Events

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Come join Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet-to-Come and of course old Scrooge himself in a solo performance* of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Transylvania’s drama program director, Tim Soulis, will present this holiday classic Wednesday, December 5, at 7:30 p.m. in Carrick Theater. The one-hour production is open to the public and donations taken at the door will benefit the Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center. For more information, contact the public relations office at (859) 233-8120 or Tim Soulis at (859) 233-8163. * The production is a solo performance, not a reading.

LEXINGTON, Ky.—A brass quintet from the 113th U.S. Army Band will perform and Sylvia Lovely will be the guest speaker at Transylvania University’s Veterans Day ceremony, Sunday, November 11, at 5 p.m., in Carrick Theater in the Mitchell Fine Arts Center. The event is free and open to the public. The brass quintet is part of the 39-piece 113th U.S. Army Band is the second oldest Army band in the United States. It supports the U.S. Army Armor Center, 16th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armor Training Brigade and the U.S. Army Recruiting Command at Fort Knox. Sylvia Lovely, CEO of the Kentucky League of Cities and president of the NewCities Institute, will be the guest speaker. Lovely, a published author, focuses on civic engagement. She speaks across the country encouraging citizens to take action in building better communities. She is nationally recognized for her efforts to inspire others to create positive change. World War II veteran and Lexington resident, George Hendricks, will deliver a special reflection on his service. Hendricks, the father of Lexington Fire Chief Bob Hendricks, was a Staff Sergeant in World War II and participated in numerous campaigns in Northern Africa and Italy. Hendricks, 91, was also the first Eagle Scout in Greenup County, Kentucky, and has been involved in Scouting for more than 75 years. “This event will serve as an important way of honoring the service and sacrifice of the brave men and women who have

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University music professor Larry Barnes has received an ASCAP award from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers for his professional activities. The award was established to recognize composers who have made significant contributions to American music. Barnes, who holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a doctor of musical arts degree in composition from the Eastman School, has been involved in numerous musical projects this year. His “Toccata: Act of War,” won an international competition, was released on two record labels and has received favorable reviews from music critics. Kathy Parsons of Amazon.com wrote, “Barnes’s ‘Toccata: Act of War’ was completed after the events of 9/11/01. Overflowing with passion and anger, it is interspersed with brief moments of lyricism—an exceptionally powerful work.” Mike Brownell of All Music Guide said that the rhythmic drive and intensity of fellow Transylvania professor Greg Partain’s performance of “Toccata” on MSR Records left “listeners wishing the piece were longer than its mere six minutes, or that Partain included more works by his colleague.” In addition to “Toccata,” Barnes composed a musical score for the award-winning film Euphoria and is now working on additional music and sound for the film, which is scheduled to be re-released in 2008. Barnes’s pieces for guitar trio, “Incantation” and “Dervish,” premiered at Transylvania last year, and the Lexington Guitar Trio will encore these compositions in a Transylvania faculty recital

Read “Transy music professor receives composer’s award; Lexington Guitar Trio to perform his compositions at Transylvania faculty recital on Wednesday, Nov. 7, at 7:30 p.m. in Carrick Theater”

LEXINGTON, Ky.—The Grammy Award-winning Kronos Quartet will give the inaugural performance in Transylvania’s Dorothy J. and Fred K. Smith Concert Series Wednesday, Oct. 10, at 7:30 p.m. in Haggin Auditorium. For more than 30 years, the Kronos Quartet has pursued the artistic vision of combining fearless exploration with a commitment to expanding the range and context of the string quartet. In the process, Kronos has become one of the most celebrated and influential ensembles of today, performing thousands of concerts worldwide, releasing more than 40 recordings, collaborating with many of the world’s most eclectic composers and performers and commissioning hundreds of works and arrangements for string quartet. Their work has received numerous awards, including a 2004 Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance and being named 2003 Musicians of the Year by Musical America. Kronos has built a diverse repertoire for string quartet, performing and recording works by twentieth century masters (Bartok, Shostakovich, Webern), contemporary composers (Sofia Gubaidulina, Arvo Part, Alfred Schnittke), jazz legends (Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk), and such varied artists as rock guitar legend Jimi Hendrix, Indian vocal master Pandit Pran Nath and avant-garde saxophonist John Zorn. The quartet has collaborated with many of the world’s foremost composers and artists, and its work has been featured prominently in films and dance. The Smith Concert Series was created in February 2007 by Dorothy J. Smith, a 1942 Transylvania graduate, to bring high quality musical performances to Transylvania’s campus.

Read “Transylvania’s Smith Concert Series open with performance by Grammy Award-winning Kronos Quartet on Wednesday, Oct. 10, at 7:30 p.m.”