updated May 1, 2012

The MGCCA 2011-2012 Concert Series featured four outstanding artists....

On Fri., Oct. 14, James Casto presented an Arts Encounter for the student body of Mount Gilead Elementary School, inviting many of them to come up on stage and participate through singing and dancing. Later that evening, he thoroughly entertained our audience at The Ford Place with a 90-minute program of mostly original material. Learn more about him at www.jamescasto.com.

On Fri., Dec. 9, The Ashley Jo Farmer Band performed original songs and a special set of Christmas songs in an evening show at the Haywood Event Center. An optional pre-show dinner was catered by Uwharrie Mountain Lodge of Troy. Find out more about Ashley and her band at www.ashleyjofarmer.com.

On Fri., Jan. 13, Mack Bailey entertained an audience of 140 (a new record for us) in an intimiate concert at the Haywood Event Center. Bailey is an accomplished singer-songwriter who performs solo, with the wife (Rachel), and with famed folk groups The Hard Travelers and The Limeliters. Glenn Yarbrough, The Limeliters' original tenor, once called Mack "The next great singer in folk music". Randy Sparks of the The New Christy Minstrels said, "Mack is one of the better voices in the music business."

Bailey now lives in Denver, Colo., and this concert was a rare opportunity for a "homecoming" of sorts, since he grew up in nearby Troy, N.C. Mack Bailey also provided an Arts Encounter program for the student body of Mount Gilead Elementary School earlier on the day of his concert. Read more about Mack Bailey at www.mackbailey.com.

On Fri. Apr. 20, Hans York delighted our audience with his original music. He also provided an Arts Encounter for grades pre-k through five at Mount Gilead Elementary School.

This German-born, award-winning, internationally-acclaimed performing songwriter got his musical roots from being raised in occupied Germany and fed a rich diet of American and British music. His potpourri of influences include Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, Peter Gabriel, The Beatles, Pat Metheny, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Debussy, Earth Wind & Fire, and Eric Clapton, to name a few.

Hans York entertained an audience here in our inaugural season, and MGCCA is delighted to host him for this return engagement. Visit www.hansyork.com for more information on the artist.