Mayo Clinic Announces Five June Rosemary and Meredith Willson Harmony for Mayo Program Concerts

Friday, May 23, 2008

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Now celebrating its 10th year of performances, the Rosemary and Meredith Willson Harmony for Mayo Program will move out of doors in June to kick off the summer season. The series features weekly musical concerts for Mayo Clinic patients, staff and the Rochester community. Each Monday in June, Mayo invites everyone to bring family, friends and a picnic lunch to the Harwick Building courtyard, at 205 Third Avenue S.W., for concerts from 12:10 to 1 p.m. In case of inclement weather, the concerts will move to the Barbara Woodward Lips Atrium, subway level, Rochester Methodist Hospital, Charlton Building, 10 Third Ave. N.W., unless otherwise noted.

The June schedule is:

June 2: The well-known singer and pianist Marcia Ball will perform a special concert to help celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Rosemary and Meredith Willson Harmony for Mayo Program. In case of inclement weather, this concert will be moved to the Rochester Art Center, 40 Civic Center Drive S.E., Rochester, Minn.

Originally from Orange, Texas, Ball performs blues, R&B and ballads — with a Gulf Coast twist. Ball has performed throughout the United States, and she has been featured on public radio broadcasts, "Austin City Limits" and the "Late Show with David Letterman." She also performed for the New Orleans Social Club to benefit Hurricane Katrina victims. Her most recent album is "Peace, Love and BBQ."

June 9: Acoustic singer and songwriter Peter Mayer, a Minnesotan, will perform on guitar. Mayer has done concerts throughout the United States. His music includes lyrics and a style that speak of the beauty, mystery and interconnectedness of humanity and the world. Mayer's background is in music and theology. Of his eight recordings, 50,000 copies have been sold independently. His most recent release is "Novelties."

June 16: Brandon Sampson, Dezi Wallace and Dana Cooper will perform a concert entitled "Americana Showcase." Sampson and Wallace are members of the southeastern Minnesota group Six Mile Grove, and Cooper is from Nashville, Tenn. They will share stories about their songs, take turns performing, and even join in on each other's songs when the mood strikes them.

June 23: The Chorale and Treble choirs from Honors Choirs of Southeastern Minnesota will sing selections from "The Sound of Music." The not-for-profit organization includes four auditioned youth choirs for singers in grades three through 12, and is in its 16th season. The Chorale Choir is directed by Jon Strommen Campbell. Bill Nelson directs the Treble Choir.

June 30: Bob Bovee and Gail Heil will perform a string-band program. The duo has been performing together since 1980. Their style uses the fiddle, banjo, guitar and harmonica to produce old-time country music, the precursor of the style known as bluegrass. In addition to dance tunes, ballads, cowboy songs, humorous and sentimental numbers, blues and rags, listeners can expect to hear bits of history and folklore.

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 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 about the Rosemary and Meredith Willson Harmony for Mayo Program can be found online (www.mayoclinic.org/humanities-in-medicine).

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