#97-07-010
For Release: July 14, 1997
Contact: Peter Bailley

WVKC 90.7 FM, the student-operated radio station at Knox College, will present a free gospel music festival at 6 p.m., Saturday, August 23 in Harbach Theatre, Ford Center for the Fine Arts on the Knox campus in Galesburg, IL.

The festival will feature more than 200 performers, including church choirs, soloists and small group ensembles from the Galesburg area, Quad Cities, Rockford, Peoria and Chicago. The show will culminate in a combined performance by all 200 participants.

The festival is organized by Brian Gawor, WVKC General Manager, and the Rev. Tyson Haywood, host and creator of the WVKC Sunday morning program Gospel Roots Ministries. Haywood has been broadcasting gospel music on WVKC for 15 years, the longest-running program on the college radio station.

The event will be digitally recorded, and audio tapes of the performances can be ordered at the festival or through WVKC after the event. In addition, talent scouts from Immanuel Records in Dallas, Texas will be attending.

"There's no charge for the participants, which is different from the way other festivals operate," Gawor said. "We hope to cover the costs through donations at the performance. We want to keep it a very informal event that everyone can attend and feel comfortable."

There are a limited number of openings remaining for performers, and interested persons can contact Gawor at 309-341-7266 to make arrangements.

Founded in 1837, Knox is an independent, four-year, liberal arts college, located in Galesburg, Illinois, with 1,100 students from 42 states and 33 nations. Knox's "Old Main," a National Historic Landmark, is the only building remaining from the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates.