Preparations underway for women's prison chapel benefit concert

Preparations underway for women's prison chapel benefit concert Johnny White Special To The Bulletin Wed, 05/08/2024 - 03:32 Image Body

A benefit concert, combining faith and freedom, will raise funds for a chapel at the women’s prison, located in Burnet.

A concert to benefit Joseph’s Hammer will take place Sunday evening, May 19, at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 105 FM 1431 in Marble Falls.

Joseph’s Hammer is the non-profit construct ing the multi-purpose Worship Chapel at the Ellen Halbert Women’s Prison, located behind the Burnet Municipal Airport and Burnet County Rodeo Arena.

The concert will be the culmination of many months of work by a host of singers and musicians.

John Mark Ousley, minister of music at the Church at Horseshoe Bay, explained how it all began.

“The idea for this concert can be traced to my first church board meeting in the summer of 2023.”

Bill Carrothers, chairman of the Benevolence Committee, made a motion to expend $25,000 over two years to assist Joseph’s Hammer in building the worship chapel at the Women’s Prison in Burnet.

“Needless to say, this was inspiring for me. I began to brainstorm about ways to unite and mobilize the vibrant Highland Lakes music community to support this Joseph’s Hammer project,” Ousley recalled.

Ousley's first meeting was with Greg Gathright, the director of music at First Methodist Church in Marble Falls.

Gathright taught music in the Texas prison system and already had a heart for what Joseph’s Hammer was trying to accomplish.

Ousley said, “I was taken aback by the harmony of circumstances. With a handshake at the end of lunch, the idea for this concert was born.”

At the next church board meeting, Ousley proposed a masterwork concert with full choir and orchestra to benefit Jo seph’s Hammer.

The board voted to support the concert covering any up-front costs for music.

Ousley immediately began reaching out to other music directors to gather the forces needed to make it happen.

Ousley enlisted the support of Graham and Mary Jane Avery, the founders of the Heart of Texas Orchestra. He calendared choral rehearsals at First Methodist Church in Marble Falls, the orchestra rehearsals at the Church at Horseshoe Bay, and the concert location at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church.

He was committed to a truly ecumenical effort involving every church and musical ensemble in the Highland Lakes.