Benny Westcott
Special guest Jessie Leigh headlines a spirited evening of musical holiday fun at the Christmas Gala, set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, in the auditorium at Sweet Home High School, 1641 Long St.
Last seen in warmer climes during the Oregon Jamboree on July 31, Leigh leads a winter slate that includes Melody Reese with Tom Jordan, David and Titus Dominy, Stefani Brown, Scott Swanson, Allison and Jenna Hurst, and Cathy Cheshire.
The gala itself is hosted by former Sweet Home Police Chief Robert Burford and The New Era Co-Publisher Miriam Swanson. The Sweet Home Oregon Coalition for Artistic and Scholastic Enrichment (SHOCASE) and the Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce are responsible for the event. Its title sponsor is Cascade Timber Consulting, with support from Samaritan Health Services, Wendi Melcher, the Caldwell Realty Group, the Linn County Federal Credit Union and the Boulder Falls Inn.
Performer Melody Reese helped secure Leigh in her capacity as director of the Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce. She had met the artist’s guitarist previously and contacted him about them appearing at the Dec. 11 event. Leigh, according to SHOCASE board member Shirley Austin, “made an impact on Sweet Home at the Jamboree. We’re really excited to have her.”
The Estacada resident, who also played the 2019 Jamboree, has opened for the likes of Kenny Chesney, Craig Campbell and Chris Janson. Her original music has reached listeners all over the world, racking up 450,000-plus streams on Spotify alone. Her favorite part of playing music, she has said, is “the connections I make with incredible people at every show.”
Reese herself is no stranger to the stage, singing in pop and rock bands and as a solo acoustic artist. Audiences have seen her on Hollywood, California’s Sunset Strip at such venerable venues as the Whisky a Go Go, Rainbow Room and Viper Room. She’s served as a vocalist in studios with songwriters and producers who wrote for and toured with Bret Michaels of Poison and other ’80s rock favorites. Reese will be performing in Sweet Home with her father, steel guitarist Tom Jordan.
Father-and-son duo David and Titus Dominy are also scheduled. Singing seems to be a longstanding generational family tradition. David joins his own father, George, and brother, Cliff, as a trio called Praise in 3D. The avid musician, singer, songwriter and piano player has also performed at the Oregon Jamboree, Willamette National Cemetery’s Memorial Day ceremony and Albany’s 9/11 memorial, as well as with the Lebanon Association for Theater Arts (LAFTA), Sweet Home Singing Christmas Tree and at local churches. Titus enjoys singing Christmas music with his family and at church.
Stefani Brown has appeared in a number of local productions and as a member of Divine, an all-women a capella group, while attending Oregon State University. She has been a counselor at Hawthorne Elementary School in Sweet Home and currently works for Greater Albany Public Schools.
The New Era Co-Publisher Scott Swanson has been playing the piano since he was 8. He has provided musical accompaniment at weddings and churches for several decades.
Sisters Allison and Jenna Hurst will appear in a piano duet. Allison started taking lessons at age 6, and then took up the cello at 10. She enjoys making music with her siblings or playing at special events for friends and family. A pianist since age 6,J enna now oversees beginner piano students of her own. When not doing schoolwork or practicing music, she enjoys helping around her family hobby farm, caring for the sheep and baby lambs.
Cathy Cheshire has performed in several local productions, and won the Sweet Home Auditorium Remodel Committee (SHARC) Showdown Talent Competition in 2019.
The musical fare will be a mixture of traditional and contemporary. The local performers will take the stage during the first hour, followed by Leigh after a short intermission.
“All of the performers will be dressed formally, in gowns and tuxedos,” Austin said. “It will be a really nice experience for the audience, and we encourage them to dress up too, although they don’t have to.”
A professional photographer will be available for pictures in front of a Christmas backdrop. Attendees can visit the SHOCASE Facebook page after the show to find their photo.
The first SHOCASE event, dubbed the Celebration Gala Evening, was held in January 2020 with a mix of different songs and genres. This year, the board settled on a Christmas activity.
Austin said that the group’s purpose is to “advance a deeper understanding and appreciation for the arts in the Sweet Home community, while enhancing the cultural and aesthetic quality of life in the community by preserving, promoting and developing access to the arts.”
“The assets of the organization will be used to coordinate, promote and encourage activities that contribute to the appreciation and fulfillment of artistic endeavors,” she continued, noting that SHOCASE has produced the SHARC Showdown Talent Competition and the Art Show at City Hall in the past. The organization advocates for music education at the elementary-school level.
Christmas Gala tickets are on sale at the Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce, 1575 Main St., and at the New Era office, 1313 Main St. They’re also available online at https://bit.ly/3rEZsUI.
General admission is $15, while the VIP package, which includes a pre-concert meet-and-greet reception with the performers, hors d’oeuvres and VIP seating, costs $35.