Music

The world Margaret Atwood set out to create was inspired by real events from human history—the attempt of the American Puritans to establish a theocracy, the abortion debate, the presence of fundamentalist regimes.
From his boyhood in wartime France to serving as chef to heads of state, Jacques Pepin has a dish to represent just about every milestone. A new memoir describes the education of the person Julia Child calls "the best chef in America".
The Dale Warland Singers and their founder, Dale Warland, celebrated that 30th anniversary milestone with a concert at the Ted Mann Concert Hall on Sunday April 27th, 2003, broadcast live by Minnesota Public Radio.
From the deep basses in the music of Russian masters Golovanov and Stravinsky to the familiar sound of Mozart’s "Ave Verum Corpus" and Poulenc’s "Mass in G Major", Cathedral Classics sets a tone that is both somber and glorious, perfect for the Easter season.
Times are tough in the classical music world. Orchestras around the country are cutting staff and operating in the red. But the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra expects to end the season with a balanced budget, and has boosted its audience by 40 percent in one year.
For decades, Hibo Mohamed Nuur's legendary voice drew thousands to concerts from Mogadishu to Toronto. They still call her the James Brown of Somali music. But for the past few years Nuur's lived in relative obscurity in Rochester.
Song writing is easy for folk musician John McCutcheon. The prolific artist says some songs come to him in a flash of revelation and all he has to do is put the words and melody on paper. McCutcheon has produced 26 collections of songs during his 30-year career. His latest CD, The Greatest Story Never Told, delves into the past, looking back at historical events that had worldwide significance and smaller episodes that hold personal meaning. McCutcheon told MPR's All Things Considered host Lorna Benson he first considered becoming a professional musician on a trip he took to Appalachia, while he was a student at St. John's University in Collegeville.
Vern Sutton, a living Minnesota opera legend, is retiring. He's ending 36 years as a faculty member at the University of Minnesota School of Music. However, Sutton is not yet ready to leave the stage.
The Corpse Carrier's Tango was written in 1943 by Aleksander Kulisiewicz. The song is sung in Polish by mezzo soprano Julie Mirel. Here is the English translation of the lyrics.
Mister C was written in 1940 by Aleksander Kulisiewicz. The song is sung in Polish by mezzo soprano Julie Mirel. Here is the English translation of the lyrics.