Julio Alves, Kristen Alves, Linda Dobbs and Wendell Dobbs will give a benefit concert Oct. 14 to assist music staff member Beverly McKinney with medical expenses.
A group of music faculty members from Marshall University’s School of Music and Theatre will perform a benefit concert at 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14, at Fellowship Baptist Church for Beverly McKinney, the school’s administrative assistant, who is battling brain cancer.
The Violauta Duo, made up of Dr. Wendell Dobbs, flute, and Dr. Julio Alves, guitar, will be joined in the concert by their wives, violinist Kristen Alves and soprano Linda Dobbs, with all proceeds going to McKinney to assist with mounting medical costs.
Julio Alves said after getting past the shock of McKinney’s diagnosis, he wanted to do something to help.
“This concert is our way to support Beverly and to honor her for all she has done for each one of us at our department,” Alves said. “We invite everybody from our community to attend the recital and to help us raise funds for Beverly.”
The concert will begin with the Violauta Duo playing “Gran duetto concertante, Op. 52” by Mauro Giuliani, “Pavane” by Gabriel Faure and two movements from “Suite Buenos Aires” by Maximo Diego Pujol. After a short intermission, the second part will feature the four performers in different chamber music combinations. First, Linda Dobbs and Kristen Alves will perform music by Howard Boatwright (“Soldier, Soldier” from Two Folk Song Settings), followed by Julio and Kristen Alves playing an arrangement of Massenet’s “Meditation” from Thais. Two trios will conclude the program: Linda Dobbs and the Violauta Duo performing Saint-Saens’ “Une flute invisible,” and Kristen Alves and the Violauta Duo interpreting the second divertimento by G. Kummer and Libertango by A. Piazzolla.
“Making music with colleagues is always a pleasure and the pleasure is doubled when it’s helping a dear friend,” Wendell Dobbs said.
Julio Alves emphasized how beloved McKinney is to his family.
“Beverly is loved very much by our family,” he said. “Our girls love her and always look for her when they go to Marshall, or to the ballet studio where she taught piano, and especially at church. This sudden change in her life has taken us all by surprise … Since music is such an important part of her life as well as ours, we decided to honor her by performing this recital. Although the recital will help with some medical expenses, my primary reason for performing it is to bless her and lift her up in this challenging time. I want to give her some extra happiness in return for all the joy and love she has given our family.”
Donations may also be sent to the Marshall University School of Music and Theatre, c/o Ruby Dean, One John Marshall Drive, Huntington, W.Va. 25755.
For more information, contact Jaye Ike by phone at 304-696-3296 or by e-mail at jaye.ike@marshall.edu. Fellowship Baptist Church is located at 3661 U.S. 60, Barboursville, W.Va. 25504. For directions, phone 304-736-8006.
