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Upcoming & Recent Events
Playing Haydn for the Angel of Death
Our recent tour was a great success and we have now
begun a fundraising drive to facilitate a commercial recording
of
Playing Haydn for the Angel of Death
This song cycle utilised acclaimed Minnesota poet
Bill Holm's masterpiece of prose as its libretto
and is the subject of the
2023
EMMY AWARD WINNING
Documentary
by Pioneer PBS
If you would like to contribute to this project,
you can make a tax deductable donation
through the
Southwest Minnesota State University Foundation
by filling in the form with
'Playing Haydn recording'
in the designation box and your desired donation amount
OR
Donate through our
GoFundMe
September 2023 Minnesota Tour
Concert Performances
No.1:
Boxelder Bug Days Concert
in celebration of the 80th Anniversary of Bill Holm's birth
September 8th 2023
7PM
St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church
412 E Lyon St
Minneota, MN 56264
No.2:
September 12th 2023
7:30PM
Raymond J. Lammers Proscenium Theatre
University of Minnesota- Morris
600 East 4th Street
Morris, Minnesota 56267
No.3:
September 15th 2023
at 7PM
Fingal's Cave- MetroNOME Brewery
385 Broadway Street
St. Paul, MN 55101
Documentary Film Premiere
10 May 2023 at 5PM (US Central)
Southwest Minnesota State University
Marshall, MN USA
A Musical Tribute to Minnesota’s Documentary Film!
‘Bard of the Prairie’
(1943 – 2009)
Bill Holm was the embodiment of the spirit of Minnesota. His love of the windswept prairie, the glacial Fjords of his ancestral Iceland and the power of music are imbued throughout his impressive oeuvre of poetry. Holm’s masterpiece of prose Playing Haydn for the Angel of Death encapsulates his philosophy of music by drawing on musical metaphors while referencing specific compositions to describe the ultimate human condition - death. This has now been set to music in a 15 part song cycle by Minnesota composer Martha Helen Schmidt. It was conceived by two of the late poet's friends - Ryan Hugh Ross- Baritone & Dr. Daniel Rieppel - SMSU Professor of Piano Studies.
Broadcast Schedule
Thursday, May 11 at 7p.m.
Sunday, May 14 at 7 p.m.
Monday, May 15 at 1:30 p.m.
OR
view online at: www.pioneer.org/postcards
and on Postcards’ YouTube page at www.youtube.com/@PostcardsOnPioneerPBS
About the film:
This EMMY NOMINATED Film follows my colleagues Dr. Daniel Rieppel, composer Martha Helen Schmidt and I as we prepare for the Icelandic Premiere of our recent song cycle project. The song cycle is a beautiful setting of prose by our late friend and extraordinary poet, Bill Holm.
The full version of this film can now be viewed on Pioneer PBS's website or via the
Youtube link Here::
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEmqbrYKGmE
Dr. Daniel Rieppel Ms. Martha Helen Schmidt Mr. Ryan Hugh Ross
Pianist Composer Baritone
Playing Haydn for the Angel of Death documentary was created by
the talented film team at Pioneer PBS in Granite Falls, MN
Playing Haydn for the Angel of Death song cycle
was made possible with the generous support from
the Gruhot Family of Marshall, MN
and
Southwest Minnesota State University
Foundation
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