Wednesday, November 28, 2001

The Natchez Democrat

A standing ovation rewarded members of the Alcorn State University

Concert Choir following their noon Wednesday performance at the

Natchez Rotary Club meeting.

Under the direction of Dr. David Blackburn and accompanied

on piano by Tony Gordon, the choir sang selections from the Christmas

concert they will present at 8 p.m. Sunday at St. Mary Basilica.

&uot;This is just to give you an idea of what to expect,&uot;

Blackburn told the approximately 100 members at the Ramada Inn

Hilltop. &uot;Please come Sunday. It will be a special treat,

a special event for Natchez.&uot;

Blackburn, director of the Natchez Opera Festival and a founder

of the festival, accepted a position as professor of music at

Alcorn earlier this year. He said the university and the music

festival have a future together.

&uot;This association between Alcorn and the opera festival

is going to benefit Natchez in many ways,&uot; he said. &uot;The

arts are going to accelerate in so many ways as we work together.&uot;

More immediately, he said, the Christmas concert will be &uot;the

hottest ticket in town. And the best part is that it is free.&uot;

No ticket is required for admission.

Dr. Benjamin Kraft, executive director of the Alcorn State

University Foundation, also attended the meeting and told club

members about on-going projects at Alcorn.

&uot;We are the university of Southwestern Mississippi,&uot;

he said. &uot;We want you to think of us as your university.&uot;

Kraft described the vision of a &uot;communiversity&uot;

envisioned by the university’s President Clinton Bristow – a concept

that calls for the university to go out into the community to

be a part of it.

In addition to the continuing development of the highly acclaimed

nursing and graduate-level business programs at the Natchez campus,

Kraft said, the university will enhance community relations through

the arts by its proposed fine arts center at the Natchez campus.

The fine arts center will be a joint project with Copiah-Lincoln

Community College in Natchez.