News from Britt Hill – November 2021

Beethoven’s Ode to Joy is based on a simple musical theme, yet it has magic beyond words! It not only grabs the heart, but its message represents everything humanity should stand and fight for!

Did you feel the joy? There was so much to celebrate this season. Especially the fact that we even got to have a season. Odds were against it happening. And yet, in spite of everything, we inspired and delighted audiences through our Britt Festival Orchestra Brush: Music in the Woodlands, SOUNDWALK, and Britt Presents popular concerts, all produced and performed for our community.

None of this would have been possible without the support of our Britt Society volunteers. So, once again, I am dedicating this column to our amazing volunteers. Volunteers might work for free, but that doesn’t mean they’re not valuable. In fact, they’re invaluable!

On a normal show night, we have 90 volunteers working as parking attendants, ADA assistants, trolley attendants, ticket takers, event staff, hill ushers, gift booth sales staff, chair renters, ice cream sales staff, artists merchandise sales clerks, and raffle sales ambassadors. Their collective 15,000 hours a year represents over $260,000 of in-kind work each year.

It never ceases to amaze me how many of our volunteers have full-time jobs and come from an eight-hour work shift straight to the Britt Hill to work another six-hour volunteer work shift. That’s a fourteen-hour workday! Who does that? Well, the Britt Society volunteers do!

They spend long after-business hours on our Britt Hill sacrificing their personal time for the greater good of our community. All the time taking great care to see that patrons are safe and happy.

Having worked with the Britt Society for eleven years, I understand how exceptional these people are. Their commitment to Britt has been an inspiration to me and oftentimes provided me with the incentive to walk up that hill—just one more time on any given night. Watching them care so deeply, and watching them step-up night after night, and year after year, regardless of the personal cost, fills my heart with joy and admiration.

Their work is quite simply immeasurable. Britt cannot thank them enough. Their dedication to Britt is essential to the work that we do. Britt would not be Britt without our volunteers and we would not want to do our work without our volunteers. Truth be known, their ideas, positive energy, and devotion to our mission is behind every successful concert.

Next time you see a Britt Society Volunteer, please give them a pat on the back, or better yet, a hug. They are making your Britt Experience and our venue extraordinarily joyful.

Happy Thanksgiving!