U of L to wrap up season with three concerts
Global Drums kicks things off next weekend
Now there are three! As the academic year winds down, Lethbridge audiences have just three more on-campus performances to enjoy before autumn. Some years, we’d call them the university’s “spring” concerts — but look outside.
Next Friday and Saturday, the UofL
Percussion Ensemble and Global Drums will wrap their season at 7:30 p.m. in University Theatre. A powerful group of percussionists includes community as well as student members, with a repertoire that ranges from samba, steel band, Brazilian, Taiko and African, to Chinese and chamber percussion styles. Directed by
Adam Mason, the ensemble has performed on stages across southern Alberta and beyond. On April 10, the U of L Collaborative
Ensemble will offer a free concert, starting at 7:30 p.m. in Recital Hall. It’s an ensemble of pianists and guitarists who enjoy making music with others, partnering with singers and instrumentalists to perform sonatas, character pieces, showpieces, opera arias, and art songs — in a variety of languages! Finally, on April 12, the U of L Wind
Orchestra will take to the stage at 7:30 p.m. in University Theatre. Under the direction of professor Chee Meng Low, the 60-member group takes part in event running from convocation ceremonies to collaborative concerts with school groups and community bands. It recently launched a wind orchestra concerto competition.
Tickets for the percussion and wind concerts are available from the U of L box office at ulethbridge.ca/finearts/events or by
phone at 403-329-2616.
••• Downtown, another universityrelated event is planned for April 8. “Voices in Spring,” a no-charge concert in the library’s Theatre Gallery, will feature third-year U of L sopranos
Krysia Ferguson and Alexandra Morgan, accompanied by pianist
Gregory Knight. They’ll present works by Mozart, Faure, Puccini, Mendelssohn and more.
••• The Theatre Gallery will also be offering several no-charge Easter week movies for children, including “Hop” on Tuesday and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” on Thursday, both at 2:30 p.m.
The regular free Friday, 7 p.m. features will be “All Saints” on Friday and “Us and Them” on April 13.
The Tuesday night series at the Crossings Branch will offer “Step” on Tuesday and “Long Time Running” on
April 10. Showtime is 7 p.m.; admission is free.
And the university’s New Media series will wrap for the season with “The Red Turtle” at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, “White God” at 6 p.m. on April 18. Both are free.
••• On April 14, a benefit concert will be held to help rebuild Canyon Church Camp, partially lost to last fall’s wildfire in Waterton Lakes National Park. Celebrated songwriters and concert performers Jim and Jean
Strathdee will be featured at 7 p.m. in McKillop United Church, sponsored by all the Lethbridge-area United congregations. The freewill offering will help Canyon Camp volunteers to start rebuilding. ••• For other musical genres, The Slice will be spotlighting The Denim Daddies on April 11, Dave Quanbury and Kevin Giron on April 21, and Altameda Jared and The Mill on May 2.
••• And at Casa, next week’s “First Friday” noon-hour concert will feature
Graeme Roset on piano with Mark Rodgers on cello for “piano guys arrangements.” It’s set for 12:15 p.m., bring your own lunch.
••• For its final event of the season, Theatre Outre is presenting “No Way Out” at 8 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday at Club Didi downtown. The adult fare is described as an “improvised tragicomedy (which) explores the secrets we keep hidden even from those that are closest to us.”
Originally created for the Lethbridge Fringe Festival in 2016, the show returns to the city after two years on the road in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Tickets and further information are available at nowayoutimprov.ca.
••• Two months ahead of its main events, the Lethbridge Pride Fest organization returns to Casino Lethbridge next Friday and Saturday for another “Diva Cabaret.” Tickets for four performances are available online at lethbridgepride.tickit.ca.
••• Looking way ahead, the folks at the Enmax Centre have announced a onenight, Nov. 15 appearance by the Moscow Ballet, as part of its “Dove of Peace” tour. Tickets will go on sale April 9 at 10 a.m.
••• This week’s salute goes to all those who’ve worked to bring the longvacant Woolworth’s (Bargain Shop!) building back to life. The latest to move into the prominent downtown structure is Reeve’s College, up from a downstairs location a few blocks away.
••• So, some last-minute reminders: Today, the Galt Museum invites families to enjoy “Eggstravaganza,” a special seasonal event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Today and Sunday at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre, there’s a timely “rabbits and hares” event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m..
And next Saturday, 7 p.m. at Casa, the Playgoers of Lethbridge will host the annual Regional One-Act Festival, with tickets at the Casa front desk.