It’s the type of event that would have made Risé Jones’s heart sing.

A fundraiser on Saturday will feature the music she loved to share with the greater Elgin community, performed by the people she loved. The money will be used to continue the work of Hamilton Wings, the nonprofit Jones founded with her mother in 1993 that was shaken by her unexpected death at age 58 in December 2024.

The event also introduces the community to Brittany Barber, who succeeds Jones as Hamilton Wings’ executive director. Barber has significant community experience and her appointment is noteworthy as Barber was a student of Jones and participant in the Hamilton Wings’ program SCORE!, which stands for Students Creating Opera to Reinforce Education.

Each year, students ages 9 to 13 compose and perform roles

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