by Enola Gay
Sulphur Springs City Manager Marc Maxwell has certainly brought inspiration “to town”! During a chat with Enola Gay on the KSST Morning Show, he was congratulated on his recent recognition by the Texas Downtown Association, and was asked to share with listeners his idea for a fun and meaningful event for Sulphur Springs called “One”. On Saturday November 19 at 4pm, Maxwell is calling everyone together for a one-time choir of townspeople, neighbors and visitors on Celebration Plaza. At this event, the concert will be in the audience, not on the stage! Marc says the idea of a “reverse concert” came to him through a similar music event done at the Toronto Music Festival by concertgoers. There, a crowd of 1500 persons met inside a spacious, abandoned warehouse to learn one song “Hallelujah”, taught by a panel of directors. After a brief run-through, the song was performed by the audience of singers and a recording was made which you can view on You Tube under “Choir, Choir, Choir”. The experience was moving and memorable. Maxwell plans to re-create this spectacle in Sulphur Springs this Saturday afternoon on Celebration Plaza. Any person of any age can participate, and great numbers of voices are needed. Three local musicians will make up the panel of “One” directors onstage…Shannon Askew, director…Micah Petty, lead vocalist..and Calvin Hickerson, keyboardist. The song that will be performed is “What the World Needs Now is Love”. The song, composed by David and Bacharach, was made popular in 1965 by singer Jackie DeShannon as an anthem for displaying love, not hate. In 2016, the song is experiencing revival as an anthem for today’s world. 
