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WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | APRIL 17, 2019
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PebbleCreek Singers bringing spring concert to Renaissance Theater BY ANDREA ESTRADA
West Valley View Staff Writer
From gospel, country and jazz to pop, patriotic and modern music, the PebbleCreek Singers’ upcoming spring concert – Sing Americana – showcases music that embodies a theme: home. “It’s that down home feeling. American kind of things that we have heard before. Things that they recognize. It’s a lot of fun,” said Gail Kennedy, director. The PebbleCreek Singers will present their show at the Renaissance Theater, 16222 Clubhouse Drive, Goodyear, at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 25, through Saturday, April 27. Tickets, priced $16.50, can be purchased through https://bit. ly/2UFbf67 or in person from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Renaissance Theater. The ensemble, made up of about 70 singers, has eight chorus members who
have been with the group since its formation in 1996. One of those original members is Corky Lee, who said singing in the group became her outlet when she moved to Arizona in 1995. “I just had to sing. Singing is my passion. I did not want to move here, so that (joining) saved me,” she said. And Bob Mercer, 90, who is also a charter member, said one of the reasons he’s remained in the group for so long is because of the friendships he’s made. “The companionship has been wonderful. They always have a smile, and I smile back,” he said. “I’m very fortunate to have what I have.” That companionship is a result of the group’s constant interactions at rehearsals, PebbleCreek Singers President Jerry Drake said.
“We have so many rehearsals. So you get to know a lot of people within your section. And then you get to know the other people around you, as you’re sitting in practices. And you just care about people,” Drake said. Caring about one another is exactly what Kennedy envisioned for the group when she became director in 2010. “We take care of each other. I really stressed that when I started directing, because at that point we kind of only knew the people around us. We didn’t know some of the other parts; some of the sopranos that sing alto,” she said. “So, I really encouraged us to try to start to be a family; to care about each other.” Kennedy, who’s hoping to sell out each of the three nights, said everyone who attends will enjoy the show. “We sound fantastic. They’re just
The ensemble, made up of about 70 singers, has eight chorus members who have been with the group since its formation in 1996. (Photo courtesy PebbleCreek Singers)
such phenomenal singers, and it’s so fun to watch them because they’re having so much fun. We love doing it or we wouldn’t be here doing it all the hours we do. That’s the secret: you have to love doing it,” she said. “Then you want to spend the time doing it and get better and better – and they just keep getting better.”
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