Barrington arts patrons staged a Valentine`s celebration with a concert and benefit all for love of the Barrington Area Arts Council.
Though the planners had hoped for a little more warmth, meaning a larger audience, at Barrington High School, they still were thrilled with the entertainment, the Lettermen, and the audience`s enthusiastic response.
”Our focus is to bring the arts to Barrington, and in doing so, we want people to have a good time,” said Lolly Siemon, the art council`s executive director. ”We felt we met our goals. There were a lot of new faces, and there was a special spark of support for the arts council. Money is important, but if we spark more interest, we`ve done our homework, and the money will come later.”
The Lettermen joined a large crowd of partygoers at a post-concert
”Heart for the Arts” benefit at the Barrington Hills Country Club. The buffet dinner and charity auction were accompanied by the Great Pretenders, an energetic Chicago area band specializing in the music of the `50s and `60s.
A highlight of the evening was the crowning of a King and Queen of Hearts, who were elected by votes bought by those at the party. Arts Council president Sarah Ware was selected queen, and Lynn Coe, a lawyer with Chapman & Cutler, was chosen king.
Coe cinched his crown with his earlier performance at the concert when the Lettermen pulled him up on stage to do an impromptu rendition of ”I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” Though he joined in the fun, ”I would rather have been anywhere but up there,” Coe acknowledged later.
Coe`s ad-lib joking with the group was so natural that many in the audience thought he was a plant. But Letterman Donovan Scott Tea said that the choice was mere chance.
The chairwomen for the event, Libby Rieke and Diane Crawford, pronounced the evening ”a smashing success” and said they hope it will become an annual occasion.