The 70th Annual Volunteer Firemen’s Benefit Concert was held on Saturday, March 5 in the Kincaid Concert Hall. The Western Slope Choral Festival was a beautiful collaborative effort between many different regional high schools. Western’s Directors’ Choir, Treble Honor Choir, and Mixed Honor Choir each performed pieces.
Admission to the concert was a donation to the Gunnison Volunteer Fire Department. The very first iteration of the benefit concert took place in 1953 when the President of Western State College (the name has since changed, several times in fact) was approached by a committee of volunteer firemen.
Some photos from the event:
“The importance of live music is not only seeing real people onstage interacting with each other, experiencing fellowship in real time, but it is also the audience getting to feel art,” says Brio Lynam, Director of CIVA Charter High School .“In 1953, the college and the fire department started having these concerts as a way for the college to help the volunteer fire department. We’ve been doing this for several years. It’s a big deal, and the music department is very special to us. This year was exceptional! I don’t know if it’s just the energy of finally being back together after taking the year off, but this year just felt very special,” says Hugo Ferchau, the Chief of Gunnison’s Volunteer Fire Department.
