By Angelina Carini
While rescue workers continue sifting through rubble left by terrorist attacks, Americans all over the nation seek to do their part to help the victims.
In Utah, musical stars and choirs will perform Saturday, September 29 at Kingsbury Hall, University of Utah in “Sweet Songs of Liberty”, a benefit concert to aid the victims of terrorism.
All ticket sale proceeds will be matched by Williams Gas Pipeline and allocated by the United Way to the victims” families, said Carrie Francia, co-producer of the event.
“Everyone is saying, ”what can I do?”,” Francia said. “Just buying a ticket for this event on Saturday is something people can do because your $8 turns into $16.”
“And every $16 that we make is just more money to help those that have suffered so much,” she said.
The idea for the charity concert started just a week after the terrorist attacks, said Tara Starling, co-producer of the event. Like most Americans, Starling and her friend Francia were talking about the tragedy.
“It added to our sorrow that we couldn”t help. Then, we decided we were going to do something-not just talk about it,” she said. “Through prayer and hard work we are putting this together.”
One of the biggest challenges has been to put the concert together in so little time, she said.
“We wanted to do something while the imprint was still fresh on people”s minds and hearts,” she said.
Starling and Francia immediately began calling people to get them involved in the concert.
They worked with Jean Pierre Francia and his company Mov”n Pictures Inc in what he called a “three person team” to gain outside support.
“So many people were interested. Then we jumped in with technology resources,” he said.
Mov”n Pictures, Webb Audio Visual Services, and Soularium Recording Studios will collaborate to record the event and sell CDs to further benefit the attack victims, Francia said.
Kinkos Copies has donated 50,000 copies and Cougar copies and Cougar creations have also donated flyers to the event, he said.
Musical talent is also being offered for a good cause and a good show.
Starling said, “all the artists have been so generous with their time and talents. Everyone just jumped to the cause.”
Diana Walker Neve is a big name who brings her talents to the concert. After taking second place in the International American Music Competition at Carnegie Hall, Neve joined the New York City Opera where she played a lead in “Phantom of the Opera” for three years. She has sung at the Metropolitan Opera House, the Kennedy Center and other prestigious events, her husband Charles said.
Like most people, Neve was looking for a way to help the disaster victims, Charles Neve said. He said he heard something about a charity concert for this weekend on the radio while driving to work.
“I called my wife and said, ”Diana, they”re doing a charity concert at Kingsbury hall. What do you think?” And she said, ”I”d love to help”,” Charles Neve said.
Neve will perform “God Bless America” and “Morning Breaks On Arlington”, a song written by Sen. Orrin Hatch and Janice Kapp Perry.
Other artists that bring their talents to the good cause are: Kenneth Cope, Brett Raymond, Cherie Call, Bryce Newbert, Steven Kapp Perry, The Sterling Singers, Dallyn Bayles, Utah Valley Mass Choir, Tir na n”Og (the McMaster Family) and the Salt Lake Children”s Choir.
Francia said she recommends calling ahead for tickets to assure a place.
“It is going to be an incredible concert and only 2,000 seats,” she said.
Admission is $8. Tickets are available at the Kingsbury box office or call 581-7100.
