Garden Party helps to keep symphony going

DOWNEY - A welcome bridge between summer and autumn activities is the Downey Symphony's Garden Party, scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 19, in the late afternoon at the home of John and Della Keipp.If you find that a stroll with your friends in a lovely, local garden setting sounds appealing, come to this party. If you know Katie Hare's catering, you are already a fan - come to indulge in a tantalizing array of her memorable hors d'oeuvres. Need a lift to your spirits? Five of USC's finest brass instrumentalists will fill the afternoon air with just enough familiar music to keep your ears happy and your conversations hear-able. Champagne? Absolutely. An endless dessert table? Absolutely. Comfy chairs drawn up to round shaded tables centered with fresh flowers? You betcha. Will there be people there you already know? That is most likely, but if not, you will soon make a dozen friends, and feel at home. Sharon Lavery bears the luster of being music director/conductor of Downey's symphony orchestra, but she's also a great mingler, a real person, and you can enjoy chatting with her about anything at all. And then there is the auction table, loaded with enticements, among them tickets to the Cerritos Performing Arts Center, an amazing package of entertainment at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas, a round of golf for four, dinner for 10 at the Rio Hondo Event Center, a basket of assorted bottled spirits to warm your winter. This festive afternoon is the orchestra's Third Annual Garden Party, and the purpose is to raise funding for the Downey Symphony's concert season and for its Music in the Schools program, that brings live performances to every child in all the elementary schools in the city. These are large and expensive endeavors, and many metropolitan orchestras like ours have not survived, but Downey's Symphony has, and is proudly entering its 53rd year. To be a supporter, come to our Garden Party. Reservations are $75 and help assure the continuation of the orchestra, a gem in our community. Plus, you will have a terrific time in support of a terrific cause. To receive an invitation by mail, or for more information, please call Joyce Sherwin at (562) 928-4122. But don't delay - reservations must be in by Sept. 10.

********** Published: August 26, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 19