NPAC concerts that excite me the most

As executive director of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center, I get asked quite often what my favorite concerts have been. My patented answer is that I appreciate most of them because I had influence on the choices. But I have to admit that, given my background and training as a music educator, there are some that rise to the top. They rise to the top because I realize the skillful talent level that some performers rise to. 

One of those is due to come to the Niswonger next month: The King’s Singers. Some of you remember this vocal group from years ago when they frequently appeared on TV shows. Those were the days, in my humble opinion, when talented musicians were appreciated by the general public and frequented our TV screens. 

My wife and I had the opportunity a couple years ago to hear The King’s Singers while attending a conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana. They gave a concert in a church setting that was packed with a lot of musicians. The performance The King’s Singers gave was simply mesmerizing!  What the musicians in the audience really appreciated was the impeccable blend of voices, pinpoint accuracy of intonation (the two are closely related, by the way), and the difficulty level of music they were singing. I realize perhaps not everyone would appreciate these performance levels as much as trained musicians, but it really is what makes the music so enjoyable.

Considering the above comments, one might think a King’s Singers concert to be “stuffy” and “high-browed,” but I beg to differ. They sang a little bit of everything from madrigals to The Beatles and most everything between.  If you come to their concert at the Niswonger in Van Wert on February 16, you will hear a great variety of songs including some of the most beautiful love ballads ever written and performed exquisitely.  

February 16 is a Saturday night and just happens to fall on the weekend following Valentine’s Day.  What a great present two tickets to this concert would make!  Dinner before the concert and then two tickets to The King’s Singers. But don’t delay in getting those tickets, this concert could still sell out based on early sales. Call the box office at 419.238.6722 or purchase them on-line at www.npacvw.org. You will feel classy and entertained! We don’t call it the “Enrich” Community Concert Series for nothing.

The next Niswonger event is David Doubilet’s National Geographicprogram of underwater photography on Sunday afternoon, January 27, at 3 p.m. What makes these shows so amazing is not just the large vivid pictures shown on our big screen in the music hall, but the stories that go with the pictures. Each picture has a story of how it was taken. National Geographicphotographers are THE BEST at making nature come to life.  

Get your tickets to see David Doubilet and his wife, Jennifer Hayes, as they explore the hidden universe through their lenses.  I’ll look forward to seeing you there. Who knows, I may just fall head over heels to see you then!

FINÉ.