Mayo Clinic Announces Four Performances in February for the Rosemary and Meredith Willson Harmony for Mayo Program

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

ROCHESTER, Minn. — The public is invited to enjoy four Rosemary and Meredith Willson Harmony for Mayo Program concerts in February. Performances will be on Mondays from 12:10 to 1 p.m. unless otherwise indicated.

The schedule is:

Feb. 4: Bill and Kate Isles will perform an acoustic concert in Barbara Woodward Lips Atrium, subway level, Rochester Methodist Hospital, Charlton Building, 10 Third Ave. NW. As singers and songwriters, the duo employ a variety of musical styles to provide memorable experiences for audiences across the nation. They are based in Duluth, Minn.

Feb. 11: The Choral Arts Ensemble will perform in Lips Atrium. Led by Artistic Director Rick Kvam, Choral Arts Ensemble is dedicated to the creation and performance of exciting new music as well as the sensitive presentation of masterworks from the Renaissance to the 20th century.

Feb. 18: "Fascinating Rhythm," A Tribute to the Gershwin Brothers, will be presented in Lips Atrium. The program pays tribute to George and Ira Gershwin with a medley of their music from the stage, screen and recording studio, interspersed with biographical anecdotes. Performers will be featured in solo, duet and ensemble work. Accompanied by Jan Matson and narrator John Helmers, singers include Laurie Helmers, Michael Fridgen, Tom Overlie and Novella Meisner.

Feb. 25: Bill Staines, an accomplished folk musician, will perform a concert in Lips Atrium. For more than 40 years, Staines has performed his own award-winning folk songs. He has recorded 27 albums, and released his most recent, "Beneath Some Lucky Star," in 2012. Staines is a National Yodeling Champion and Parents' Choice Award winner. His songs have been recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary, Grandpa Jones, Jerry Jeff Walker and Mason Williams, among others.

Sponsored by Mayo Clinic Center for Humanities in Medicine,, the Rosemary and Meredith Willson Harmony for Mayo Program is coordinated by Choral Arts Ensemble of Rochester. The series is generously funded by the late Rosemary Willson in memory of her 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.

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