Graham Ellery
Executive Director
Graham's grandparents were among the founding families. He spent fifteen years managing a performing-arts center in Wichita before coming home in 2014, and he introduces every Thursday recital himself.
Senior residences · Winfield, Kansas
Somebody here is always tuning up.
Fifty-eight apartments, a two-hundred-seat recital hall and neighbors who still practice every morning, in the music town of south-central Kansas.
Photo tour
Evenings on Millington Court
After dark at Vesper Hall
The lights come down. The music comes up.
Winfield has always been a town that plays. The college has a conservatory, the fairgrounds fill up with fiddlers every September, and half the churches have a choir that's been rehearsing on Wednesday nights since before anyone can remember. Vesper Hall grew out of that. The founding families wanted a place where retired music teachers, band directors and lifelong amateurs could keep their instruments out and their evenings full.
Today, about half our residents play something. The other half come for the company, the dining room and the Thursday recital, which has run every week since 1998 except for one ice storm. The lamps in the lounge stay lit until the last person goes up, and the piano is never locked.
— Graham Ellery, executive director
- 58apartments, each with its own front door
- 200seats in the Ellery recital hall
- 96evening concerts on last year's calendar
- 1998the year the first residents moved in
Sample family reviews
Notes from families
Dad taught band for thirty-eight years and stopped playing after Mom died. Two months here and he's first trumpet in the Thursday brass quintet. I cried at the first concert.
I don't play a note. I just love to listen. I have a front-row seat every Thursday and a standing supper date with three retired music teachers.
The practice rooms sold my mother. She can play Chopin at ten at night and nobody knocks on the wall.
Nia caught Mom's blood-pressure change early and called her doctor the same morning. That's the kind of attention we were hoping for.
We moved from Oklahoma City to be near our daughter. It's the first place we've lived where the neighbors knock on your door to invite you to rehearsal.
Grandpa takes guitar lessons from a nineteen-year-old conservatory student. They're both learning a lot.
Our team
The people backstage
Corinne Walsh
Director of Resident Life
Corinne plans the calendar, books the visiting players and makes sure the new resident who doesn't play anything gets invited to everything anyway.
Nia Okafor, RN
Wellness Nurse
Nia keeps the wellness office open weekdays and the flu clinic running every October. She also sings alto in the resident chorale.
Mateo Rios
Executive Chef
Mateo cooked in Kansas City supper clubs before he came south. His braised short ribs sell out the night of the spring gala.
Harlan Pryce
Music Director
Forty years a high-school band director in Cowley County. He leads the chorale, tunes the pianos himself and has never missed a Thursday.
What sets us apart
Why people choose us
01
Studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments
Full kitchens, walk-in showers and solid walls. You can practice at nine at night and nobody hears.
Monthly fee
02
Thursday recitals in the Ellery Hall
Residents, college students and visiting players, every week of the year.
Included
03
Supper by lamplight in the Vesper Room
Three courses each evening, seated or early-bird at five.
IncludedRatings & recognition · sample
- Regional arts council · Community partner (sample)
- County chamber · Small business of the year (sample)
- Local newspaper readers' poll · Best senior living (sample)
- Area senior services · Preferred partner (sample)
For families
For families
How we help you stay close, wherever you live.
- 01
Every recital, streamed
Thursday recitals stream on a private link, so the grandkids can watch from anywhere.
- 02
Supper with your parent
Guests are welcome at supper any night. Just tell the front desk by noon.
- 03
Guest suite
Our two guest suites can be booked for family visits, up to a week at a time.
- 04
A letter each month
Corinne sends a monthly letter with the calendar, the menu and the month's best photos.
Now hiring
Servers, a weekend driver and a part-time accompanist.
Visit
Find us by the music
- 905 Millington Court
Winfield, KS
Park in the lot off Millington. On concert nights we run a golf cart from the far row to the front door. - (620) 555-0154
- Text us
- evenings@vesperhall.example
- VesperHallWinfield
Tour & office hours
- Tours, Mon – Sat10a – 6p
- Thursday evening tours6p – 8p
- Families visitAny time
Visitors are welcome at every Thursday recital. Doors at 7, music at 7:30.
Bring your instrument. Or just your ears.
Call or text Graham, or book a Thursday evening tour. Supper is on us, and the music starts at seven-thirty.