Henry Ford College in Dearborn will premiere an original composition by its director of bands at a free Halloween concert open to the public on Friday, Oct. 30.
The one-hour show, titled "The House Beyond (and Other Spooky Tales)," runs from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Adray Auditorium inside the MacKenzie Fine Arts Center on the college’s main campus, 5101 Evergreen Road, according to the college.
The concert's centerpiece is "The House Beyond," a new work written by Anthony Lai, HFC's director of bands. Lai will conduct the performance, which pairs the music ensemble with narration by HFC alumna Karen Parsons. It marks the piece's world premiere.
Four ensembles are on the bill: the Henry Ford Chorus, the Metropolitan Symphony Band, Studio 110 Jazz and Funk Orchestra and Dearborn Youth Voices. Faculty organist Christine El-Hage Walters, student soloists Mohammed Albaiaty and Emily Belfinger, and guest soloist HFC alumna Alexa Kalasz round out the lineup.
The program also includes selections from "The Old Burial Ground," with narration by HFC Director of Theatre John-Michael Sefel, Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" and "Come Little Children" from the movie "Hocus Pocus."
"The concert will only run for an hour, so it can feed directly into everyone's Friday night Halloween party plans!" Lai said in the announcement.
HFC's vocal and instrumental ensembles are open to all HFC students regardless of major and to members of the community, according to the college's music program. Participants can join for credit or for a reduced noncredit fee.
Admission to the Oct. 30 concert is free. Residents with questions can contact Lai at [email protected].
