night and in doing so created thousands of arts patrons and arts lovers. To many in this town and in the Chorus, Mrs. Utter is considered one of the “Angels of the Arts” and one of the reasons Westerly is, today, considered an emerging “Arts Town”.

The Legacy Award was created in 2009 by the Chorus as a means for the organization to celebrate and honor the “angels” that have helped sustain the Chorus and its artistic product. Previous Legacy Award winners include George and Lynn Kent, Marion Palm, Nora Spens, and Marie McGlory.

Tickets for the Gala are $100 for regular admission to the event. This includes dinner, complimentary beer and wine, and special recognition in the Chorus of Westerly’s 2011-12 program book. $75 of the ticket cost is tax-deductible. For $250, patrons can purchase a special “Conductor’s Circle Ticket” to the event. This ticket level includes all of the items for regular entry as well as an invitation to a special pre-cocktail hour reception with Chorus Conductor George Kent at 5:30 pm (where a special announcement will be made) and other benefits. $225 of the ticket cost is tax-deductible. There is also a special “Rising Star” ticket level. This is for your patrons of the arts under the age of 35. It includes all of the items for regular admission with $40 of the ticket cost tax-deductible.

Tickets can be purchased by calling the Chorus of Westerly Box Office at 401.596.8663, online at http://www.chorusofwesterly.org, or in person by coming to the Chorus Box Office at 119 High Street, Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm. The event will take place in the George Kent Performance Hall which is handicap accessible.

For more information on the Gala and auction items visit: http://www.chorusofwesterly.org.

The menu for the Gala
Passed hors d'oeuvres including:
Roasted Asparagus with Bacon and Lemon Zest Crostini
Grilled Bread with Prosciutto, Smoked Mozzarella, and Parsley
Mushroom Cappuccino Shots
Grilled Lemon Chicken on Skewers with Satay Dip
Marinated, Roasted Rack of Lamb Lollipops
And several other hors d'oeuvres!

Raw Bar:
Shrimp cocktail
Oysters
Native Little Necks (shucked by the Maestro, George Kent, and First Mate Charlie Kitchen)

Salad:
Spring greens with Roasted Pears, Blue Cheese, and Deep Fried Candied Walnuts

Main Course:
Filet of Beef with Gorgonzola Sauce
Marinated, Grilled Shrimp on Skewers
Parmesan Roasted Asparagus
Moroccan Couscous with Butternut Squash, Zucchini, and Saffron

Dessert:
Chocolate Mousse with Grand Marnier Cream with Dark and White Chocolate Batons