Written By Lisa Breslin

More than 300 people gathered in the Babylon Great Hall at Carroll Community College on Sunday, December 9, for an elegant reception and an evening of entertainment by composer and performer Marvin Hamlisch.

Hamlisch, the principal pops conductor with the National Symphony Orchestra and the Pittsburgh and San Diego Symphony Orchestras, has composed the music for more than 40 motion pictures, including his Oscar-winning score and song for The Way We Were.

The $125-a-ticket Starry Night gala and its silent auction netted more than $50,000 for Carroll Community College’s Partners Campaign.

Ultimately, proceeds will go toward technology at the college, student scholarships and the nursing program, according to Steve Wantz, executive director of institutional development and the college foundation.

Plans are already underway for next year’s Starry Night. “We have a good lead on the entertainment,” Wantz said. “If we can follow the lead, the entertainment could top this year’s – if that is possible.”