Saint Mary’s ‘Lessons and Carols’ service is Dec. 10

The joyous and uplifting Christmas service of “Lessons and Carols” will be presented by the Department of Music at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10.

The beautiful service, held in the majestic Chapel of Saint Mary of the Angels, features the Saint Mary’s Concert Choir and Chamber Singers, directed by Dr. Patrick O’Shea, and the Chamber Orchestra.

“Lessons and Carols” reflects on the Christmas story through several short readings, hymns and Christmas carols sung by the choirs and audience. Music includes familiar carols and selections by composers from the Renaissance to the present.

The Chapel of Saint Mary of the Angels is located at Wabasha and Vila streets in Winona.

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

Concert Band to present ‘Sounds of the Season’

Celebrate the music of the Christmas season with the Saint Mary’s University Concert Band 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, at Page Theatre.

The concert will feature four student guest conductors: Tyler Ringiesen, Ashley Buhr, Jessica Giers and Jessica Bouska. Dr. Janet Heukeshoven will direct the rest of the hour-long performance, which includes Alfred Reed’s “Russian Christmas Music” and familiar seasonal favorites.

The band will be performing the “Coventry Carol,” a lovely setting of “Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring,” “Greensleeves Fantasia,” and the beautiful Huron Canadian Indian carol, “Twas in the Moon of Wintertime.” On the lighter side, audience members of all ages will enjoy “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and the big band jazz inspired “A Most Wonderful Christmas.”

The concert will be followed by a Christmas lobby party, which will feature a selection of holiday treats. Smaller ensembles — the brass choir, flute quartet, saxophone ensemble, jazz combo, bassoon trio and more — will perform.

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

SMU jazz, percussion groups join talents for Dec. 9 concert

The 18-piece Saint Mary’s University Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combo I and World Drum Ensemble will combine for an evening of hot jazz to melt away the chill of the season at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, in Page Theatre.

Both jazz groups are directed by Dr. John Paulson, and the World Drum Ensemble is directed by Denny McGuire.

Vocalist Jessica Ingvalson will be featured on jazzy arrangements of the Christmas classics “Christmas Time is Here” from Charlie Brown and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” arranged by Dave Wolpe.

The World Drum Ensemble will join Jazz Combo I on the great samba “Brazil,” arranged for the nine-piece group by Michael Philip Moussman. They’ll also perform a boss nova version of “White Christmas,” arranged by Mark Taylor. The Jazz Ensemble will pull out all the stops with a wild arrangement of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” by Gordon Goodwin as well as other great jazz standards like “Ladybird.” Audiences will also enjoy a premiere performance of Dr. Paulson’s “Four PM Blues.”

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

Basketball teams to collect toys for Gifts for Winona

The men’s and women’s basketball teams are partnering with the Saint Mary’s University Gifts for Winona program to collect toys on Saturday, Dec. 3.

During Saturday’s doubleheader, the community is encouraged to bring along a variety of new toys for girls and boys, which will be distributed through Gifts for Winona, particularly to youth served by the Family and Children’s Center of Winona. The women’s team will play St. Olaf at 1 p.m., followed by the men’s game at 3 p.m., both in the SMU Gym.

The Saint Mary’s Gifts for Winona program, now in its 10th year, helps more than 1,400 people in the Winona area have happier holidays. For more information about the Family and Children’s Center, go to http://fcconline.org.

SMU Irish Ceili is Dec. 4

Join the SMU ceili class on Sunday, Dec. 4, for a SMU Ceili. The event will be held in the Cardinal Club from 5 to 7 p.m. Live music will be provided by Garrigan’s Quarrel, a group which includes SMU freshman Rebecca Garrigan. Other SMU Irish musicians will join them. A variety of ceili dances will be performed. All are invited to attend and participate. For additional information, contact Kate Flanagan.

Students to show art in ‘Ideas that Spark’

Students will display energetic and electrifying work in “Ideas that Spark,” the all-campus student art exhibit through Dec. 14 in the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries.

The show features 2011 SMU December art graduates Danielle Cossetta, Sarah Kraft, Brianna Nelson, and Charlie Williams.

The Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries are open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily and are free and open to the public.

Breast Cancer Silent Auction Dec. 5-6 in Admission

The sixth annual Breast Cancer Silent Auction will be held Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 5-6, in the Office of Admission. the auction ends at 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 6. All proceeds go to Susan G. Komen For The Cure Foundation.

Suzanne Deranek has participated in the Breast Cancer 3-Day, 60-mile walk for the past seven years. In addition to walking, she has also crewed a walk for the past five years. Walkers need to raise $2,300 minimum each year to walk. This auction has raised over $14,000 for breast cancer research since it started in 2006.

All donations and winning bids are tax-deductible.

McCullough to read ‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales’ Dec. 3

Winona’s Poet Laureate Ken McCullough, director of the PASS program and assistant director of Academic Advising, will read Dylan Thomas’s “A Child's Christmas in Wales” at the Winona Arts Center, from 2-2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3. McCullough’s presentation will be part of The Artists Holiday Sale, which runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Winona Arts Center is located at 228 E. 5th St.

Ken McCullough, PASS and Academic Advising, and John Reed, Modern Languages, will present excerpts from the Spanish translation of McCullough’s book, “Sicomoro Oropéndolo,” recently published in Medellín, Colombia. McCullough will read the work in English, Reed in Spanish. The event will take place at The Book Shelf and Blue Heron Coffee House, 162 W. 2nd St., Friday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. Wine, hors d’oeuvres, and piano music will be included. McCullough will sign copies of the book. The event is free and open to the public.

Truax displays art across U.S.

Lisa Truax, assistant professor in the Department of Art and Design, has a solo exhibition at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Union Galleries opening today, Friday, Dec. 2, from 7 to 9 p.m. The exhibition is titled “Alluvial Enthrall.” For more information, go to www.union.wisc.edu/event.asp?event_id=23279.

She was also recently a part of three group exhibitions:

• “After the Pedestal” at the Sculpture Center in Cleveland, Ohio — http://sculpturecenter.org/show_details/2011_Late_Fall_ATP.html

• “Un-Wedged,” at Pottery Northwest in Seattle, Wash. — http://www.potterynorthwest.org/Gallery.htm#Nov2011

• The 2011 National Juried Ceramics Exhibition at Northern Arizona University’s Art Museum — http://www4.nau.edu/art_museum/calendar.html

Next Chat and Chow to address use of iPads, Nooks

In the next Chat and Chow session, “You’ve Got the Magic Touch,” you'll see how faculty at Saint Mary’s are teaching minds and touching screens. Eric Heukeshoven, Music Department, and Dave Jackson, Education, will demonstrate how they use iPads and Nooks to create magic in the classroom. Want the glow of new technology under the Christmas tree? Come and get a first-hand look from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, in the McEnery Center.

Chat and Chows are brought to you by the Fitz, IT and Instructional Technology. Lunch is provided. An RSVP is appreciated but not necessary. For more information, contact Jason Spartz, jspartz@smumn.edu.

Holiday services announced

The Patronal Feast is scheduled for 12:10 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 8, and the Christmas Light Service is set for 9:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 15.

Psychology Symposium is Saturday

The annual Psychology Symposium will be held 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, on the third floor of Saint Mary’s Hall.

Congratulations to Casa de Calvo family

Mario Casa de Calvo, Psychology Department, and his wife, Liz, had a son, Eldon. The Saint Mary’s University community congratulations the Casa de Calvo family!

Give to the Max Day raises $48,275 for Saint Mary’s

Give to the Max Day 2011, held Wednesday, Nov. 16, was a complete success! Saint Mary's placed 5th in the “Higher Education” rankings — raising an amazing $48,275 from 287 donors. This was nearly triple what was given during last year’s Give to the Max Day.

Nicole Schroeder, director of the Saint Mary’s Fund, would like to give a special thank you to Jennifer Teske (associate director of the Saint Mary’s Fund) for her work supporting volunteers in the Twin Cities; to Big Red for making an appearance at the Mall of America; and to Bob Fisher (young alumni & student relations associate director) for supporting students as they put on a brand new event to engage the undergraduate population in philanthropy.

University Advancement is grateful to everyone who donated, as well as everyone who shared in the excitement of the competition and helped to share the SMU spirit!

Good Lovelies to usher in holidays Dec. 1

Funny and upbeat, with just a pinch of sass, the Good Lovelies will take the stage at Saint Mary’s on Thursday, Dec. 1. The Page Series will welcome this award-winning Canadian trio at 7:30 p.m. in Page Theatre.

Part folk-roots, part Western Swing, this Toronto-based trio relies on unerring three-part vocal harmonies, clever songs, and convulsively funny repartee drawn from a seemingly endless succession of comedic adventures on the road. The Good Lovelies released a 12-track Christmas album, “Under the Mistletoe,” in November 2009.

These lovely ladies will usher in the holidays with old-fashioned melodies and impressive vocals. Their Christmas repertoire features a new take on familiar classics, a nostalgic treatment to more current songs, and original tunes that are sure to usher in the season in style.

In conjunction with this old-fashioned holiday theme, patrons are invited to dress in their best vintage outfits. Prizes will be awarded for “best female,” “best male,” “best couple,” and “best use of accessories.”

Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and students and are available at www.pagetheatre.org or call the box office, Ext. 1715, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Saint Mary’s is a fiscal year 2011 recipient of an Institutional Presenter Support grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is funded, in part, by the Minnesota arts and cultural heritage fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on Nov. 4, 2008.

Students to stage tragic tale in ‘Machinal’ Nov. 18-20

The Department of Theatre and Dance will present the tragic story of a woman driven to murder after being dominated by men, marriage, motherhood and machines in the 1928 expressionist play, “Machinal” Nov. 18-20.

The story revolves around the predestined main character, Helen, who lives a life that has been dictated to her. She follows the rituals that society expects of a woman, however resistant she may feel about them, and subsequently marries her boss, whom she finds repulsive. After having a baby with him, followed by an affair with a younger man who fuels her lust for life, she is driven to murder her husband. She is found guilty of the crime and meets her end, ironically, in a machine — the electric chair.

“Machinal” is inspired by the real-life case of convicted and executed murderess Ruth Snyder — the first woman ever to be executed in the electric chair in New York State after she, along with her lover, murdered her husband. The play’s author, Sophie Treadwell, covered Snyder’s murder trial as a reporter.

Under the direction of Judy Myers, “Machinal” will take to the stage at the Valéncia Arts Center, 10th and Vila streets, at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 18-19, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20.

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

Saint Mary’s choirs to present ‘Lessons and Carols’

The Concert Choir, Chamber Singers and Women’s Choir will present their annual holiday tribute, “Lessons and Carols,” at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10. The concert will also feature the Saint Mary’s Chamber Orchestra.

The performance — a celebration of Advent and the Nativity through song and spoken word — will be held at Chapel of Saint Mary of the Angels, located at Wabasha and Vila streets.

Music will include familiar carols, as well as selections by a variety of composers from Renaissance to the present.

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

Concert Band to present ‘Sounds of the Season’

Celebrate the music of the Christmas season with the Saint Mary’s University Concert Band 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, at Page Theatre.

The concert will feature four student guest conductors: Tyler Ringiesen, Ashley Buhr, Jessica Giers and Jessica Bouska. Dr. Janet Heukeshoven will direct the rest of the hour-long performance, which includes Alfred Reed’s “Russian Christmas Music” and familiar seasonal favorites.

The band will be performing the “Coventry Carol,” a lovely setting of “Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring,” “Greensleeves Fantasia,” and the beautiful Huron Canadian Indian carol, “Twas in the Moon of Wintertime.” On the lighter side, audience members of all ages will enjoy “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and the big band jazz inspired “A Most Wonderful Christmas.”

The concert will be followed by a Christmas lobby party, which will feature a selection of holiday treats. Smaller ensembles — the brass choir, flute quartet, saxophone ensemble, jazz combo, bassoon trio and more — will perform.

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

SMU jazz, percussion groups join talents for Dec. 9 concert

The 18-piece Saint Mary’s University Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combo I and World Drum Ensemble will combine for an evening of hot jazz to melt away the chill of the season at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, in Page Theatre.

Both jazz groups are directed by Dr. John Paulson, and the World Drum Ensemble is directed by Denny McGuire.

Vocalist Jessica Ingvalson will be featured on jazzy arrangements of the Christmas classics “Christmas Time is Here” from Charlie Brown and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” arranged by Dave Wolpe.

The World Drum Ensemble will join Jazz Combo I on the great samba “Brazil,” arranged for the nine-piece group by Michael Philip Moussman. They’ll also perform a boss nova version of “White Christmas,” arranged by Mark Taylor. The Jazz Ensemble will pull out all the stops with a wild arrangement of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” by Gordon Goodwin as well as other great jazz standards like “Ladybird.” Audiences will also enjoy a premiere performance of Dr. Paulson’s “Four PM Blues.”

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