26 January 2010
Tonight (Tuesday, Jan. 26) at 7 p.m., classically trained baritone Phillip Mentor will present a concert titled "A Spiritual Odyssey" at the University of Maine at Presque Isle's Campus Center, and he has generously offered to have the performance serve as a fundraiser for the American Red Cross Haiti Relief efforts.
Mentor, who hails from Trinidad and Tobago, will deliver a "narrative concert" - intertwining stories about his homeland and nearby Haiti with the spirituals he is slated to perform, including Deep River; Swing Low, Sweet Chariot; Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen; The Gospel Train; and Go Down, Moses.
Community members can participate in this special fundraising concert in two ways. A donation jar for cash and checks of all amounts will be set up at the door. These donations will be streamed through the Pine Tree Chapter of the American Red Cross and sent to the International Red Cross for disaster relief to the victims of the devastating earthquake. Please mark "Haiti Relief" in the memo area of any checks donated.
Community members who are unable to attend the show in person can join the concert online through a live webcast available at www.presquillian.com. From the Presquillian homepage, click on the "LIVE!" tab near the top of the page. Visitors will be encouraged to make a donation to the American Red Cross through its official website before joining the live webcast. Visitors also will be encouraged to let organizers know their online donation amounts so a grand total can be tallied after the concert.
"We are very pleased to be presenting this concert and to have people come and support the arts at the same time that they're donating funds to aid those who have experienced such incredible devastation in Haiti," Carol Ayoob, UMPI Director of Cultural Affairs, said. "Phillip Mentor has been so generous to provide this opportunity to the region and we are grateful to presquillian.com and the Pine Tree Chapter of the American Red Cross for helping to make this fundraising concert happen."
Joyce Knorr, Aroostook County Branch Manager for the Red Cross, said the organization is always glad to see community support for relief efforts, both international and those closer to home.
"Every single donation helps, and we're delighted to serve our region by sending these Haiti Relief donations on to the American Red Cross," Knorr said. "We'd also ask community members to consider giving a donation to help us meet the challenges we face right here in northern Maine. Last year, the Pine Tree Chapter provided emergency services such as shelter, food, clothing, infant supplies, medical and emotional support to 116 local individuals at a cost of over $23,000. Because we do not receive state or federal assistance, generous local gifts are what help us to care for fellow community members affected by disaster."
To make a donation specifically to the Pine Tree Chapter of the American Red Cross, contact Knorr at 493-4620. Whether concert-goers choose to make a donation to local efforts or international relief efforts, or both, tonight's performance is one that should not be missed.
Phillip Mentor is a classically trained opera singer whose performances in such well known productions as The Marriage of Figaro, The Barber of Seville, Porgy and Bess and The Magic Flute have earned him rave reviews. Mentor studied at Montclair State University as well as with teachers and coaches from the New York City Opera, the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic.
This concert is presented by the UMPI Cultural Affairs Office in collaboration with the Office of Student Activities. Tickets at the door are $10 for adults, $2 for students and free for UMPI, NMCC and SAGE students with valid ID. For more information about this event, contact Ayoob at 768-9462 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
