What A Wonderful World

Immerse yourself in the breathtaking beauty of Oregon's wine country as you indulge in an evening filled with mesmerizing music! John Skelton will conduct this wide variety of selections that will leave you spellbound, featuring:

• Jeff Witt as our featured vocalist
• Stephen Burroughs our featured flugelhorn soloist
• A medley from The Wizard of Oz
• What a Wonderful World solos
• Saturday In the Park by Chicago
• Cartoon and Movie selections
• Music by John Williams, Chuck Mangione, Dave Brubeck, Leroy Anderson, Cole Porter, and more!

Prepare to be enchanted by the talents of renowned musicians from around the Willamette Valley as they come together to create an extraordinary musical experience.

Roth’s Fresh Catering will provide gourmet sandwich meals for the event, available for online order in the Add On section on this site. Meal orders must be placed by Monday, July 28, at 10 PM. You may also choose to bring your own picnic. Wine, beer, and soft drinks will be available for purchase at the concert. No outside beverages are allowed.

Audience members are encouraged to bring low lawn chairs or blankets to sit on the lawn. A limited number of chairs will be available at the show.

Mark your calendars and prepare to embark on a musical journey like no other. What a Wonderful World will transport you to a realm where music reigns supreme, where every note carries the power to touch your soul.

Don't miss out on this extraordinary event! Grab your friends and loved ones, and join us for an evening that will leave you with memories to cherish forever.

Jeff Witt will be our featured vocalist. Jeff has been performing in musical theatre around the valley for more than 26 years. Some of his favorite roles at Pentacle Theatre are Gomez in The Addams Family, Igor in Young Frankenstein, Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, Archibald Craven in The Secret Garden, Angel in Rent, Nicely Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls, and Horton the Elephant in Seussical the Musical. At Pentacle, he has also directed Brigadoon, co-directed City of Angels, and was the vocal director for Urinetown and Jesus Christ Superstar. He was most recently seen as Edward Bloom in Big Fish, and The Reverend Shaw Moore in Footloose at Pentacle Theatre. Prior to his current job as an Agent representing American National Insurance, Jeff was a high school choir, drama and activities director for 25 years. He spends his free time with his partner, cooking and working in the garden.

Stephen Burroughs will be our featured flugelhorn soloist. Stephen is the Director of Bands for the Dallas School District in Dallas, Oregon. Before his appointment in Dallas, he worked as an Elementary Music Teacher for the Springfield School District in Springfield, Oregon. As a music educator, he believes in the importance of fostering student leadership in his ensembles and creating community performance opportunities for his students. This last academic year, his ensembles had the honor of performing for the Opening Ceremonies at the Oregon State Capitol.

Stephen earned his Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of Oregon. While at the University of Oregon, he was recognized as the 2023 Outstanding Scholar in Music Education and was designated as a Presser Scholar through the Presser Foundation. He is an active member of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and the Oregon Music Education Association (OMEA).

John Skelton is the artistic director and a Salem Symphonic Winds charter member. John earned his Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Oregon and was a music director in the Dallas School District from 1974 until his retirement in 2005. He has earned a reputation for creative programming with quality new literature from international sources. His groups have been responsible for commissions that include Leroy Osmon, Martin Behnke, Norman Dello Joio, Leonard Duarte, Eric Ewazen, Frigyes Hidas, Melvin Shelton, Larry Harrington, and Jon Sutton. He has actively advocated copyright laws and the composers and publishers they protect.

His high school bands earned several state championships. They represented Oregon in Washington, DC, at the National Concert Band Festival in Chicago, the International Youth Music Festival in Vienna, Austria, and performance tours in Canada, Europe, and Japan. He was a staff member with the Oregon Ambassadors of Music, which has taken thousands of Oregon students on performance tours of Europe. He served in the Army Reserve and Oregon National Guard for over thirty-seven years. He served as a drill sergeant, Battalion Race Relations NCO, First Sergeant, euphonium soloist, brass quintet leader, drum major, and conductor of ‘Oregon’s Own’ 234th Army Band. John served in various advisory and leadership positions in the Oregon arts community. He was manager of the OMEA/OSAA State Solo Contest for four years and served as President of the Oregon Music Educators Association. He produces a two-hour weekly program on KMUZ FM radio that features band music performed by international bands and composers. He lives in West Salem with his wife, Toni, and his Airedale Terrier, Sophie.

Also check out other Entertainment events in McMinnville, Music events in McMinnville, Arts events in McMinnville.