Prairie Ensemble Records, 1996-2015 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

By Nolan Vallier, Elizabeth Hartman, Katie Nichols

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Collection Overview

Title: Prairie Ensemble Records, 1996-2015

ID: 12/9/143

Primary Creator: Kevin Kelly

Extent: 10.25 cubic feet

Arrangement: Organized in three series: Series 1) Board of Directors Meeting Minutes and Governing Records, 1996-2015; Series 2) Operational Records, 1997-2015; and Series 3) Concerts, Special Events, Publicity, and Digital Records, 1997-2014. Series 2 is then organized in two sub-series: Subseries 1) Financial Records and subseries 2) Administrative Records and Correspondence. Series 3 is organized in four subseries: Subseries 1) Concert Programs; Subseries 2) Special Events and Correspondence; Subseries 3) Publicity; and Subseries 4) Digital Records. The records in Series 1 are arranged in chronological order, and the materials in Series 2 and Series 3 are arranged chronologically within each sub-series.

Date Acquired: 06/13/2015. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: Instrumental music

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Consists of tax information, financial reports, group bylaws, payroll sheets and performer contracts, meeting minutes, advertisements and publicity reports, photographs, awards, concert programs, computer files, and correspondence documenting the governance, operations, events, and publicity of the Prairie Ensemble.

Collection Historical Note

The Prairie Ensemble was founded in 1996 in Urbana-Champaign by Kevin Kelly. Kelly's goal for the small orchestra was to make music approachable and informal to a wider audience in Central Illinois by performing new and popular music, performing in informal attire, and performing in several locale indoor and outdoor venues. Players within the ensemble were drawn from the community and ranged from professional musicians, gifted amateurs, undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Illinois, and faculty of the University of Illinois. The Praire Ensemble was disbanded in 2015.

Biographical Note

Kevin Kelly holds bachelors degrees in English and music history and criticism from Northwestern University and masters degrees in orchestral and choral conducting from the University of Illinois. He has sung with several professional choral ensembles in Chicago, including the Chicago Symphony Chorus, the Grant Park Symphony Chorus, The City Musick, Basically Bach and His Majesties Clerkes (now Bella Voce). He has studied conducting with Kenneth Kiesler, Paul Vermel, Victor Yampolsky, Harold Farberman, Kirk Trevor and Emil Simon.

Subject/Index Terms

Instrumental music

Administrative Information

Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Accruals: Eleven cubic feet of material from the Prairie Ensemble were acquired from Joe Walter Grant Jr. on June 13, 2015.

Acquisition Source: Joe Walter Grant Jr.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Board of Directors Meeting Minutes and Governing Records, 1996-2015],
[Series 2: Operational Records, 1997-2015],
[Series 3: Concerts, Special Events, Publicity, and Digitial Records, 1997-2014],
[All]

Series 3: Concerts, Special Events, Publicity, and Digitial Records, 1997-2014

Arranged into 3 subseries: Subseries 1: Concert Programs; Subseries 2: Special Events and Correspondence; Subseries 3: Publicity. Arranged by material type.

Sub-Series 1: Concert Programs

Consists solely of concert programs documenting Prairie Ensemble performances.

Box 8

Folder 10: Concert programs, 1997-2005
Folder 11: Concert programs, 2005-2006
Folder 12: Concert programs, 2006-2007
Folder 13: Concert programs, 2007-2008
Folder 14: Concert programs, 2008-2009
Folder 15: Concert programs, 2009-2010
Folder 16: Concert programs, 2010-2011
Folder 17: Concert programs, 2011-2012
Folder 18: Concert programs, 2012-2013
Folder 19: Concert programs, 2014

Sub-Series 2: Special Events and Correspondence

Subseries 2 consists of correspondence, event planning materials, ticket statistics, concert reviews, and invitation lists documenting Prairie Ensemble events.

Box 8

Folder 20: Fundraising: Dinner auctions, 1997-2001
Folder 21: Fundraising: 6th Annual Winter Solace Dinner, Concert, & Auction, 1998-2002
Folder 22: Fundraising: Garage sale materials, 2000-2003
Folder 23: Fundraising: 7th Annual Dinner & Auction, 2003
Folder 24: Fundraising: Car Raffle materials, 2003-2004
Folder 25: Fundraising: Dinner auction, 2004
Folder 26: Fundraising: "An Evening of Traditional Irish Music", 2004-2006
Folder 27: Fundraising: CXL auction, 2006
Folder 28: Fundraising: Ebay and Silent Auction, 2006
Folder 29: Fundraising: Irish Auction materials, March 2007
Folder 30: Fundraising: CCC Auction, 2007-2008
Folder 31: Fundraising: Gala, 2009-2011

Box 9

Folder 1: Fundraising ideas, 2012-2013
Folder 2: Fundraising: ticket underwriting, 2000-2002
Folder 3: Fundraising: concert, "A Taste of Schubert", September 2009
Folder 4: Fundraising: wine tasting, "Sun Singer", October 2009
Folder 5: Fundraising: "Well-Orchestrated Evening", 2011-2012
Folder 6: Fundraising: "An Afternoon of Jazz", August 2011
Folder 7: Fundraising: Bucky Halker event, October 2011
Folder 8: Fundraising: concert records and correspondence, March 2012
Folder 9: Fundraising: Tango Cafe, Summer 2012
Folder 10: Events: master concert planning timeline, circa 2012
Folder 11: Events: ticket statistics and concert reviews, 1997-2014
Folder 12: Events: Virginia Theater information, 2002-2003
Folder 13: Events: mailing/drawing forms, April 2007
Folder 14: Events invitation lists, 2007-2008
Folder 15: Events: concert season, 1996-1997
Folder 16: Events: concert, "A Taste of Urbana-Champaign", Summer 1997
Folder 17: Events: concert season, 1997-1998
Folder 18: Events: concert season, 1998-1999
Folder 19: Events: concert season, 1999-2000
Folder 20: Events: concert, "America Crosses Over", March 2000
Folder 21: Events: concert season, 2000-2001
Folder 22: Events: concert, "Diversions", July 2000
Folder 23: Events: concert, "Excursions", October 2000
Folder 24: Events: concert, "Narrations", February 2001
Folder 25: Events: concert, "Meditations", April 2001
Folder 26: Events: concert season, 2001-2002
Folder 27: Events: concert, WILL-FM "Concert in the Park", June 2001
Folder 28: Events: concert, "Connections", July 2001
Folder 29: Events: concert, "Romero Plays Beethoven", October 2001
Folder 30: Events: concert, Rantoul, "Journey with Prairie Ensemble", February 2002
Folder 31: Events: concert, "Irony of Youth", April 2002
Folder 32: Events: concert season, 2002-2003
Folder 33: Events: Whirlwind Project concert, 2002-2003
Folder 34: Events: WILL-FM "Concert in the Park", June 2002
Folder 35: Events: concert, "Not Your Mother's Mozart", September 2002
Folder 36: Events: concert, "Zoorchestra", October-November 2002
Folder 37: Events: concert season, "Out on a Whim", 2003-2004
Folder 38: Events: concert, "Made in America", October 2003
Folder 39: Events: concert, "Green Eggs & Ham", November 2003
Folder 40: Events: concert, "Funny Business", January 2004
Folder 41: Events: concert, "Commedia", May 2004
Folder 42: Events: concert season, 2004-2005
Folder 43: Events: 10th concert season, 2005-2006
Folder 44: Events: concert, "Classic(al) Entertainment, October 2005
Folder 45: Events: concert, "Toy Story", January 2006
Folder 46: Events: concert, "That's the Spirit", February 2006
Folder 47: Events: concert, "Let's Party", April 2006
Folder 48: Events: film screening, "In Search of Mozart", 2007
Folder 49: Events: concert season, 2008-2009
Folder 50: Events: concert, "The Soldier's Tale", January 2010
Folder 51: Events: concert, "The Club Concert", 2011
Folder 52: Events: concert, Anglo-American Musical Connections", July 2012
Folder 53: Events: concert, "A String Thing", February 2014
Folder 54: Events: concert, "Around the World in One NIght", May 2014
Folder 55: Events: concert, "A Musical Soiree", July 2014

Box 11

Folder 3: Events: WILL FM Concert in the Park flyer, 2001
Folder 4: Events: WILL FM Concert in the Park flyer, 2002
Folder 6: Events: "Noah!" concert flyers, 2004
Folder 7: Events: Concert season flyers, 2005-2006
Folder 8: Events: Concert season flyers, 2006-2007

Sub-Series 3: Publicity

Consists of promotional booklets and brochures, press releases and press packets, photographs, advertisements, news articles, and videocassettes documenting the publicity efforts of the Prairie Ensemble.

Box 9

Folder 56: Promotional information booklet, 2006
Folder 57: Press releases, 2005-2008
Folder 58: Brochure preparation and drafts, 2002

Box 10

Folder 1: Urbana Public Televsion membership, 2000-2001
Folder 2: Publicity and other photographs, 2000-2002
Folder 3: Promotional: Community presentations, 2001
Folder 4: Regional Directory paperwork, 2002
Folder 5: Press packet notes, undated
Folder 6: Prairie Ensemble newsletters, 1998-2002
Folder 7: Advertising: Spring/Summer calendar of events, 1997
Folder 8: Champaign County Convention and Visitors Bureau advertisements and calendars, 2001
Folder 9: TV spots - videocassettes, 2001-2002: 2 videocasettes
Folder 10: Publicity video correspondence, 2001
Folder 11: Advertisement trades, 2011-2013
Folder 12: Advertising proofs, 2001
Folder 13: Season advertisers, 1997-2000
Folder 14: Season advertisers, 2000-2001
Folder 15: Season advertisers, 2001-2002
Folder 16: Season advertisers, 2002-2003
Folder 17: Season advertisers, 2003-2005
Folder 18: Season advertisers, 2005-2006
Folder 19: Season advertisers, 2006-2007
Folder 20: Season advertisers, 2007-2008
Folder 21: Season advertisers, 2008-2011
Folder 22: News articles, 1996-1999
Folder 23: News articles, 2000-2004
Folder 24: News articles, 2005-2013
Folder 25: News articles, undated

Box 11

Folder 2: News Articles, 1999-2002
Folder 5: News Articles, 2002-2004
Folder 9: News Articles, 2008-2009

Sub-Series 4: Digital Records, ca. 2000-2002

Consists of Floppy Discs and Digital Records. Materials are arranged alphabetically.

Box 12

Item 1: Feb Concert Timeline, ca. 2000
Item 2: J-Wong, ca. 2000
Item 3: Logo Letterhead Envelope, ca. 2000
Item 4: Membership suscript Levels, 2000-2001: Label reads: Membership Subscript Levels; 2000-01 Promo Piece; Media Mailing labels 1, 2, 3+4; PE Database Info; Area Music Teachers; PE Performances; Print Media Labels 1, 2, 3, 4; Annual spread sheet; Corporate Perks #1; Indiv Donor categories/ticket order form.
Item 5: PE Brochure Copy, May 18, 2000
Item 6: PE Fax form, ca. 2000: Label reads: PE Fax Form; Health Sues Cons. Position Line; Dr. Berry Ad; PE Invoice/corporate donor categories; PE Sales ltr.; Individual season ticket; Brochure inserts 1, 2, 3; and Brochure cover, inside and backcovers.
Item 7: PE Info Sheet (Revised), ca. 2000
Item 8: PE Personnel Info, ca. 2000
Item 9: PE Survey, February 17, 2001: Label reads: PE Survey 2/17/01; Labels 1, 2, 3 (mailing labels to black churches); Corporate Perks #1; Indiv. Donor Categories; Ticket Order Form/thank you note.
Item 10: Prairie Ensemble 2, ca. 2000: Label reads: Prairie Ensemble 2; Park; contact info; template.dot.
Item 11: Prairie Ensemble Logo Old, ca. 2000
Item 12: Prairie Ensemble Roster, July 16, 20002
Item 13: Prairie Ensemble Sponsor Brochure, ca. 2000
Item 14: Schedule (Park), 20002: Label reads: Schedule 02 (park); mac can't read.