The Rosemary and Meredith Willson Harmony for Mayo and the Fuad Mansour programs together present a music and dance series, "Windows on the World"

Monday, November 24, 2008

ROCHESTER, Minn. — December's Rosemary and Meredith Willson Harmony for Mayo Program, collaborating with the annual Fuad Mansour Program, features "Windows on the World," a special music and dance series celebrating cultural diversity. The program will be presented on Mondays in December from 12:10 to 1 p.m. at various locations throughout the Mayo Clinic campus.

The schedule is:

Dec. 1: Spirit of Nature, a Chinese music ensemble, will perform in Barbara Woodward Lips Atrium, subway level, Charlton Building, 10 Third Ave. N.W. Ensemble members are Chen Tao, who plays woodwind instruments such as the dizi, xiao and bawu; Gao Hong, playing Chinese lute (pipa); and Yang Yi, playing the Chinese 21 string zither (guzheng). Their repertoire includes Chinese classical, court, folk, and silk and bamboo music.

Dec. 8: Sankofa, a Ghanaian dance and folklore ensemble, will perform in Barbara Woodward Lips Atrium, subway level, Charlton Building, 10 Third Ave. N.W. "Sankofa" means "we must go back and reclaim our past so we can move forward." The ensemble is led by Sowah Mensah, a native of Ghana in western Africa. An ethnomusicologist, composer and master drummer, Mensah has taught music in Ghana and Nigeria. He currently teaches at Macalester College and the University of St. Thomas, both in St. Paul.

Dec. 15: Choral Arts Ensemble will perform in Hage Atrium, subway level, Siebens Building, 100 Second Ave., S.W. The group will usher in the holiday season with music from England, France, Spain, Germany and the United States. The concert will include familiar carols in new arrangements, including favorites like "Joy to the World" and "Angels We Have Heard on High." Additionally, a suite of Spanish carols from centuries past will be performed.

Dec. 22: Spanish flamenco guitarist Michael Hauser and A Touch of Spain will perform music and dance in Phillips Hall, Siebens Building, first floor, 100 Second Ave. S.W. Hauser is among a handful of flamenco guitar masters who live in the United States. He has performed in Europe and the Far East and, as a soloist, has completed numerous college and community tours. The group presents flamenco in its most authentic form, incorporating flute, saxophone, bass, percussion and guitar.

Dec. 29: No concert

December's "Windows on the World" series is the culmination of the Rosemary and Meredith Willson Harmony for Mayo Program's 10th year celebration. It is offered in collaboration with the annual Fuad Mansour Program which celebrates the life of Mansour, who died in 1997. A Mayo employee, he made major contributions to Mayo Clinic and the Rochester community. The program promotes peace, cultural diversity, youth-related education and mentorship activities. The annual series is funded through gifts from Mansour's friends and family.

The Rosemary and Meredith Willson Harmony for Mayo Program provides free concerts for the enjoyment of Mayo patients, visitors, staff and the Rochester community. Sponsored by Mayo Clinic Center for Humanities in Medicine, the program is coordinated by Choral Arts Ensemble of Rochester. In its 10th year of performances, the series is generously funded by Rosemary Willson in memory of her late husband, Meredith Willson, who wrote the Broadway musical "The Music Man." The gift is made in gratitude for the couple's care at Mayo Clinic. More information can be found online.

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