Emma Weber
The Bristol Music Club holds its annual Scholarship Benefit Saturday, Nov. 16, beginning at 10 a.m., at Central Presbyterian Church, Bristol, Virginia. As in past years, special guests and former scholarship winners provide the program. There is a silent auction, and guests may enjoy refreshments, fashions and music while seated at tables. For the first time, fashions are provided by The Encounter in Kingsport, owned by Ethel Smawley. The Encounter has been a nationally recognized ladies fashion store since 1976, with fashions appearing in Miss America events and White House garden parties. The Encounter’s support for the arts and the wonderful people in this great mountain region is their legacy.
Singers selected from the Highlands Youth Ensemble provide “pre-show” entertainment. Conducted by Jane DeLoach Morison, the HYE is the Mountain Empire Children’s Choral Academy’s select choir for high school singers. Each year the HYE performs a variety show in February. The theme of their next show is a “Salute to the Troops,” patterned after classic USO shows hosted by Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. For this year’s special appearance at The Bristol Music Club Fundraiser, HYE members perform acts that preview their February 2020 show.
One goal of The Bristol Music Club’s Scholarship Benefit is to honor its previous scholarship winners by inviting them to perform. This year’s performers include vocalist Emma Weber. The daughter of Rob and Sara Weber, Weber is a 17-year-old homeschooled senior from Jonesborough. She has studied voice at the Blair Academy for the Arts for five years. Her hobbies include volleyball and basketball. After high school graduation, she plans to continue her education at Northeast State Community College.
Also performing is Amy Shi, the daughter of Zhongshou Shi and Qiaoxia Shen. She is a student at Tennessee High School and studies piano with Connie Wurster. Shi has been a two-time Bristol Music Club Scholarship winner and has received a superior rating from the National Federation of Music Clubs Festival. In addition to piano, she also plays oboe and earned a spot in the All East Band Clinic in early 2019.
A third performer is Emily Tucker, clarinetist. Daughter of Greg and Kathy Tucker, she is a senior at Patrick Henry High School in Glade Spring, Virginia. She was a winner in the 2019 Bristol Music Club Scholarship Auditions, earned a chair in the Virginia All-State Band, played in the Emory & Henry Gold Woodwind Choir, and received top chairs in many honor band events. She is the drum major of the Patrick Henry Rebel Regiment and plays in the 2019 Emory & Henry Woodwind Quintet. She continues to study with her teacher, Thomas Crawford. Next year, she plans to continue to play music and pursue a career in music education.
Tickets for the Scholarship Benefit are $25 and are available at the door or from any member of the Bristol Music Club. For more information, contact Judy Dowe at jdowe276@gmail.com.
