The Rose Ensemble rehearsals are starting back up today – it’s been 3 weeks and I miss my collegues.  I’m also looking forward to a revival of the Early American show that we will be performing in Austin, MN this Tuesday at the Paramount Theater.

The Paramount is one of those theaters that was saved from demolition by a great group of people that saw the history of the building.  The Paramount was built as an atmospheric theatre – which means that when you enter you are transported to a different time and place. Imagine a quaint Spanish Villa under the stars of a twilight blue sky. Imagine reds, burnt oranges, maroons, deep greens. This is the only one of four in the state of Minnesota and the only one outside of the Twin Cities to be used as originally intended.

This will be our 2nd show in this beloved theater and I believe the Early American program will be perfect here.  I love doing this show in a stage setting and stopping on a good old wood floor.  Thanks to Legacy funding, the show is free and open to the public.  For more information, visit the Paramount’s website.

The next morning we have pickup rehearsal for our Three Faiths show on Thursday in Mora. The program spans four centuries of vocal and instrumental music, a diverse collection of Arab-Andalusian dances, Sephardic laments, Spanish villancicos, Hebrew chants and Galician spiritual cantigas come together in a fascination exploration of language, culture and faith from a time that is not so different from today.  This same show, although slightly longer, will be performed in Holland, MI and Ann Arbor, MI, March 31st and April 1st.

The program begins at 4 p.m. and there will also be a concert at the Mora High School auditorium at 7 p.m. The performance is for all ages, is open to the public and funded in part or in whole with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

The City of Mora, Kanabec County, Minnesota, is located 72 miles north ofMinneapolis and St. Paul at the intersection of Minnesota Trunk Highways 65 and 23.  It is also 52 miles northeast of St. Cloud and 91 miles southwest ofDuluth.  Mora is the crossroads of East Central Minnesota.

Sunday, March 27th gives me the opportunity to perform a dramatic piece by Franz Liszt, Psalm 137 (by the Waters of Babylon.)  The piece was written for Mezzo, Piano, Organ, Solo Violin and Women’s chorus.  Joining me in this performance will be Sonja Thompson, piano, Philip Brunelle, organ, Marc Levine, violin and the women of Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis.   Service begins at 10:30am.

Did I mention new hair?  Quite!  My salt & pepper is gone aside from a shock of silver that I kept on the right side and in the bangs.  I really needed a change with all that has happened in my life recently.  New photos coming soon…

I hope I will see you at one of these upcoming performances or at the Bach Mass in B Minor on April 8th or 9th in Minneapolis with The Lyra Concert and VocalEssence Ensemble Singers.

Wishing you the best – your comments are always appreciated!