Vice President: 

Bonnie Olson 

rbolson@comcast.net

Secretary: 

Chris Peery

foxychris@toledotel.com

Treasurer: 

Marie Sareault

President Emeritus:  Virgil Fox  virgfox@tds.net

Endowment:  Ralph Olson  rbolson@localaccess.com

Membership: Kristine Fry  bpcon3@tds.net

Publicity:  Alex Goedhard  adg@localaccess.com

Education:  Mary Glenn  theglenns@tds.net

Newsletter/program:  Marie Cochran  reikiree@yahoo.com

Hospitality:    Kristine Fry  bpcon3@tds.net

House:  Bill Newkirk  bnewkirk@juno.com

Power Point:  Todd Rayan   todd@centralialaw.com

ABOUT LEWIS COUNTY COMMUNITY CONCERTS

The history of Community Concerts parallels in many ways that of the past century.  In the 1920s America underwent rapid change and modernization, and the performing arts were no exception.  While Chautauqua tours, traveling minstrel shows, and vaudeville had created a national appetite for live performance, they were disappearing from the scene.  There was a demand for concerts; the question was how to find a new way to cover their cost.

In 1927, and idea destined to revolutionize the performing arts in America sprang up simultaneously in the Great Lakes region and in several Eastern states.  Instead of struggling to make up deficits after the fact, people thought, why not raise some money first and then hire the artists.  It was a plan that worked, and it ensured the success of the humble experiments that grew first into the organized audience plan and ultimately into Community Concerts, the largest, most enduring network of performing arts presenters that has ever existed.  The organized audience idea caught fire and spread:  it fostered cultural development on an unprecedented scale.  Early featured artists included Vladimir Horowitz, Lawrence Tibbet, Jascha Heifetz and Yehudi Menuhin.

The Music Teachers of the County first organized the Lewis County Community Concert Association (LCCCA).  The first season was 1937-38 and has been continuous except for the period 1940-1944, due to World War II and post war years when travel problems were prevalent.

Although the stock market crash of 1929 threatened this brave experiment in the arts, Community Concerts continued to grow.  People were determined that economic hardship would not deprive them of beauty and meaning in their lives.  Minutes from Association meetings held in Dust Bowl towns refer to families who could not afford the 50 cents to attend the concert and were being carried by loans from neighbors or by the Association itself.

LCCCA has had at least four concerts each season.  During the early years, the concerts were held two in the Centralia High School auditorium, and two in the present R. E. Bennett auditorium.  After the Centralia High School building was torn down, all concerts were held at R.E. Bennett.  In 2003 the first concerts were held in the recently completed Corbet Theater on the Centralia College campus.

After WWII, Community Concerts expanded rapidly.  Between 1945 and 1950, the total number of community concert associations rose to an all time high of 1008.  Audiences enjoyed the talents of performers like Rudolph Serkin, Paul Robeson and the Von Trapp Family Singers.  Community Concert Associations were formed in Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and even, briefly, in South Africa.

Some of the past officers and dedicated workers, of whom some are still working on the concert are Bonnie Olson, Eileen Farr, Eileen Horner, Mr. And Mrs. Orlo Mohr, Helen Peterson, Neva Ross, Dr. Ed Crook, Victoria Parypa, Gen Gallagher, Mary Beth Giske, Mary Ann Brumsickle, and many others.

Since the early days, Community Concerts have continued to adapt to change and have successfully weathered many challenges.  Faced with the advent of television, competing performing arts presenters, and changing lifestyles, the total number of Associations have declined from the remarkable figures of the early 1950s, but Community Concerts remained a vital force in the arts world and in the early 90s still boasted close to 400 affiliate Associations. In later years, Community Concert programs have contained names including Van Cliburn, Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops, the Alvin Ailey Dance Troupe, the London Symphony Orchestra with Andre Previn, Claudio Arrau, Leontyne Price and a wide and impressive variety of others.  The concerts continue to be of the highest quality, a vital mix of major stars and performers still on their way to prominence.  The Community Concert as a national Association ended in 2003 and since that time the Lewis County Community Concerts goal remains, as it has always been, "to offer every man, woman, and child in this country and beyond the opportunity to experience the magic of live performance by bringing artists and audiences together."

During the 1990s and until early 2004, the number of volunteers working to produce the concerts had continually declined.  With the demise of the national Association, the few remaining stalwarts had become overloaded and discouraged.  The whole project was about to cease.  In early 2004, and entirely new organization was built with lofty goals and very wide volunteer participation.

The 2004-05 season saw an entire new restructuring and revitalization of the LCCC.  The quality of the performances has been upgraded, and five performances are being presented rather than the previous four.  Many new facets have been added, such as scholarships and an interactive program with all of the community schools.  The concert has developed an exciting symbiotic relationship with the Centralia Community College Foundation Board, whereby many common interests are being furthered.  Funding sources have been vastly expanded to cover the inherent costs of the many new features.  We have now sold every seat for the three seasons since the restructuring and continue to succeed at a tremendous rate!

With the enthusiasm and the addition of more than fifty new volunteers, the future of the LCCC looks brighter than ever!

Lewis County Community Concerts is recognized as a non-profit charitable organization under the Federal Income Tax Code, section 501 (c) (3) and all donations to the Lewis County Community Concert are therefore tax deductible.

February 8, 2006