FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                          September 3, 2003

JAZZ LEGEND MAYNARD FERGUSON TO BE CONCERT SERIES’ OPENING ACT

The widely popular Maynard Ferguson will begin the 2003-2004 season of the Northwest Oklahoma Concert Series with a performance at 4 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 28, in Herod Hall Auditorium on the campus of Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva.

            Other features of the concert series are Cherish the Ladies on Nov. 6, the Dallas Brass on Feb. 2 and M-Pact on March 30.

            Ferguson, an internationally renowned big band leader and one of the world’s greatest trumpet and brass instrument players, is now in his fourth decade as a performer. With his Big Bop Nouveau Band, he draws upon bebop, straight-ahead jazz, funk, swing, classical and contemporary music to create a fresh sound within the classic big band form.

            Cherish the Ladies is an all-female Irish-American group that combines all the facets of Irish traditional culture and puts it forth in a humorous and entertaining package. The members have established themselves as virtuosi instrumentalists and vocalists and add step dancers to the mix to further entertain audiences. Winner of numerous awards, Cherish the Ladies tours internationally and has released four CDs.

            The Dallas Brass was founded in 1983 and has established a unique blend of traditional brass instruments with a full complement of drums and percussion, creating an extraordinary range of music. The group’s repertoire includes classical masterpieces, Dixieland jazz, swing,

Broadway show tunes and patriotic music. Members also have a strong dedication to working with young musicians.

            M-Pact is a relatively new a cappella group based in Seattle, Wash., that divides its time among touring, recording and serving as clinicians. Members describe themselves as a “full-time, professional mic and mouth outfit.” One Canadian reviewer said, “The harmonies were complex; the arrangements, sophisticated; and the intonation, perfect…vocal wizardry that brought us to our feet.”

            This season, a new feature is being added. At each performance, one ticket stub will be drawn at intermission for a door prize of $100. The ticket holder must be in the audience at the time of the drawing to win.

            Season tickets will be available starting Sept. 8 at Holder Drug, Schuhmacher’s, Alva Chamber of Commerce and Northwestern Bookstore or by calling (580) 327-8591. Adult season tickets are $30, a $40 value, and student season tickets are $15, a $20 value. Tickets to individual performances will be sold on an “as available” basis at $10 for adults and $5 for students.

            Purchasers ordering by phone may charge their tickets to Visa or MasterCard.

            Again this year, four different sponsorship packages are being offered that include season tickets, reserved seating and program advertisements.

            “We are really excited about the lineup for this season, but quality performers are expensive. To continue the growth of the series, we need the community’s support,” said Dr. James Shrader, chair of the music department and coordinator of the series. “Money raised through sponsorships and ticket sales enables the series to bring ‘name’ entertainers to Alva.

            “The concert series cannot survive without the continued support of the community.

Whether or not a person is able to attend all or none of the events, buying season tickets or one

of our benefit packages is a tangible way to support a valuable asset to the community,” he added.

            The sponsorship packages are as follows:

            Producers Circle, $100 to $299 Contribution—Three season tickets, seating in reserved section, name recognition in concert program.

            Directors Circle, $300 to $599 Contribution—Six season tickets, seating in reserved section, name recognition in concert program, quarter-page ad in concert program.

            Composers Circle, $600 to $999 Contribution—Twelve season tickets, seating in reserved section, name recognition in concert program, half-page ad in concert program.

            Impresarios Circle, $1000 or more Contribution—Eighteen season tickets, seating in reserved section, name recognition in concert program, full-page ad in concert program.

            The reserved seating section at each concert will be held until five minutes prior to the performance.

            Anyone interested in buying a sponsorship package should call Dr. Shrader at (580) 327-8591.

-NW-

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