This Sunday, Thursday Music Club is making its annual gift to the community -- the 87th annual Christmas musicale. And as near as I can tell, they have gathered some of the finest musicians around Greater Grand Forks.
For those who attend, the musicale seems like the real beginning of the Christmas season. It's presented at 4 p.m., late in the afternoon when darkness is gathering and candles flicker in the large United Lutheran Church on Chestnut Street and Fourth Avenue South. And it is a tradition to go away from this musical with the true feeling of Advent.
The program includes the Thursday Music chorus with bells and G. Paul Larson as soloist and Devera Warcup and Joan Karner as accompanists. Connie Stordalen will be a featured soloist. And youth will make an appearance in the form of Four Guys from Red River. They are Ryan Christianson, Luke Hoplin, Walter Criswell and Paul Millette.
The bell choir from Calvary Lutheran church will appear under direction of Mary Ann Devig. And there will be piano, flute, violin, trumpet and trombone music by students of Sheila Nelson. The program also includes violin duos by Alejandro Drago and Joel Tosta Alarcon and pianist Emily Burkland.
The Christmas message will be presented by Jerry Bass, pastor of Wesley Methodist Church. The musicale traditionally includes congregational singing of the old familiar carols. The free will offering is used to help send students to the summer music camp at the International Peace Garden.
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Hoops, pucks, magician
The first weekend of December rolls round with snow and more snow on the way ... Along with Christmas music there will be basketball and hockey at the Betty and Ralph Arenas ... And a meeting of Sioux fans at noon today in Ballroom 5 of the Alerus Center ... It will feature music by Ken Hallgrimson's ever-so-lively 42nd Street Band as well as the lowdown on the weekend matches from the coaches ... The lineup includes hockey tonight and Saturday with St. Cloud ... while the Sioux women hockey team is hosting Wisconsin in afternoon games Saturday and Sunday ... While the Sioux women's basketball team is playing Drake at noon on Saturday ...
Another holiday tradition this weekend is the annual UND Madrigal dinner planned for tonight and Saturday night in the UND Memorial Union ... And a Messiah Sing a Long sessions Sunday and Dec. 13 will precede the Messiah performance on Dec. 14 ... The Winter Reading Program begins Saturday afternoon at the Grand Forks Public Library ... Where Magician Jeffery Salveson will amaze his audience ... The Lions Clubs present Christmas in the park every evening along the drive in Lincoln Park ...
Ask Marilyn
Q. When did they first celebrate Christmas in Grand Forks?
A. In 1875, the city had Christmas meat when a hunter killed a bear and brought it to the village. He cut it up and sold it a chunk at a time. But Herald files disclose that, in 1877, the villagers decided the time had come when children in the community should see a real Christmas. Someone chopped down a scrub oak tree and the entire community helped disguise it as an evergreen. It was used to decorate the little Methodist Church that was about 100 feet square.
Q. What is the GOTCHA Club?
A. It's made up of a great group of middle school students at South Middle School who like to help out around the city. They will be helping when the Optimist Club wraps gifts this month at Columbia Mall. Their letters stand for Giving Our Time To Help All. Their advisers are teachers Kelli Adams and Cindy Jensen.
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Tim, Barb, Scott
Cheerful people of the week: Tim Saylor, Barb Schultz, and Scott Huizenga.
