College President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. with, rear from left, Catherine Norton ’79G, Samuel Chester ’34, and Claire Norton, and, in front, Esther Chester.

Sponsored by the Department of Music and the Office of Institutional Advancement, the concert was entitled “A Musical Afternoon at PC.” The program featured performances by members of the student body, faculty, and alumni, including I Cantori, the College’s premiere choral ensemble; members of the PC Jazz Band and Saxophone Quartet; the College's Gill Evans Ensemble; and individual vocalists.

The music included selections from Beethoven, Bizet, Handel, Puccini, and Miles Davis. The concert was conceived by Rosalind Y. Chua, professor of music, who provided piano accompaniment for several of the performances.

“The concert provided us with a wonderful afternoon of performances from current students, alumni, and faculty, celebrating the generosity of these donors,” said Dr. Patricia W. Cichy, assistant professor of music and department chair. “What we are allowed in this new concert hall is to better teach our students how to formally perform in a truly magnificent space.”

In recognition of their generosity, the concert hall, the art center's exterior terrace/performance venue, and the hall’s choir loft, respectively, were named in honor of the Ryans, the Chesters, and the Nortons.

Their generous gifts were pivotal in support of the $18 million Smith Center for the Arts, which was dedicated on October 29, 2004. The 60,000-square-foot teaching, practice, and performance facility houses the Department of Music and the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Film. In addition to the concert hall, it features two theatres, a dance studio, an art gallery, a music library, several classrooms, and numerous choral and instrumental practice rooms.