Noon Concert finds permanent home at Bedford Hall

Jim Snidero plays first Noon Concert in Bedford Hall.

A bit of university history was made Wednesday, Feb. 8, at noon. When jazz saxophonist Jim Snidero stepped on stage at the Frances Bedford Concert Hall, his performance marked the end of the Noon Concert Series' long nomadic history and the beginning of a rich, acoustically perfect new tradition at UW-Parkside.

Through the years, this popular mid-week concert has filled many campus locations.

"During my tenure, the series venues have been CART [Communication Arts room] D118, the old Student Center Cinema, Molinaro 105 [a lecture hall], and the new Student Center Ballroom," said Karen Sorensen who has coordinated the series for the past 14 years. "There were occasional performances in the Main Stage Theatre to accommodate staging needs or a larger audience, and--finally--a home in the Frances Bedford Concert Hall."   

Bedford Hall made its triumphant debut in December with two sold-out performances of "Messiah." These performances were made even better by the presence of the person who put her name on the hall, Emerita Professor of Music Frances Bedford, who played harpsichord both evenings. Since then faculty, students, and professional musicians alike have praised the hall's acoustics.

The new venue means less effort and less stress for Sorensen and her student crew.        

"On a typical Wednesday," she said, "CART D118 was used as a rehearsal/ classroom space for choirs until 11 a.m. A student work crew would then meet me to quickly rearrange piano(s), chairs, etc., so the performer could rehearse for a few minutes prior to the event. The concert would take place from noon-12:45, then the crew would have 15 minutes to turn D118 back into a rehearsal/classroom space ready to go by 1 p.m. Phew!"

Your next opportunity to enjoy a Noon Concert is Wednesday, Feb. 15, when classical guitarist George Lindquistplays in Bedford Hall starting at noon. The entire schedule of Wednesday (and, occasionally, Friday) concerts is available on the university web site.

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ABOUT THIS STORY:

Story Status: Archived
Publish date: 2/9/2012

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