"We the Many" Concert Wows Hampton Audience

The "We the Many," concert was a big hit Saturday, March 4th, at Faith Baptist Church in Hampton.

Seventeen Spanish language numbers were performed in two acts for a delighted audience. The estimated 200 who turned out were also treated with a bonus for the last number, an inspiring and rousing "duo" of "You'll never walk Alone," with tenor Mario Arevalo and the combined West Fork and HDCAL choirs to close the show. The concert featured performances by opera tenor Arevalo, with accompaniment by Calle Sur, Latin Caribbean fusion act, and the combined choirs.

Tenor Arevalo showed his versatility by effortlessly switching between Latin operatic numbers, El Salvadoran poetry set to music and Rodgers and Hammerstein hits. The free concert was a collaboration between Arts Midwest, Franklin County Arts Council and La Luz Centro Cultural.

The production consisted of two performance sessions with an intermission. The first act featured eight songs, from Roger's and Hammerstein to Carlos Gustavino, with the second featuring nine selections from Ernesto Lecouna, Maria Grever, Benjamin Solis, Carlos Colon and others.

The concert, sponsored by Arts Midwest, wrapped up a three day tour of Franklin County and Iowa for Arevalo, who visited local schools to sing and talk with students, helping them sharpen their skills and showing them how "music can make dreams come true."

Arevalo finished up the evening Saturday at Rustic Brew where he spoke about his life and music, and performed in close quarters for a separate fundraising event for the Franklin County Arts Council 2023 scholarship drive. The Council has given away over $25,000 in scholarships in the twelve years since the efforts got started. 

The song Arevalo sang at Rustic Brew, "You raise me up," was chosen on the spur of the moment, and encapsulated the essence of his journey as he relayed it, from humble origins in El Salvador where his mother took in washing to support the family, and he was "just a boy playing in dusty fields without shoes," to a place of prominence in the opera world and a university teaching berth.

Arevalo made the case that he has always been propelled by people who believed in him, from his esl teacher who first recognized his potential, to Leon Kuehner who sought him out and brought him to Franklin County. His message to all in everything is "Take time to do the things you love," because you never know where it can lead you, but also to never underestimate the power each and every person has to inspire and change the world and other people's lives through encouragement, understanding and support.

He added that his time in Iowa has been a very moving  experience, and that at points he has "been crying like a baby," with the enormity of it all overcoming him, and leaving him feeling he was meant to be here, doing this.

The FCAC would like to thank the foster and Evelyn Barkema Charitable Trust for their support of the educational component of Mario Arevali’s visits to CALL Elementary School, Hampton-Dumont High School and West Fork Community Schools Friday Mar 3rd. Special thanks also go to: Hampton-Dumont CAL High School Choir; Katelyn Elscott director, West Fork High School Choir: Emily Koob director, Faith Baptist Church, KLMJ Radio, Center 1 hampton, Hampton Chronicle, La Luz Cultural Central, Arts Midwest and the Franklin County Arts Council.