Gala Concerts Brought in the Bucks for UUFR
–by Erik Dyke (the photo is of Erik in the 1990s at a UUFR Gala or Bucks and Broadway Concert)
We first performed a Gala Fundraiser Concert in 1985, when we had a budget shortfall after our 1984 pledge campaign. It was based on a model I picked up while on the staff at The Music Academy of the West presenting Friday night recitals with a wide variety of performers. We scheduled the UUFR events around Valentine’s Day, and they often featured themes of love and romance.
Many talented players from the NC Symphony and pianists and singers from the community performed. The Gala Concert quickly grew to include a social aspect, with a large number of volunteers contributing scrumptious baked goods (as well as their time, of course), served during intermission. Barbara Michos was involved for many of the Galas as it was one of her favorite events of the church year.
Tickets were sold in advance and at the door. We netted over $1,000 (after expenses) each year and put on 30 Galas until around 2015! At that time, the event was ready for a facelift! After a year off, I brought it back as The Little Midwinter Concert, still with a social aspect but no more ticket sales in advance, something that had sapped my energy greatly! Sandy Pierce and others were wonderful in continuing the volunteerism with great food and drink. We continued to net around $1,000 each year.
Along the way, Bob Chapman brought in his friend Christine Weidinger from the Metropolitan Opera and her troupe of singers from the Triangle Opera Studio, the North Carolina Opera and Meredith College’s Opera Studio. This brought the singing to an all-time high. But, unfortunately, it all came to an abrupt end in 2020 when Covid 19 hit.
A spin-off of the Gala Concert series was something we called the Bucks and Broadway series, done to thank UUFR members at the end of the annual pledge drive, starting in the 1990s. That lasted about 10 years and was presented in the fall. Another spin-off occurred when long-time UUFR member Renate Thompson brought us to the Page Walker Concert series in Cary, where we are still carrying on the tradition.
This blog post was written by Erik Dyke. Erik, a double bassist in the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra since 1978, has been a member of UUFR since 1979. A former president of the Fellowship, he is currently on the UUFR Foundation Board and performs with the Ukulele Band and Jazz Piano Trio.
Do you have a memory of a particular concert or other musical event at UUFR? Were you involved in a memorable UUFR fundraising event? We want your stories! Please send your story and any related pictures or photos to stories@uufr.org.