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The Clay County Arts Council, Inc. brought together a host of musical performers Sunday afternoon in an effort to share with the public some of the remarkable talent found in our community. The First United Methodist Church of Rector opened its doors to this free concert in support of the CCAC.
Sydney Simmons a member of the CCAC, a Thespian and a senior at Rector High School welcomed the guests and did a wonderful job of introducing the entertainers. Sydney has been very active in the CCAC and in the Drama productions at the school as well as competing in the International Thespian Society events. She is an accomplished speaker and actress.
Jerry Chilcutt, organizer of the event, opened with “Hymn of Joy” played on the organ, followed by the singing group, Tapestry paying tribute to the season by singing, “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” and “Slow Dancing in the Snow.”
Tapestry is a well-known local quartet, made up of Cathy Louder, Sherry Jennings, Dana Speer, all from Rector, and Chrissy Pazanowski from Kennett. In addition to the songs they sang as a group, there were duets by Sherry and Chrissy, Dana and Cathy and solo’s by Dana, Sherry and Chrissy.
Candy Hill from Rector performed two solos, one a jazzy piano arrangement of “Joshua F’it the Battle of Jericho” and the other a wistful vocal rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
Jamie Wilson of Piggott, high-lighted another genre of music when he sang the old Eddie Arnold song, “Make The World Go Away.” Later he showed his diversity by singing “Unchained Melody” and “Bridge Over Troubled Waters.”
Jerry Chilcutt in addition to playing accompaniment to Jamie, played “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” on the piano. He also closed the program with an organ arrangement of “Largo.” Guests were presented with goodie bags in appreciation for their support. The bags were prepared by Jane Gatewood.
The Clay County Arts Council was founded in 2001 with the following mission statement: The CCAC is committed to: Conducting combined fundraising for the organization, presenting the arts in area schools, developing proprietary arts experiences and acting as a clearing house for the arts.
They provide scholarships for students graduating from Clay County Schools who continue to follow an education in the Arts.
The next scheduled event is “Art From the Heart,” a visual arts competition for students in Clay County, which will be presented February 22-23 at the Rector Community Center. “Clay County’s Got Talent” on March 9 at Piggott Community Center will be a talent show for local talent. April 18-19, CCAC will present a Giant Puppet Theatre in Rector. A class, Tablescapes and Floral Arrangements will be offered in May and in June CCAC will honor Mrs. Demetra Shultz at the annual “Celebration of the Arts” in Rector.
Membership in the CCAC is $25.00 for an individual membership and $50.00 for a family membership. Corporate memberships are also available. Membership in this organization supports students with scholarships and promotes the arts in Clay County. If you would like to become a member of this vital organization you may contact Gail Burns at (870) 240-3014. You can keep up with our schedule on the www.rectorarkansas.com website.
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