The vision is primarily carried out through live concerts presented in the historic 1902 Chautauqua Auditorium in Waxahachie, Texas. The staged productions feature songs and hymns from the first half of the 20th Century which have been researched and arranged for this event. Seeking to preserve a vanishing American music art form with a sense of historical accuracy in an entertaining theatrical format, the Christian message is at the heart of all the songs presented.
The staged production "Heaven's Front Porch" features a fifteen-member volunteer cast of auditioned singers accompanied by an acoustic piano, occasional acoustic guitar, and other historically-appropriate instruments. The audience is called upon to join at certain points during the hour-and-a-half show.
There is no inclusion of political agenda or denominational dogma.
Our target audience is middle-to-senior adults who have memory of the musical style we are seeking to preserve.
Our vision is to continue what we have been doing for the past 10 years as a non-profit organization. We also hope to include more lectures and workshops, concerts by visiting artists/groups, additional recordings (audio and video) of our concerts, the publication of some of our research, and the publication of printed music.
One of our biggest needs is a wider promotion/advertising of our events; we have been able to provide only a minimal amount of this due to our limited budget.
We would also like to bring on a few more paid staff to help with some of our on-going work which has previously been covered by aging-out volunteers. Even our Creative Director is a volunteer.
We are also needing to make an updated recording of our concert program. Our listeners enjoy having access to hearing our music from the comfort of their homes. Your gifts can help us meet these needs.
Waxahachie's Old Fashioned Singing Project is dedicated to the preservation and enjoyment of historical congregational singing, especially as it occurred in the American southern states in white-framed rural church buildings, brush-arbor meetings and revival meetings in the first half of the 20th Century, through research, performance, lectures, workshops, publications and recordings.
Organization name
Waxahachie's Old-Fashioned Singing Project
Operating Budget
Less than $100,000
Counties Served
Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Erath, Grayson, Johnson, Kaufman, Navarro, Rockwall, Tarrant, Wise
Address
108 Pleiade Circle