entertainment | Crestview News Bulletin

Cowboys and competitions

Written by Gail Acosta on April 2, 2025. Posted in Community, entertainment, News.

Sandy Sansing Baker Pro Rodeo gets back to America’s roots

Frederick Barrow, who is the owner and producer of the Jay Pro Rodeo and executive director of the Baker Pro Rodeo, has stepped forward to organize the 2025 event. He says he is just working at the privilege of Sandy Sansing whom he credits with keeping the rodeo going and wanting to ensure the children’s programs of the county would continue to receive the benefit.

“When we at Sandy Sansing heard the Baker Rodeo was cancelled, Mr. Sandy wanted to know how we could keep this going in Okaloosa County to continue to help all the children’s programs, making their lives better,” Barrow said. “We both believe there is no greater investment to make than in our children. Not only are they the future of tomorrow – they are our today.”

Traditionally, rodeos, big and small, have for generations been seen as wholesome family entertainment. And Barrow says it is so much more than entertainment.

“A rodeo is American history and American culture. Rodeos and their events all originated in America,” Barrow said. “This event brings the community together to share in the history of the old wild west.”

Rodeos also serve to showcase the skills of the cowboy way of life, along with the traditions of that life. Preserving the culture of many years ago, modern-day cowboys are living history.

The Sandy Sansing Baker Pro Rodeo will be held at the Bill Barnhill Arena on Hwy. 4, April 11-12, with gates opening at 5 p.m. It will feature all the fan-favorite events like bareback riding, saddle bronc, bull riding, barrel racing, team and breakaway roping. And this year an added event for the youngsters is Mutton Bustin’ – an event where children ages 12 and under can ride a sheep to see who can stay on the longest.

The rodeo will also honor the man the arena is named for, Bill Barnhill, with local elected officials and dignitaries attending.

“Mr. Barnhill has done so much for the county. This arena would not exist but for him. He went all the way to Tallahassee to get funding to build it,” Barrow said.

The gates open at 5 p.m. April 11 – 12, Mutton Bustin’ starts at 6 p.m. and the rodeo is at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students and free if your child is under the age of 5. All proceeds go back into area youth programs.

Barrow made an offer of free admission for the children who bring the article which will appear in the newspaper with them to the gate. Pick up your copy of Crestview News Bulletin at newsstands beginning Thursday, April 10.

The Jay Pro Rodeo in Santa Rosa County will take place April 26-27. More details to follow.

Performing and visual arts presented Nov. 5

Written by Brian Hughes on October 27, 2022. Posted in entertainment, News.

The arts festival will be followed later that afternoon by a theatrical performance highlighting the inadvertent humor often found on the Crestview Word of Mouth Facebook page.

“We want to host visual artists, crafters, performers, musicians and food vendors,” Art in the Park organizer Sarah Hawkins said.

The theatrics continue at 5 p.m. with a “Crestview Word-of-Mouth Anthology” presented at Casbah Coffee by the Tip Jar Theatre. The show is drawn from the Facebook site that, while providing a forum for locals to find services, restaurants and shops in Crestview, also attracts lots of wry commentary and some generally misinformed rumors and complaints.

“It’s a comedy celebrating Crestview culture,” the show’s director, Erin Brush, said.

The arts festival is an outgrowth of the Crestview Community Theatre Troupe, which organized earlier this year under Mayor JB Whitten’s Cultural Series. Faced with the financial challenges of mounting a full-scale theatrical production for its debut, “we’re taking baby steps for now,” Ms. Hawkins said.

For its first event, the troupe is instead combining visual, performing and culinary arts for a fall arts festival, and invites artists and food vendors to submit applications before Oct. 24. There is no charge to apply or exhibit.

Art in the Park applications can be found at forms.gle/p1TnR3ezMnohus1h8. For further information, email Ms. Hawkins at hawkthebuffartist@gmail.com.

Both events are free. Donations to both groups are gratefully accepted.

AMERICAN PICKERS to Film in Florida

Written by Staff Reporters on September 29, 2022. Posted in entertainment, News.

AMERICAN PICKERS is a documentary series that explores the fascinating world of antique “picking” on The History Channel. The hit show follows skilled pickers in the business, as they hunt for America’s most valuable antiques.

They are always excited to find sizeable, unique collections and learn the interesting stories behind them.

As they hit the back roads from coast to coast, the Pickers are on a mission to recycle and rescue forgotten relics.

Along the way, they want to meet characters with remarkable and exceptional items. They hope to give historically significant objects a new lease on life while learning a thing or two about America’s past along the way. The Pickers have seen a lot of rusty gold over the years and are always looking to discover something they’ve never seen before. They are ready to find extraordinary items and hear fascinating tales about them.

We at American Pickers continue to take the pandemic very seriously and will be following all guidelines and protocols for safe filming outlined by the state and CDC. Nevertheless, we are excited to continue reaching the many collectors in the area to discuss their years of picking and are eager to hear their memorable stories!

The American Pickers TV Show is looking for leads and would love to explore your hidden treasure. If you or someone you know has a large, private collection or accumulation of antiques that the Pickers can spend the better part of the day looking through we would love to hear from you! Please note, the Pickers DO NOT pick stores, flea markets, malls, auction businesses, museums, or anything open to the public. If interested, please send us your name, phone number, location, and description of the collection with photos to: americanpickers@cineflix.com or call (646) 493-2184 facebook: @GotAPick

Pensacola film production hopes to highlight area, provide opportunity

Written by Hansen Hasenberg on September 8, 2022. Posted in entertainment, local, News.

For Elrico Tunstall, director of “Sacred Hart” and a Pensacola native, showcasing the city that shaped him has been a lifelong goal. Tunstall grew up in Pensacola and attended Escambia High School.

After high school, Tunstall spent nine years in the Army. After serving his country, Tunstall used his GI Bill to move to Los Angeles and pursue acting in film. After taking acting classes, Tunstall decided he needed to learn more and went to Los Angeles Film School.

“They taught me everything I need to know behind the camera,” Tunstall said. “How to write, how to format, how to shoot, how to produce, how to do everything. Los Angeles Film School is responsible for that.”

Upon returning to Pensacola, Tunstall went to Virginia College and earned a degree in business management. Soon after this, he created a management company called Manager of The Year. Tunstall’s company doesn’t just manage acting talent, it creates it. Most of the actors in “Sacred Hart” have taken acting classes from Tunstall and his company in Pensacola. The acting classes are called Acting Corp.

Tunstall first came up with the idea for “Sacred Hart” four years ago. He wanted to create something that had never been seen before, a drama centered on a black Pensacola family owning a hospital. The film includes dramatic elements seen in series like Grey’s Anatomy, Power, and Empire.

Once the film is out, Tunstall intends to create a series to continue to tell the story. Even though the film isn’t complete yet, it has caught the eyes of one of Hollywood’s biggest producers.

“Tyler Perry took interest,” Tunstall said. Tunstall had reached out to him through IMDb, a popular source for movie, TV and celebrities, but didn’t expect to hear anything back. During production, Perry sent him an email giving him words of encouragement and telling him he was doing great work.

While the film is nearly done, it has been a long road to get there. Tunstall started trying to make the film several years ago, even getting the backing of major figures in Pensacola, like boxing legend Roy Jones Jr.

“Right before COVID hit is when Roy came on board,” Tunstall said.

Tunstall says the pandemic grinded the progress of the project to a halt. Out of the frustration of having to change the way he wanted to make the film came opportunity. He was able to rewrite parts of the script and improve on the production from casting to crew.

Tunstall wants to shine a light on Pensacola and promote the city nationally with “Sacred Hart.” Part of shining a light on Pensacola involves highlighting area businesses that help support the community. “Sacred Hart” has filmed at several locations across Pensacola, including at businesses like Family Ty’s Good Eats and Englewood All in One.

“Being connected with local businesses is very important,” Tunstall said. “Small businesses are the backbone of any community. If we are going to showcase Pensacola, we have to show those local businesses.”

Tunstall has attempted to showcase the city and region, not only in terms of locations but the cast and crew as well.

The cast and crew are a diverse group, hailing from places like Ohio, Texas, and New York, but most are from the local area. According to Tunstall, 60 locals are in the main, or principal, cast. Part of Tunstall’s reason for filming in Pensacola is to create something that Crestview, Navarre, Milton, and Pensacola are just some of the local places being represented in the production’s cast and crew.

The actors who portray the main family, known as the Brooks family in the film, are all local. Darin Byrd, who portrays the family patriarch in the film, is originally from Milton and the others are from Pensacola.

While fictional, the actors have become like a real family.

“Anytime that we’re around each other, for our character to be very vivid, we are in character, even if we are not going to be on camera, if we’re in the room together, this is my dad, that’s my brother and that’s my mom,” Sophia Steen, who plays Dr. Sophia Brooks in “Sacred Hart” said. “That’s how we make what we do so real.”

The film, once finished, will be around 90 minutes. Tunstall hopes to have a Pensacola premiere in November. From there, the film will go onto different streaming platforms. For the cast and crew, seeing their hard work payoff is a blessing.

“These people right here, having a hand in watching them and growing with them, and to finally see us all on this stage it’s like, “yes.” It is that moment of seeing this is what it was all for,” Vincent Smith, who plays a member of the Brooks family, said.

STALKER live-action role play returns to Holt

Written by archive on June 21, 2021. Posted in entertainment.

CRESTVIEW — STALKERs, prepare to return to the old factory offices once again for the third and final chapter in The Meadow!

Whether fans of military simulations and live-action role play (LARP) are new to Chernobyl MilSim’s series held in Holt, or returning to experience the current story’s conclusion, there’s plenty of full-immersion action waiting .

The event is scheduled from 4 p.m. Friday, June 25, through 3:30 p.m. Sunday, June 27, at the old Holt School, 563 U.S. Highway 90, Holt. Enter and park around back by going one block down Berry Road and turning left on Schoolhouse Lane.

The old Holt School again is the setting for a weekend of battling other factions based on the STALKER video game, plus fighting off the occasional mutant or zombie, Chernobyl MilSim owner and event organizer Dako Morfey said.

Clad in Eastern European uniform components from the early 2000a and 2010s, participants spend the weekend from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon completely within the confines of The Zone, a fictitious locale based on the real-life Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, the center of which is the site of the April 1986 nuclear power plant disaster.

Like the upcoming LARP, The Zone is the heart of the STALKER video game series. Participant STALKERS —Scavengers, Trespassers, Adventurers, Loners, Killers, Explorers and Robbers — can expect much of the same action, fun and rough-and-tumble they experienced in January and April, but with new twists and surprises, Morfey said.

The event’s goal is to replicate in real life the STALKER game-play. Participants fire blanks, and airsoft weapons and pellets are forbidden.

“These events won't be constant gunfights and ammo-wasting ventures where a bunch of cowboys get to blast at each other all weekend,” Morfey said. “Ammo is limited and expensive! Players must think tactically, coordinate and plan. You're here to live the STALKER life, not waste $300 in blanks.”

LOCATION

The company’s decision to return to Holt even though Chernobyl MilSim has game locations around the country was easy, he said.

“The overwhelming support in the north Okaloosa County area is a major contributing factor to us continuing to bring our event to Holt,” Morfey said. “The people here are truly unique and inviting.”

For example, while he and his staff were setting up for the April milsim, several Holt residents came by to alert them to an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office hunt for armed suspects who had been spotted in the area.

“They were as concerned for our safety as if we were long-time neighbors,” Morfey said. “Another time, a local business sent us pizzas, and another place invited my staff and me over for breakfast.”

That local hospitality could translate into more tax-paying residents for north Okaloosa County as well.

“People are just so friendly, and local officials so accommodating and eager to help facilitate our LARPs that many of our staff are considering relocating to the area!” Morfey said.

Meanwhile, area residents can count on seeing strangers in unusual uniforms — plus a few zombies and mutants — prowling around the old, historic Holt School.

“We plan to continue hosting events in Holt and Crestview and want to give all the locals who’ve made us feel so at home our sincere gratitude,” Morfey said.

THE MEADOW III

“After the disastrous expedition into The Meadow ended with most of the Science Team’s demise and many good STALKERs dead, the area remains mysterious and unpredictable. Bandits and Neutral Monolith maintained control over the safe area that is the old factory offices but that eventually led to a war between the two that nearly wiped out both factions. Many artifacts and components are still being found in the buildings, so many STALKERs continue to venture there using the 3.6 Bar as a base of operations. Duty and Freedom factions dispute control of the area currently but Bandits and Monolith still maintain a loose grip on the halls of the old offices. The psi radiation around the building fluctuates regularly, leaving windows of time to safely enter the area. Special equipment left by the Science Team shows STALKERs the gaps in critical psi levels. Yet another large emission has rocked the Zone and all contact with the 3.6 Bar was lost. Are you brave enough to venture into the buildings, STALKER?”

– Chernobyl MilSim description of the LARP scenario

“THE MEADOW” MILITARY SIMULATION AND ROLE PLAY

What: “The Meadow, Part III,” a military simulation live-action role playing experience set in early 2010s Chernobyl, Ukraine, based on the STALKER video games

When: 4 p.m. Friday, June 25 through 3:30 p.m. Sunday, June 27.

Where: Holt School, 563 U.S. Highway 90, Holt. Enter and park around back by going one block down Berry Road and turning left on Schoolhouse Lane.

How much: Full player: $175 per person includes provisions. Zombies and mutant players, $40. Tickets are limited to assure participants’ safety. Uniform kit and weapons may be rented at registration. Tickets must be purchased at https://bit.ly/2SJyyw4. No on-site ticket sales are available.

Details: Once the milsim begins, no outsiders are permitted in The Zone. Presented by Chernobyl MilSim, chernobyl-milsim.webs.com. Participants must wear uniforms and kit as described on the organizers’ website and are encouraged to bring further provisions based on those described in the STALKER video games.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: STALKER live-action role play returns to Holt

North Okaloosa Community Band to perform Monday

Written by archive on April 29, 2021. Posted in entertainment.

CRESTVIEW — The North Okaloosa Community Band will present its free spring concert on Monday.

Featuring music from around the world, the concert is a fitting way for the band to celebrate its fifth anniversary.

Formed in 2016, the band has grown to more than 50 members, whose ages range from 18 to 80, plus middle and high school band students perform with the ensemble as well.

The concert is scheduled for 7 p.m. May 3 at the Crestview Community Center, 1446 Commerce Drive.

It is under the direction of Kim Whaley, assistant band director at Crestview High School, and Stuart Campbell, band director at Baker High School. The performance is a program of the Mayor’s Cultural Series.

“I’m always pleased to sponsor our community band’s Crestview performances,” Mayor JB Whitten said.

“Not only are they really enjoyable, quality events, but they ‘raise the bar’ by enhancing our city’s cultural life,” he added, using the city’s 2021 motto.

As the band grows, it continues to add new music to its repertoire, allowing concerts to feature new selections, as well as previously performed favorites.

For the spring concert, the band’s librarian, Jeannine Cochrane, said a special guest artist will enhance the audience’s experience.

“Ingrid Roberts will play solo violin for the ‘Theme from Schindler's List’ by John Williams,” Cochrane said. “The band will accompany her. Ms. Roberts is an accomplished violinist and frequently plays with area symphony orchestras.”

During the evening the band will “travel” on the wings of song as they perform selections from or associated with Ireland, Belgium, Wales, Paris and Acadiana, among other locations.

Pieces to be performed include “Irish Tune from County Derry,” “March of the Belgian Paratroopers,” and “Within the Castle Walls: Songs of Welsh Revolution.” A quartet formed by band members will accompany the rest of the band in “At a Dixieland Funeral.”

Selections from Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera” evoke the long-running West End and Broadway stage spectacular, while “Bayou Breakdown” and “Flourish for Wind Band” will complete the eclectic program.

While admission is free, donations are gratefully accepted and benefit the band’s music acquisition and The Friends of the Arts, a Crestview arts program tasked with producing arts events, funding equipment and maintaining the grand piano for Warriors Hall.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: North Okaloosa Community Band to perform Monday

The flavors of Christmas

Written by archive on December 18, 2019. Posted in dining, entertainment.

The way its chef team sees it, Restaurant 44 has found its sweet spot — and that’s why this Christmas, its second, will be “special” for its staff and guests alike.

The open-to-the-public restaurant in the Palm Beach Towers residential complex, 44 Cocoanut Row, has managed to forge its own path while not losing sight of the longtime Towers restaurant that preceded it.

“Last Christmas was our first and we were still trying to bridge what the former restaurateur was doing here and some modern things we wanted to do as well,” said executive chef Philip Kroesen, whose dishes range from black truffle-and-currant ravioli to charred Spanish octopus. “Now we have an identity and our food speaks to who we are and the relationship we’ve developed with our guests and their families. That will make this Christmas special.”

Restaurant 44, which opened in January 2018 with a clubby, indoor/outdoor- seating ambiance, isn’t the only restaurant in Palm Beach approaching its second Christmas after establishing an engaging identity.

Florie’s at the Four Seasons, 2800 S. Ocean Blvd., aims to wow guests at its second Christmas celebration. The ocean-view restaurant, which opened in early December last season, is led by internationally known chef-partner Mauro Colagreco, whose Mirazur restaurant in France is renowned.

So what are Restaurant 44 and Florie’s featuring on Dec. 25?

Restaurant 44 (restaurant44pambeach.com; 659-3241) is serving a 5-9 p.m. three-course dinner menu ($89 adults, $45 children 10 and younger). After a choice of such first courses as lobster polenta, guests can choose among such main courses as serrano ham-wrapped monkfish with chorizo and sofrito emulsion, and braised lamb osso buco with porcini demiglace. Dessert: “Figgy Fantasy,” with stick figgy pudding with pomegranate and brandy sauce, spiced meringue “wreath” and peppermint “snow.”

“I’m hoping this dessert gives a winter-wonderland feel,” 44’s pastry chef Matthew Harrington said.

Meanwhile, Florie’s (fourseasons.com/palmbeach; 582-2800), fresh from acting as host restaurant at last weekend’s Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival, is ready to welcome guests into a holiday ambiance where guests “feel like they have been welcomed into my own home,'’ Colagreco said.

The restaurant is featuring a noon-3 p.m. brunch buffet ($135 adults, $45 children ages 5-12) with interactive chef stations, seafood and Champagne bars and more. Also: family-style dishes presented tableside, such as heirloom tomato salad and langoustine risotto. Among the main courses are whole salt-crusted sea bass, rack of beef, whole-roasted chicken “a la brioche” and maple-glazed ham.

Executive pastry chef Bashar Al Shamali has planned an elaborate dessert display for Florie’s that he hopes will “evoke that feeling of celebration, a taste of the holidays and the beautiful memories that will be made.” He’ll feature more than 12 desserts, from dulcey ginger profiteroles to peppermint-Oreo cheesecake and chestnut mocha yule log.

In addition to Florie’s and Restaurant 44, Hai House in The Esplanade (haihousepb.com; 437-4424) also is celebrating its second Christmas, offering a holiday menu that stands out because of its Chinese-American flair.

Hai House’s four-course Christmas menu ($65 adults, $25 children) includes a choice of dim sum or soup, small plate, main course and dessert. Among the main-course selections are classic Chinese-American preparations, such as General Tso’s and sweet-and-sour, served with a choice of protein.

Numerous other restaurants have special plans for Christmas day and eve. Here’s a taste:

* Café Boulud, 301 Australian Ave. (cafeboulud.com/palmbeach; 655-6060): Special three-course brunch and dinner menus will be served. The 11 a.m.-3 p.m. brunch ($75 a person) includes such selections as lemon-ricotta pancakes and grilled mahi. The 5:30-10 p.m. dinner ($138 a person) features such dishes as yellowtail snapper and roast duck. Among the desserts: buche de Noel.

* PB Catch, 251 Sunrise Ave. (pbcatch.com; 655-5558): The sustainable seafood-focused restaurant will feature its regular menu, which also includes chicken, beef and vegan dishes, plus a few holiday specials by chef de cuisine Aaron Black. Among the specials, Black said he plans to offer roast leg of lamb for two.

* The Breakers, 1 S. County Road (thebreakers.com; 655-6611): Several Christmas dining options are offered at the resort hotel, ranging from special menus at Flagler Steakhouse to a dinner buffet in the Ponce de Leon Ballroom. In The Breakers’ historic Circle dining room, a lavish brunch buffet ($165 adults, $60 children 12 and younger) will be served 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

* Renato’s, 87 via Mizner (renatospalmbeach.com; 655-9752): Its regular menu of refined Italian-leaning Continental cuisine will be served, along with a variety of holiday specials. The chef team says specials will include, among others, braised lamb shank with fresh mint and creamy polenta, and fettuccini with white truffle butter, shallots and shaved fresh white truffles.

***

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: The flavors of Christmas

Local author publishes new poetry book

Written by archive on November 8, 2019. Posted in entertainment.

MILTON — Kery Jones’ new book, “Something for Everyone: God’s Words of Wisdom,” is a book that he was inspired to write by the Holy Spirit.

Jones’ publisher, Christian Faith Publishing, describes the book as a “heartwarming compendium of poems that relay God’s compassion and mercy that all people can partake in.”

Jones was born and raised in Milton. With the exception of the six years he spent in the United Sates Army, he has lived here all his life.

“God spoke to my heart to write this book,” Jones said.

He has written four books, two of which have been published. This is his first poetry book.

Jones new book is a collection of poems he wrote. Each poem is finished with a Bible scripture that relates specifically to that poem.

Jones was born on February 1961. He graduated from Milton High School in 1978 and enlisted in the Army. He achieved the rank of Specialist Forth Class and was postal administrator.

“I loved the six years I spent in the Army,” Jones said. “I got to see the world.”

And the world showed him things he could not get used to.

“Looking back in my own mind, (God) was the way to go,” Jones said.

Jones said he had a reality check. The people around him were living and going down a dangerous path.

Then Jones had an epiphany. Although Jones was well versed in God’s word, he realized he was not living those words. He had reached his crossroad. Jones decided to live by God’s word and it changed his life.

“On Aug. 13, 1983, I gave my life to Christ,” Jones said. “It is the best decision I’ve ever made.”

He became a Sunday school teacher, a loving husband and father, a minister of the gospel and a veteran of the U.S. Army.

Jones left the Army in 1984 and came back to Milton. Jones was quickly hired by an NAS Whiting Field contractor named Dynalectron, today known as DynCorp. He still works there and credits God for the job.

Jones said God talked to him about writing the book at a banquet he was attending.

Jones recites an Old African American saying, “Give me my flowers while I live so I can see their beauty and smell their fragrance.” The banquet was to honor a pastor’s wife for all the good things she did for the church and congregation. The pastor gave his wife her flowers while she lived so she, her friends and family could enjoy and appreciate her good deeds.

“I knew it was God because I was born again and had been studying the Bible,” Jones said.

Jones is a member of the Living God’s Standard Community Outreach Church at 6731 old Highway 90, in Milton.

“Something for Everyone: God’s Words of Wisdom,” is available at book stores, Amazon, and other online retailers.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Local author publishes new poetry book

Crestview mayor gauges interest in community chorus

Written by archive on July 7, 2019. Posted in entertainment, local.

CRESTVIEW — Mayor J.B. Whitten held an organizational meeting last week for anyone interested starting a community chorus.

The chorus is part of Whitten’s initiative to bring cultural activities to Crestview.

“We already have a community band and I have seen the interest in that. That told me there was a need for entertainment in the city,” Whitten said. “I got to thinking about what we could add to get people to get out and about.”

About 20 people showed up for the meeting at Warriors Hall to ask questions, offer suggestions and hear more about the chorus.

Many of the questions were directed to Cecile Lindegren, a vocal music instructor and one of the founders of the Fort Walton Beach Community Chorus. Lindegren is in charge of organizing and coordinating Crestview’s new community chorus.

“This is not, I hope, going to be a one-woman show,” Lindegren said. “I would like this to be a community effort and be able to bring in other directors. Perhaps we could have performances with the North Okaloosa Community Band.”

Lindegren said having a band and chorus that can work together would be a good thing. She said the age range for the chorus would probably be middle-school-age and up.

It has not yet been decided whether fees will be involved. Whitten said he'd like it to be free, but couldn't say for sure that there wouldn't be some kind of fee at some point.

Lindegren was thankful for the turnout, but said she would like to see more people get involved.

“We all have a sense of an inner need for soothing the soul, and music has a way of doing that,” Lindegren said. “We all have a built-in instrument. We just need to learn to use it and share with others. It’s nice to work together as a community in that way.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview mayor gauges interest in community chorus

Crestview Community Chorus to have meeting

Written by archive on June 23, 2019. Posted in entertainment.

CRESTVIEW — North Okaloosa's vocally inclined who are interested in performing choral music may attend an organizational meeting for the Crestview Community Chorus.

Part of Mayor JB Whitten’s cultural activities initiative for the city, the Crestview Community Chorus is being organized by Cecile Lindegren, a vocal music instructor and one of the founders of the Fort Walton Beach Community Chorus.

The meeting is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. July 2 at Warriors Hall in the Whitehurst Municipal Building, 201 Stillwell Blvd. in Crestview.

"I think the idea is exciting," Lindegren said during an initial meeting with the mayor. "This is great because we’re starting fresh and new."

An exploratory meeting with choral music directors from local schools and area church choir directors found no conflicts between their respective programs and singing in a community chorus.

"I believe it would give our students some practical public performance experience," said Shoal River Middle School choral music director Steve Box.

Lindegren envisioned forming the community chorus along the same lines as the North Okaloosa Community Band, with volunteer singers and two or three volunteer directors, and performing two or three concerts a year.

Warriors Hall, with its baby grand piano, would be the performance venue, though like the band, performances might also occur at community events, and perhaps even with the band at special functions such as a combined Christmas concert.

Potential chorus members won’t need to bring audition music to the organizational meeting on July 2, but may offer suggestions for how the community chorus will operate.

"This is an organizational meeting to gauge community interest of those who are interested in joining," Whitten said. "At some time in the future, the chorus director will conduct auditions."

Contact the Crestview Parks and Recreation Programs office, 682-0789, for more information.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview Community Chorus to have meeting

Sandy Sansing Baker Pro Rodeo gets back to America’s roots

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