Concert Band debuts sixth Kaplan Commissioning Project

Guest composer Paul Richards directed the SMU Concert Band rehearsal Wednesday evening.

Florida composer Paul Richards has been chosen for the sixth Saint Mary’s Concert Band Kaplan Commissioning Project.

The SMU Concert Band and Wind Ensemble will perform Richards’ world-premiere composition, “If You Could Only See the Frog” during its fall concert 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14, at Page Theatre.

This concert marks the sixth world premiere composition made possible through the generosity of the Helen & Sam Kaplan Foundation. The Helen and Sam Kaplan Foundation supports performances and activities led by Jewish artists and scholars that are designed to increase cultural and religious understanding at Saint Mary’s.

Richards’ “If You Could Only See The Frog” is based on a Bulgarian children’s song sung by exiled Jews in the Spanish-Jewish dialect of Ladino. Its playful tune stems from a wide range of cultural influences and is a percussion driven exploration of this infectious melody.

The composer started his residency at SMU Nov. 10 and will conduct the premiere. Dr. Richards teaches at the University of Florida (Gainsville), and has received numerous commissions and awards including the ASCAP Rudolf Nissim Prize, the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra’s “Fresh Ink” prize and many others. For more information, go to www.paulrichardsmusic.com.

Under the direction of Dr. Janet Heukeshoven, the SMU Concert Band will also perform works by Grainger, Arnold, Shostakovich and Grundman. The Wind Ensemble will perform two pieces, including arrangements of the familiar “Funeral March of a Marionette” by Charles Gounod and Scott Joplin’s “The Easy Winners.”

Tickets are $10, $5 for students and seniors, and are available at the SMU Box Office, Ext. 1715, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday or online at www.pagetheatre.org.

For more information, contact Dr. Heukeshoven at jheukesh@smumn.edu or Ext. 1675.

Oldie Moldies to perform at Signatures Nov. 20

Catch dinner and a show with the Oldie Moldie All-Stars Saturday, Nov. 20, at Visions Event Center.

Rock along to your favorite ’50s, ’60s and ’70s tunes while enjoying a menu of house salad, pan-seared Canadian walleye fillet, wild rice pilaf, mixed vegetables, caper tarter sauce, rolls and butter, and a root beer float.

The Oldies are members of the national music fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia at Saint Mary’s. The group consists of 10 talented and engaging singers and band members. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and dinner will be served at 7 p.m.; the Oldies will perform two sets, one at 6:30 p.m., and a second at 7:45 p.m.

The price for the dinner and show is $32 per person; reservations can be made now through Nov. 19 by calling Signatures at (507) 454-3767. Payment is accepted at time of reservation. A chicken or pasta option is available by reservation.

Visions Event Center is located at Signatures Restaurant, 22852 County Road 17 in Pleasant Valley.

MCA holds sixth biennial Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party Nov. 21

The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts (MCA) is hosting its sixth biennial Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party, Sunday, Nov. 21, at Valéncia Arts Center, 1164 West 10th St.

This year’s Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party features two tea sittings at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., providing specialty teas and exquisite finger foods. The Land of the Sweets Gift Boutique, featuring holiday gifts and crafts, as well as products from At Home America, Forever Engraved, Mon Petit Cupcake and USBorne Books, will be available for purchase from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15 per person. All children attending the tea party will receive a complimentary professional photo with their favorite live character from the Nutcracker Ballet. Tea attendees will enjoy the sounds of MCA’s Winona Area Youth Singers, as well as flute, clarinet and piano accompaniment by MCA’s music division instructors.

To reserve seats, or a full table of six, call Ext. 5500. The Valéncia Arts Center is handicapped accessible.

The Sugar Plum Fairy Tea party is MCA’s first big event of its Nutcracker production season. The company will present the full-length ballet Dec. 2-5, at Saint Mary’s University Page Theatre. This year’s 80 cast members include students from Saint Mary’s, Winona State University and children and community members from Winona and the surrounding areas.

For tickets to the production, call the box office at Ext. 1715 or visit www.pagetheatre.org.

Proceeds from The Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party will benefit the MCA student scholarship fund and Nutcracker production costs.

New version of Greek myth ‘Eurydice’ offered this weekend

The Saint Mary’s Department of Theatre and Dance will present a fresh reflection on the timeless Greek love story “Eurydice” tonight through Nov. 14.

“Eurydice” — by the recently Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award nominated playwright Sarah Ruhl — is a modern reinterpretation of the Greek myth of Eurydice and Orpheus from a woman's point of view. The original story focuses on Orpheus and his journey into the underworld to save his wife, Eurydice, who he lost just moments after their wedding. Ruhl instead focuses on Eurydice’s descent into the underworld and imagines what her journey might have entailed.

Director Steven Bouler describes “Eurydice” as a 90-minute play of rare beauty about memory and loss, faithfulness and undying love. “It promises to be a disconcerting drama that will bring a tear to the eye, a lump to the throat and a smile to the face,” he said.

Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Nov. 12-13, 9:30 p.m. Nov. 12-13 and 4 and 6:30 p.m. Nov. 14 in the Studio Theatre, located upstairs in the SMU Performance Center.

Although the performance is free, tickets are required as seating is limited. Tickets can be obtained through the SMU Box Office, Ext. 1715. A donation of a canned item for a local food shelf is encouraged.

English students to present at Streamlines conference

Three Saint Mary’s students from the English Department will travel to Dubuque, Iowa, to present papers Saturday, Nov. 13, at Streamlines, an undergraduate conference for language, literature, and writing. The conference is co-hosted by Clarke University, Loras College, and the University of Dubuque.

Theresa Breault will present “Holocaust Imagery in the Poetry of Sylvia Plath”; Nicole Ciulla will present “Service unto the Individual: Greater than the ‘Greater Good’”; and Danielle Scholbrock will present “The Role of Female Sexuality and Intellect in Stoker’s Dracula.” The students will be accompanied by Dr. Carolyn Ayers, who will moderate a panel on Global Literature at the conference.

Jazz Ensemble to perform

Saint Mary’s 17-piece Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo I will perform from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18, in the Riverside Room at Jefferson Pub and Grill.

The informal show is free, but a free-will offering is encouraged for the Winona Food Shelf. The night’s set includes the great big band classic “That Old Devil Moon,” arranged by Dave Wolpe; Jerome Richardson’s famous “Groove Merchant”; a new Latin groove chart titled “Hablemos,” by Mike Carubia; and the classic “Manteca,” by Dizzy Gillespie; in addition to the great standards “Song for My Father” by Horace Silver; and “Freddie the Freeloader,” arranged by Les Hooper for big band. Jazz Combo I will perform Clifford Brown’s blues “Sandu,” Jobim’s “So Danco Samba” and the well-know hit “After You've Gone,” arranged by Frank Mantooth.

The ensemble’s next performance is Friday, Dec. 10, in Page Theatre, with SMU alumnus Chris White on guitar. This concert will include the SMU World Drum Ensemble, directed by Denny McGuire.

The band will be selling its recently released CD “Staycation” at both events. To order the CD or for more information, visit www.smumn.edu/staycation or www.paulsonjazz.com.

Heukeshoven composition featured at New Music Festival

Music Department faculty member A. Eric Heukeshoven’s composition, “Music and Other Sounds for Horn Soloist,” was selected to be performed at the three-day La Crosse New Music Festival, held Nov. 11, in La Crosse, Wis.

Saint Mary’s freshman Regina Barbosa performed the piece, which Heukeshoven describes as, “a ‘tongue-in-cheek’ essay for, and about, horn players.” The work was composed in 1981 and has been performed numerous times over the past three decades.

Heukeshoven is currently writing a new piece commissioned for the Saint Mary’s Chamber Singers’ 2011 tour of Italy.

More information on Heukeshoven’s compositions can be found on the American Composers Forum website at www.composersforum.org/member_profile.cfm?oid=2509.

Educause conference can be viewed online

Saint Mary’s Information Technology Department hosted a viewing room for the 2010 Educause Conference Online Edition Oct. 13-15.

Twelve members of the university participated in a combination of 16 sessions offered over the two and a half day conference.

The Information Technology Department registered for the event and invited members of the Winona campus to participate in an effort to continue awareness of what’s going on in the industry.

For those who were unable to attend the event, the conference can be viewed online at www.educause.edu/E2010/EDUCAUSE2010OnlineAnnualProgra/PrivateSessionRecordings/214842.

These recordings will be available through Jan. 6, 2011.

Biology seminar to feature Borash

Gary Borash will present “Seeds of Success - Conservation and Land Management Internship Program,” at 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov.18, in Room 112, Hoffman Hall. Borash graduated with an environmental biology degree in May 2010, and after a summer internship in Arizona, became SMU’s outdoor leadership coordinator.

A Confluence of Voices III planned for Nov. 12

“A Confluence of Voices III,” — an evening of poetry hosted by Ken McCullough, Winona’s Poet Laureate, and Jim Armstrong, Winona’s former Poet Laureate — will be held Friday, Nov. 12.

Student poets from Saint Mary’s and Winona State will read their original work, followed by an open mic. This event — which will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. at Mugby Junction, 451 Huff St. — is free and open to the public.

Blue Angel 2010 a success

The Brothers of Phi Mu Alpha would like to thank the Saint Mary’s community for its overwhelming support of Blue Angel 2010. More than 600 people enjoyed this year’s performances. Thanks go to everyone who helped make Blue Angel a success.

Photos can be submitted to Cardinal Corner for Red Cards

The Cardinal Corner is selling spirit hair (a hat with crazy colored hair) and vuvuzelas (horns). Send in pictures of you wearing spirit hair or blowing your vuvuzela, and the store will post them on its Facebook site. Everyone who submits photos will receive a free Red Card.

Photos should be sent in .jpg format to cardinalcorner@smumn.edu.

Become a fan of the Cardinal Corner’s Facebook site at www.facebook.com/cardinalcorner. Latest updates, sales and freebies are posted on the site first.

High School Challenge season continues Saturday

The Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota High School Challenge continues with Round 1B at 9 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 30, in the World Room, located in the SMU Hendrickson Center.

The 2010-11 season marks the 40th year of the longest running, locally produced television program showcasing Eastern Minnesota, Western Wisconsin, and Northeast Iowa high school students in an educational forum.

High School Challenge is a contest in which high schools compete to correctly answer questions dealing with high school subjects, general information and current events. Thirty-two teams compete in winner and consolation bracket tournaments at Saint Mary’s. The final eight games of the tournament are taped at SMU and are televised on Fox 25 La Crosse and Fox 48 Eau Claire.

High school students receive scholarships to Saint Mary’s for participating in High School Challenge. Schools that win their first game receive $2,000 scholarships to SMU. Schools that lose their first game receive $1,000 scholarships to SMU. These scholarships are for any member of the senior class with a B or above average.

The following schools will participate: Lewiston-Altura, Bangor, Decorah, Weston, Aquinas, Osseo-Fairchild, Seneca, and Eau Claire Regis. Round 1C will be Nov. 20.

Teams that win their afternoon game will return Dec. 4 for the Consolation Championship games with Logan (White team) and Cotter high schools. Teams that win their morning and afternoon games will return Feb. 19 for the Super Challenge Championship with Logan (Red team) and LaCrescent high schools.

For more information, contact Nicole Witt Gerdes, High School Challenge coordinator, at ngerdes@smumn.edu or Ext. 1761.

Windley-Daoust publishes article about natural childbirth

Dr. Susan Windley-Daoust, assistant professor of Theology, published an article in the December 2010 issue of Sojourners Magazine, “Unto Us A Child Is Given: Why Is It Such A Fight To Have A Natural Childbirth?” Sojourners is a magazine focusing on issues of faith, politics, and culture. Article available with free registration at www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=magazine.home.

Sympathy to Green family

Patricia Green, mother of Kim Leaf, Chartwells and Mugby Junction, died Sunday, Oct. 31. Notes of condolences can be sent to Kim Leaf, Campus P.O. 25. The Saint Mary’s community extends its condolences to the Green family.