Northwest Mississippi Community College's Division of Fine Arts will present the Northwest Singers in a Thanksgiving Concert Monday, Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Auditorium on the Senatobia campus. Admission to the concert is free.

"I am excited about our very first Thanksgiving-time concert," said Susanne VanDyke, director of choral activities and conductor for the 60-voice choir. "This year, we decided to shake things up by offering our concert the week of Thanksgiving. During this time when our neighbors still feel the effects of Hurricane Katrina, it's good for us to stop, count our blessings and realize how fortunate we are."

The group will participate in a drive sponsored by the Mississippi Music Educators Association to benefit Katrina victims on the Gulf Coast. Patrons of the concert are asked to bring new, unopened packages of socks and undergarments for children and adults to the lobby of the auditorium prior to the event. An area will be designated for collection of the items.

Songs for the concert will include highlights from the heritage of American music, from a setting of the Robert Frost poem "The Pasture" to spirituals such as "Jonah" by Rollo Dilworth to the lively medley "Tambourines" by popular American composer Gwyneth Walker. The men's choir will present "We Shall Walk Through the Valley in Peace," and the audience will have a chance to participate in a medley of Thanksgiving songs.

Accompaniment will be provided on piano by music instructor Saundra Bishop, and sophomore Jeremy Becker of Arkabutla will be featured on violin in two songs with the women's chorus. The Faculty Vocal Ensemble will also participate in the event.