Hurricane Harvey dumped an estimated 27 trillion gallons of water on Texas and Louisiana, and the flood of support from fellow Texans continues to fill a need for relief efforts for families, business owners and communities on a long road to recovery.
Musicians for Texas will perform benefit concert in Westminster Presbyterian Church at 2 p.m., Sun. Oct. 22, 2017. Admission is free, but donations to the Hurricane Harvey relief efforts spearheaded by the American Red Cross are requested.
“The faculty at SFA has many former students, professional colleagues and friends in the arts and education community in Houston,” said Dr. Charles Gavin, SFA Professor of Horn and Chamber Music and concert organizer. “We would like to dedicate this performance to them and hope that will might be able to help in a small way with the Hurricane Harvey relief effort.”
This event is an opportunity to hear a variety of professional performances dedicated to a cause that impacts people throughout Texas. The concert will feature several members of the faculty from the SFA School of Music.
“God has blessed me so much. I want to be there for others,” said Nita Hudson, SFA lecturer in Voice and Opera and Musicians of Texas performer.
The program will feature an assortment of music from both the secular and sacred genres, including an improvised setting of the hymn” How Great Thou Art” performed by new SFA piano faculty member Hyun Ji Oh.
In addition to SFA faculty, two new members of the Nacogdoches musical community will be introduced. Dr. Jennifer Marshall, Westminster Presbyterian Church Director of Family Ministries, and Dr. Zach Marshall, the new Director of Choral Music at Kilgore College will perform.
Reports of the economic impact of Hurricane Harvey vary and it could take months to analyze the true impact of the storm. Residents of more than 477,000 households applied for help through the American Red Cross Hurricane Harvey Immediate Assistance Program. By October 9, the Red Cross accounted for $190 million in direct financial assistance provided to families severely affected by the storm. The American Red Cross accepts donations through the website at www.redcross.org. Volunteer information is also available online. 
Following the program, Westminster Presbyterian Church will host a reception with light refreshments.
Dsaster relief is a mission supported by Presbyterian churches around the world and members of Westminster Presbyterian Church have responded to recent tragedies by volunteering and contributing to local charities.

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