New Desert Harmony Singers

New Desert Harmony Singers perform “A Celebration of American Music" September 10 & 11

The New Desert Harmony Singers are preparing for their encore performance of “A Celebration of American Music,” featuring wonderful music born in America. It will be performed in Las Cruces on September 10 and in Alamogordo on September 11, coinciding with the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of 9/11.

The show is made up of two great medleys. Act I is entitled “Made in the USA.” The songs take you back to New Orleans and the birth of the blues, such as “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans,” “Basin Street Blues” and “When the Saints Go Marchin’ In.” From the southland the singers take you to the early days of rock ‘n’ roll, then on to some country hits from the ‘70s. Act I concludes with a stunning patriotic medley and a recognition of those in the audience who have served in the United States military. Act II is entitled “100 Years of Broadway” and features more than 60 exciting songs from dozens of Broadway’s hit shows, and nearly every song features the NMSU dancers in authentic Broadway show costumes and under the direction of Dr. Deborah Knapp.

The New Desert Harmony Singers performed this concert to enthusiastic audiences in June. The response was so overwhelming, NDHS made the decision to do an encore and tie it into the commemoration of 9/11. In a whirlwind weekend in September, they will perform “A Celebration of American Music” Saturday, September 10, at 7 p.m. in Las Cruces, then again Sunday, September 11, in Alamogordo at 2 p.m. The Alamogordo show will be followed by their annual appearance at the 9/11 commemoration ceremony, held each year at the International Space History Museum. This year the guest speaker will be retired Detective Robert Brady from the New York Police Department, who was at Ground Zero and trapped in the rubble when the North Tower collapsed. This event is free and open to the public.

Dave Kinkaid, musical director of NDHS says, “Being invited to perform at the Flickinger Center is a realization of one of our chorus goals: to take one of our shows on the road. The timing couldn’t be more appropriate. This concert is all about America’s great musical heritage. It features two amazing medleys consisting of over 100 exceptional songs, narrators who guide us through the history of American music, and talented dancers from the NMSU contemporary dance program, directed by Dr. Debra Knapp. There’s nothing like this being performed in our area.”

The New Desert Harmony Singers began years ago as a Sweet Adelines chorus in Las Cruces. Under Kinkaid’s leadership, Las Cruces Grande changed its name to the New Desert Harmony Singer and it has evolved into a community chorus of women and men who love to perform and sing only popular music. Their concerts have focused on musical themes like country music, rock ‘n’ roll, Big Band and Broadway. Kinkaid has been the musical director for over five years.

The Las Cruces performance of “A Celebration of American Music” will be held at the Performing Arts Center at Oñate High School, 5700 Mesa Grande Drive, on Saturday, September 10, with a 7 p.m. curtain time. Tickets are $10 and are available in advance at Hubbard’s Music, 108 Wyatt Drive in Las Cruces, or from any of the NDHS chorus members. For tickets or more information, call (575) 522-1659.

The Sunday performance will be held at the Flickinger Center for the Performing Arts, 1110 New York Avenue in Alamogordo. Tickets for the Sunday performance are available Monday through Friday at the Flickinger Center from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. or by phone at (575) 437-2202.

The New Desert Harmony Singers concert gala  to benefit the NMSU Center for the Arts

Ready to ring in the holidays? What better way than with beautiful music, exquisite desserts, and champagne? The New Desert Harmony Singers (NDHS), a well-respected Las Cruces community chorus, and the Center for the Arts at NMSU are collaborating to offer a Benefit Christmas Evening of Song on Thursday evening, December 3, in the ballrooms of Corbett Center on the NMSU campus. NDHS has traditionally performed a Christmas concert, but this year has chosen the Center for the Arts project to be the recipient of the concert proceeds.

This is the first time the NDHS has performed a benefit concert. NDHS Director Dave Kinkaid promises, “This one will be very different and lots of fun. Patrons will enjoy specialty desserts, and champagne or other beverages during the concert.” The festive atmosphere will be augmented by table seating rather than theatre-style rows.

The chorus has chosen to perform many traditional holiday songs, such as “Sleigh Ride,” “There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays,” “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” “Merry Christmas Darling,” “Santa Baby,” “O Holy Night”, “Sweet Little Jesus Boy,” “Silent Night,” “Breath of Heaven” and more, including a sing-a-long or two. It is rumored that Santa himself will make a brief appearance.

Tickets are $25 for general admission and are available at the NMSU Foundation offices in Dove Hall. You may also call 575-646-3587 or purchase tickets from any member of The New Desert Harmony Singers.

The Center for the Arts, a major project of New Mexico State University, will bring the university’s arts programs to one central location, providing the opportunity for increased collaboration and giving the community far easier access to creative programs offered by the university. The scope of this project makes collaborations such as this very welcome.

“The Center for the Arts complex is going to be a vehicle to bring the university, the students and the community to one place to experience the arts and culture of our community,” explained Sally Cutter, a member of the Center for the Arts @ NMSU Leadership Advisory Committee. “We need the full support of the community for this project and for the community to feel ownership of the center, so we need everyone’s help. Small or large gifts, they’re all important.”

The New Desert Harmony Singers is a mixed community chorus that performs popular music. Recent concerts have featured Broadway show tunes, Beatles songs, and other favorites. The New Desert Harmony Singers evolved from a former Sweet Adelines chorus that sang barbershop harmony, to the group that now includes men and women. Kinkaid also comes from a barbershop background. He has sung and directed barbershop since 1971, beginning with the El Paso Border Chorders. He then directed the Las Cruces Grande Sweet Adeline Chorus and later the El Paso Sun Gold Chorus.

Kinkaid says, “We are doing choral music that nobody else in town is doing and it is all popular music from Big Band to Broadway, gospel to patriotic. We have a lot more fun singing songs that we all know and love.”

For additional information about the New Desert Harmony Singers, contact Jane Jurrema at 575-526-9618 or go to www.newdesertharmonysingers.blogspot.com. For more information about the Center for the Arts, go to their website at www.artscenter.nmsu.edu.

New Desert Harmony Singers