FREE Courtroom Concert: Songs of the Season: Carols of Minnesota Composers

Hosted by composer Abbie Betinis, our popular Courtroom Concerts take place at noon most Thursdays in the Landmark Center in downtown Saint Paul. This series features accomplished musicians and composers from the Twin Cities and surrounding area, as well as occasional musical newcomers to the area. These one-hour concerts are free and open to the public.

This year’s Songs of the Season program (two shows: 12 noon & 6pm), celebrates Minnesota winter with silvery solos, warm vocal quartets, and features versatile Twin Cities pianist Alex Woods in classical, jazz and gospel selections, all by Minnesota composers. The one-hour show, curated annually by host Abbie Betinis, includes music by Dominick Argento, Dave Frishberg, Mari Valverde, and Kashimana Ahua, and highlights Betinis’ annual carol tradition. Woven throughout are poems by Michael Dennis Browne, James Oppenheim, and others. As always, be ready to sing from the audience, in this introspective and inspirational program for the winter season.

About the Artists:
Carrie Henneman Shaw, soprano
Laura Betinis Healy, alto
Nicholas Chalmers, tenor
Timothy C. Takach, bass
Alex Woods, piano

Carrie Henneman Shaw, soprano praised in the New York Times “as graceful vocally as she was in her movements”, “consistently stylish” (Boston Globe), and as a “cool, precise soprano” (Chicago Tribune), is a two-time McKnight Fellow. She has premiered major works by such Minnesota composers as Jocelyn Hagen and Abbie Betinis, whose annual Christmas carols she has recorded for Minnesota Public Radio, and sung American premieres by such composers as Georg Friedrich Haas, Hans Thomalla, and Augusta Read Thomas. In addition to her work as an interpreter of contemporary works, Carrie specializes in music of the 17th century and has performed operatic roles with one of America’s leading Baroque opera companies, Boston Early Music Festival. Carrie is a member of Chicago’s Ensemble Dal Niente, Quince Ensemble, and uluuul. She holds degrees in English and voice performance from Lawrence University and a doctorate from the University of Minnesota. She teaches at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Laura Betinis Healy, mezzo, praised for her “particularly rich tone” (The Tech, MIT), made “all the more beautiful by the edge of folk styling” (Boston Musical Intelligencer), has performed with chamber and choral ensembles throughout the Northeast and Midwest. As an active soloist in the Boston area, Laura has been featured with the Oriana Consort, King’s Chapel Choir, and Cappella Clausura, with whom she recorded The Complete Vespers of Cozzolani, and appeared as Anima (“the soul”) in the staged Hildegard von Bingen opera Ordo Virtutum. Since moving to Minnesota, she has appeared on the Minnesota Orchestra’s Inside the Classics program and recorded her sister Abbie Betinis’ carols for Minnesota Public Radio. She currently serves as the alto section leader at Unity Church Unitarian, and performs regularly with Border CrosSing. She also teaches Music Together® classes for little ones ages 0-5 and their grownups. Laura lives in White Bear Lake, Minnesota with her husband Anthony, their two daughters, and sweet pup Kali.

Nicholas Chalmers, tenor, has sung with The Bach Society of Minnesota and Lyra Baroque Orchestra, the Minnesota Bach Ensemble, Glorious Revolution Baroque, The Singers-Minnesota Choral Artists, and the Minnesota Chorale. Solo engagements include Oratory, Magnum Chorum, the Church Music Association of America, and the St. Mark’s Cathedral Concert Series. In addition to a robust performance calendar, Nick is also the Artistic Director of the Mirandola Ensemble, which presents programs of rarely performed early music from the Medieval and Renaissance eras strategically juxtaposed with the compositions of 20th and 21st century composers. Nicholas received a B.M. in music from St. Olaf College, and an M.M. in Choral Conducting at the University of Minnesota. He is the Director of Choirs at Chesterton Academy and is Director of Music at St. Lawrence Catholic Church at the University of Minnesota.

Timothy C. Takach, bass, enjoys a busy and varied career as a composer, singer and clinician. Takach was a co-founder of the professional vocal ensemble Cantus, singing with the group for 17 years, and continues as a freelance singer with Seraphic Fire, True Concord, and VocalEssence. Takach models healthy community and singing as a dynamic conductor with honor choir and festivals in the US and abroad. As an award winning composer, he has written for Roomful of Teeth, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, St. Olaf Band, Cantus, Lorelei Ensemble, and many high school and collegiate ensembles. He is also a co-creator of the theatrical production of All is Calm: the Christmas Truce of 1914, by Peter Rothstein. He is co-founder of Graphite Publishing, an online digital vocal music publisher representing many of the top vocal composers in the country. Timothy graduated with honors from St. Olaf College with degrees in Music Composition and Art. He lives in Minnesota with his wife and two sons.

Alexander Woods is a pianist and music teacher living in the Twin Cities, MN. A versatile and collaborative musician, his passions include art song, instrumental & chamber works, choral music, contemporary piano repertoire, and a variety of jazz and popular styles. He strives to maintain an innovative perspective in his performances, seeking out new and old works from diverse genres and composers.

Woods is a lecturer of music at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where he has taught applied piano lessons, class piano, and an honors colloquium exploring music and gender. He also holds positions at Central Presbyterian Church (St. Paul) and Voices of Hope Prison Music Initiative, and has freelanced with institutions and ensembles such as St. Olaf College, Gustavus Adolphus College, University of Minnesota, Source Song Festival, the Mississippi Valley Orchestra, Dakota Valley Symphony & Chorus, South Metro Chorale, St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral Orchestra, the International Cello Institute, St. Croix Valley Opera, Borromeo Music Festival, and the NATS, Schubert Club, and Thursday Musical competitions.

Woods holds a master’s degree in collaborative piano from the University of Minnesota, where he earned the Rydell Fellowship in Accompanying & Coaching. He also holds bachelor’s degrees in music and religious studies from Pomona College, where he earned the McCord Memorial Grant to fund piano study at several summer music festivals. His primary teachers include Timothy Lovelace, Lydia Artymiw, Genevieve Lee, and Ming Tsu.