Seaford Community Concert Association
The Seaford Community Concert Association is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization whose mission is to bring top quality performers to this area at a very affordable cost to its members. We have been doing this since 1949! Our annual membership drive is generally open August through September of each year. Concert admission is by membership only.
SCCA concerts are presented in the beautiful Kenneth C. Madden Auditorium at Seaford High School. This recently upgraded facility, one of the largest venues in Southern Delaware, boasts new seating and a state-of-the-art sound system. Through our long partnership with the Seaford School District, SCCA provides annual outreach shows for local students, providing musical experiences that are outside their normal listening habits! We have also purchased, or co-purchased, auditorium equipment ranging from the concert grand piano to spotlights to microphones. In exchange we are frequently consulted when capital improvements to the facility are being planned. This is truly a partnership that benefits everyone in our region.
History of the Seaford Community Concert Association
By Jim & Barbara Burket (president & secretary 1971-2007)
With a firm determination & enthusiasm to bring fine artists to this area, a group of music lovers, back in 1949, got together and started the Seaford Community Concert Association. Little did they suspect at that time that the membership to this organization would grow to exceed the new High School auditorium size of 1200 for the first time in the 2006-2007 season. Their history, however, was not without it’s ups and downs.
The organization started their life in association with the Community Concerts division of Columbia artists out of New York City. Their first season included the young duo-piano artist Whittemore & Lowe, who, incidentally were the only artists to perform three times on our stage. (57-58 season and 75-76 season which was the last tour for the duo)
The first subscriber history on record was in the 56-57 series when it reached 650: a comfortable size for the then existing auditorium. The membership continued to grow until a sudden drop in 1991 when the membership hit a low of 455 members when the association considered folding. However, the end was not to be! Several board members did some campaigning and, with the aid of Irv Wheatley, president of the Seaford Chamber of Commerce at the time and their gift of $2500, SCCA rose from the proverbial ashes.
In the 1990’s the Community Concerts division of Columbia artists was separated as an independent organization which allowed them to provide a broader range of artists from which the local organizations could choose. Around 2000 the main Community Concerts organization was brought under the Trawick Artists organization. They, however, were poorly managed and brought great financial pressure to the local organizations. The Seaford organization, by then, was strong enough to carry on and eventually became associated with Live On Stage for their artist contacts.
SCCA is now a self-supporting, non profit, organization, run solely by local volunteers. It is, however, affiliated with the nationwide “Live On Stage” organization out of Nashville, TN. Between the Nashville staff and their field representatives, and the Printertainment business, they offer a full range of services to our local organization including: booking, staging of artists, promotion, and membership campaign operation. Community Concerts operates under the concept of “Organized Audience Plan”, that is, securing an audience before final booking of the concerts. An annual membership campaign, utilizing the plan, ensures concerts are fully funded before each season begins, through membership dues, and patron gifts. No tickets are sold to individual concerts.
In the past, our members have enjoyed concerts such as: Whittemore & Lowe, Rise Stevens, Simon Estes, Columbus Boys Choir, Earl Rose Trio, Little Angels of Kore Folk Ballet, Ted Alan Worth, many brass quintets, Bob Crosby and the Bobcats, Hambro Quartet of Pianos, New Cristy Minstrell, Ballet Florida, Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, the River City Brass Band, the musical Forever Plaid, the Inflatable Theater, the Great China Acrobats, and Hector Olivera, to name a few.
The association guarantees 3 concerts each year (and usually has more). The association believes that the unique opportunity to experience the best of live performance should be accessible and available to every person in the country and the Seaford Association is doing their part to make that happen in this area of the Eastern Shore. Assistance towards this end also comes from our patron plan.
We recently lost a very important part of our SCCA family. As many of you know, Dr. Allan Kittila passed away in August of last year. He and his wife Karen have been associated with the SCCA since 1968 acting in many capacities. Karen was secretary for many years and Allan was concert master prior to becoming president. He has always been very active in his church and he is well known in the Seaford community. But he had a special love of the arts and Allan loved working to bring this entertainment to the community.
Allan was a very active citizen. He had a passion for life and enjoyed music, travel, writing and teaching. He was an accomplished pianist, organist and saxophone player. The SCCA presented a way for Allan to express his love for music and the arts. He has been on the board for over 40 years, serving as President for the past several years. He dearly loved this organization and worked very hard to keep it alive and active. He was thrilled to bring professional entertainment to the Seaford audience and he really enjoyed it when an especially good program brought the audience to its feet. It really gave him much joy. He would look over and smile and give a ‘thumbs up.’ Allan will be missed.
Allan was succeeded in 2012 by Marge Lynch, whose background in managing an opera company and her focus on providing only the best entertainment for our community allowed SCCA to maintain its membership level throughout her term as president. Marge, with the full support of the board of directors, kept the organization solvent while keeping ticket prices the same and adding a sixth concert to celebrate our sixty-sixth season during 2014-2015. Marge’s self-deprecating humor, including the occasional costume, will be missed.
Starting in 2015, Dave Grantz took over as the president of SCCA. A retired Seaford School District administrator, Dave brings knowledge of the concert facility and organizational skills to the SCCA. He is thrilled to be a part of SCCA and hopes to expand membership while staying true to traditions that have made the association so successful through the years.
Board of Directors:
David Grantz, President
Tim Snedecor, Vice President
Marianne Grantz, Secretary
Sandy Blackwell, Treasurer
Marjorie Lynch, Publicity
Ches Warrener, Grants
Doug Figgs
Judy Hall
William Hubbard
JoAnn Jefferson
Karen Kittila
Dr. Bradley Mackler
Peter Marino
Fern Plecker Morrison
Becky Rhodes
Doug Rhodes
Maribel Santos
Jayne Sheahan
Edie Snedecor
Past Shows: 1949-today
1949-1950: Columbus Boy Choir; Whittemore & Lowe; Pease
1950-1951: Revelers; Polyna Stoska; Graudens
1951-1952: Thibault; Rey & Gomez; Col. Concert Trio
1952-1953: Longines Symphonette; Appleton & Field; Tuscon Arizona boys Choir; F. Bible
1953-1954: M. Svetlova; Gershwin Concert Orchestra; Marissa Regules; A. McKinely
1954-1955: Vienna Academy Chorus; Igor Gorin; Mario Braggiotti; Wilmington Symphony
1955-1956: Virginia Orchestra; Lola Montes & Dancers; Tanglewood Symphony Opera quartet; Roberts & Walker
1956-1957: Rondoliers; Chicago Opera Ballet; Angelaires; E. Steffe
1957-1958: Manhattan Concert Orchestra; Whittemore & Lowe; Jan Rubes; Mozart Opera Festival
1958-1959: Bambi Lynn & Rod Alexander; Totenberg Instrumental Ensemble; Little Gaelic Singers; Stan Freeman
1959-1960: Ralph Hunter Dramatic Chorus; Susana & Jose; Vera Franceschi; Rudi Sinfonietta
1960-1961: New York Concert Trio; Bill and Pat Medley; Joffrey Ballet with Orchestra; Trio Bel Canto
1961-1962: Rise Stevens; Serenaders; Myra Kinch & Co.; In Operetta Time
1962-1963: Texas Boys Choir; Varel & Bally; Paris Chamber Orchestra; Olegna Fuschi
1963-1964: Hungarian Ballets Bihari; The Bards; Nina Dova; Goss & Whetssel
1964-1965: Chicago Little Symphony; American Jazz Ensemble; Richard Cass; Rodgers & Hammerstein Musical Theatre Quartet
1965-1966: Feis Eireann; Ma Si-Hon & Tung Kwong; Lucille Kailer; First Chamber Dance Quartet
1966-1967: Columbus Boy Choir; Music from Marlboro; Charles Rosen; Golden Curtain Quartet
1967-1968: Orchestra Jean Francois Paillard; Michael Maule Dance Variation; The Revelers; Richard Cass
1968-1969: Mario Maya & Company; Addis & Crofut; Jeffrey & Ronald Marlowe; Edmund Karlsrud
1969-1970: Lee Evans Trio; Columbia Operatic Trio; Anthony Di Bonaventura
1970-1971: Dorothy Warenskjolds Musical Theatre; First Chamber Dance Company; Longstreth & Escosa; Andress Juliette Brun
1971-1972: Decormier Singers; Three on Broadway; Berkshire Chamber Players
1972-1973: Texas Boys Choir; Ciro; Samuel Lipman
1973-1974: Little Angels Folk Ballet; Ted Allan Worth; A. Cros; V. Tyler; Jorge Morel Duo
1974-1975: Carnival de Mexico; Songs by Six; Franz Liszt Orchestra
1975-1976: Whittemore & Lowe; Norman Luboff Choir; Beau Arts Trio
1976-1977: Stan Freeman; National Folk Ballet of Yougoslavia; Orpheus Ensemble
1977-1978: Toccatas & Flourishes; New Christy Minstrels; Laureate Woodwind Quartet
1978-1979: Serenade; Rostal & Schaeffer; Simon Estes
1979-1980: Bob Crosby & The Bob Cats; Harvey Pittel Trio; Serendipity Singers; Measure for Measure
1980-1981: Eastern Opera Theatre: Naughty Marietta; Eastern Brass Quintet; Willam Carter Dancers
1981-1982: Mara Muresul; Ronnie Brown Trio; Laureate Trio
1982-1983: Roger Wagner Chorale; Hodgens & Howard; James Pinkerton
1983-1984: Souvenirs of the Opera; Manhattan Rhythm Kings; Saturday Brass Quintet; Bill Schustik
1984-1985: Singing Boys of Pennsylvania; Sharon Sweet; Max Morath Quintet; Pop Goes the Music; Constantine Orbelian
1985-1986: New England Youth Ensemble; Chanticleer; De Falla Guitar Trio
1986-1987: Some Enchanted Evening; Aurora Trio; Lincoln Mayorga
1987-1988: Fascinatin’ Rhythm; Arthur Woodley; Aeolian Chamber Players
1988-1989: Hambro Quartet of Pianos; Neal Ramsay Duo; Sweet Rose Review
1989-1990: Dallas Brass; Richard Morris; Linda Maxey
1990-1991: The Light Blues; Nevada Dance Theatre; DeWayne Fulton
1991-1992: Yarbrough-New Christy Minstrels; Stecher & Horowitz; Earl Rose Trio
1992-1993: Ballet Florida; The Moscow Balalaikas; A Night at Eddie Condon’s
1993-1994: Tommy Dorsey Orchestra; On Broadway (The Jenkins); an Evening with John Bayless
1994-1995: Jack Morgan and the Russ Morgan Orchestra; The Lenny Solomon Trio; Terrence Farrell; Brenda Boozer
1995-1996: Carrol McLaughlin; Nancy LaMott; Epic Brass; Dale Gonyea
1996-1997: Rhythm in Soes; Carl Peterson; Banjomania; David Allen Wehr
1997-1998: Max Morath, Forever Plaid; Vancouver Wind Trio
1998-1999: River City Brass Band; Joe Trio; Richard Glazier; Lainie Nelson White Cliffs of Dover
1999-2000: Taylor 2 Dancers; The Side Street Strutters Jazz Band; An Enchanted Evening – the Music of Broadway; Richard Morris & Hector Olivera
2000-2001: Joe Burgstaller; Paragon Ragtime Orchestra; The Limeliters; Douglas Webster & Lincoln Mayorga; Linda Wang
2001-2002: Pasadena Roof Orchestra; Boston Brass; Fred Garbo Inflatable Theatre; London Piano Duo
2002-2003: Three Hits & a Miss; Jack Daniels Original Silver Coronet Band; Cantus; Mark Twain & the Laughing River; Alison England – Opera, Broadway, and Beyond
2003-2004: April Verch; Woods Tea Company; Westwind Brass
2004-2005: Glenn Miller Orchestra; Russian Seasons; Ronnie Kole Trio; Westwind Brass
2005-2006: Frank D’Ambrosio; Manhattan Rythym Kings; Earl Rose; Quartetto Gelato; Piano 4
2006-2007: 4 Sure; Bay Street Brassworks; Artie Shaw Orchestra; Hector Olivera; Great China Acrobats
2007-2008: Black Mountain Chorus of Wales; Saxophobia; L’Orchestre De Chambre Paris; Michael Kaeshammer; Mr. Jack Daniel’s Original Silver Cornet Band
2008-2009: Pavlo; A Trbute to Benny Goodman and Peggy Lee; Dale Gonyea; Bronn & Katherine Journey; The Side Street Strutters; The Martini Sisters
2009-2010: Daniel Rodriquez; Russian Season Dance Company; Rudolph Budginas; Hunt Family Fiddlers; Canadian Tenors
2010-2011: Jim Witter – The Piano Men; Riders in the Sky; Daniel Narducci and Sherri Seiden Duo; John Davidson; The Tamburitzans
2011-2012: Jim Curry – Take Me Home; The American Tenors; Intersection; Spanish Brass; Hector Olivera
2012-2013: 4-2-Five; Thomas Pandolfi; Robert Post; The Mid-Atlantic Symphony; Redhead Express & The Walker Family
2013-2014: An Evening with Hal Linden; The Diamonds; The Milford Community Band; Jesse Lynche Jazz 101; Richter-Uzur; New York Theatre Ballet
2014-2015: WindSync; Umi Garrett; Bronn Journey – Harpist & Wife; Alex DePue and Migel DeHoyos; New Shanghai Circus; Susan Egan
2015-2016: Caravan of Thieves; Savannah Jack; Mike Farris; Presidio Brass; The Young Irelanders
2016-2017: Alina Kiryayeva; The Raleigh Ringers; Kubecca; Jim Witter – I Write the Songs; Equinox Little Big Band
2017-2018: Paul McDermand; Two On Tap; Pavlo; Duo Baldo; Side Street Strutters
2018-2019: Maureen McGovern; Five Sax; Vocal Trash; Thomas Pandolfi; The Malpass Brothers; Vox Fortura
2019-2020: Celtic Angels; Sons of Serendip; Loren & Mark. Season cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020-2021 (ONLINE CONCERTS ONLY DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC): ReVoiced; The Everly Set.
2021-2022: The Diamonds; Bridge & Wolak; Black Market Trust; Holy Rocka Rollaz; Sons of Serendip; M5: Mexican Brass