Happy end of March......Arts and Culture

The new Wasatch Elementary School looks barren, but lots of learning goes on inside! The old building on 900E was 75 years old. My grand-daughter third grader Cordelia (in top center) enjoys singing in the  choir and Mandarin immersion program.

This Paris based baroque string group founded in 1979, was absolutely spectacular. Highlight was Vivaldi's Four Seasons, this concert at BYU celebrating the 300th anniversary (March 25, 2025) of this famous work. The leader and 29 year old violinist Theotime Langlois de Swarte was absolutely amazing!

My daughter Emily Taylor, certified mediator, developmental psychologist, teacher and and assistant director of conflict resolution at Utah Valley University was a presenter at a wonderful recent Mormon Women for Ethical Government (MWEG) spring conference.

I recommend Nikah (persecuted Uyghur minority in China) and A Simple Life (family and age theme), and especially touching was a survey of ordinary people in Bhutan about their happiness level.

I often attend the International Cinema at BYU with my friend Kerstin Grimmer

March 27 was the last day of our ESL term. With almost perfect attendance are my wonderful students Angelica from Chile and Rogerson from Haiti. We have a week of spring break now.

My daughter Julie Carlston came down from SLC and we visited Brian Kershisnik's fabulous exhibit at BYU Art museum. I've included some of these very thought-provoking works in a previous blog.

         The pear trees are finally starting to blossom...hurray!!!!

                                                    We all have burdens to carry

 Ruth, Gardening in the Rain, and one depicting the curiosity of children are favorites of mine

The BYU Concert choir gave a lovely concert of  sacred music from many faith traditions, followed by the fabulous BYU Men's Chorus (folk and sacred music). I can never get enough! 

It's always wonderful to make new friends. Thanks to Kerstin for introducing me to Frances, Phiroze (retired Cornell professors from Taiwan and India), and Barbel. She also introduced me to a delightful book for all ages!

Each of us makes a difference as we live good lives and let our light shine and courageously let our voices be heard.

We look forward to our semi-annual church wide broadcast from SLC this weekend  Sat and Sunday, 10-12 and 2-4 MDT to be inspired by our church leaders. Try tuning in!

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/feature/general-conference?lang=eng  (and MANY other languages)

It is amazing to watch my grandchildren grow up. 4 Easters ago they were little children, now they are young people! Enjoy the anticipation of a lovely Easter ! (photo from 2021)

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Saint Patrick was a fifth-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron Saint of Ireland. There are popular legends about Ireland: leprechauns, little elves who bury their gold in a pot at the end of rainbows. Don't forget to wear green on March 17 if you don't want to get pinched!

These cold winter days are conducive to International Cinema viewings. I was especially interested in a documentary about the Mapuche, indigenous group in Chile never conquered by the Spanish, and still fighting for their rights

Areas where Mapuche have lived in Argentina and Chile, their flag, the producer of "Relentless Memory," and questions to ask about marginalized peoples and memory.

We've been getting lots of rain and snow (which doesn't last too long)

Back yard above, looking out my side window at the street, below

    Back yard above, looking out my side window at the street, below

                          Every season is different in Utah!

The Salt Lake City based Callanish (Celtic group) gave a wonderful free concert at Covey Center in Provo. I try to take advantage of it all!

The rebuilding of the Salt Lake Temple, originally built in the 1890's , has 2 more years until completion.

One of my all-time favorite musicals, on tour in SLC from Broadway, NY, was a smashing success. Amazing singers, sets, choreography!

The incredible, very select BYU Singers sang mostly sacred music and will be touring in Europe this summer.

 Three BYU folk ensembles, above the American group, shared their wonderful talents with fast, lovely music.

              I loved the BYU Celtic group with lovely Irish tunes

Fabulous Mountain String's (will perform/compete) in Italy in July and August. They perform with the BYU folk dance Ensemble.

The fabulous BYU chamber orchestra and Philharmonic (as well as youth orchestra Lyceum Philharmonic) featured a guest artist, Stephen Kent playing the didgeridoo. In Aboriginal culture, the didgeridoo is used in both ceremonies and informal settings, often as an accompaniment to chanting, singing and dancing. The music of traditional didgeridoo players is deeply related to the earth and their spirituality. This wind instrument is in the form of a long wooden tube, traditionally made from a hollow branch, which is blown to produce a deep, resonant sound, varied by rhythmic accents of timbre and volume. The orchestra will be touring Australia and played several Australian and American pieces, but ended with Ottorino Respighi"s beautiful "Pines of Rome."

These performing groups tour around the world, exemplifying the BYU motto: Enter to learn, Go forth to Serve. Everything we have been blessed to have, learn, or experience should be used to love and serve others, as we see and listen to their stories, especially those of the marginalized, the forgotten, the poor, the victims of war, abuse, and all kinds of natural or man-made disasters. Let's use our hands and make our voices heard!

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