A local flavor
BHS graduate David Mennicke to serve as guest conductor at concert
The Brainerd High School Choirs will present the annual Guest Conductor Concert at 7 p.m. Monday at Tornstrom Auditorium in the Washington Education Services Building in Brainerd.
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David Mennicke
The high school's Bards, Chorale and A Cappella Choirs will perform with guest conductor David Mennicke, a 1979 BHS graduate. The fourth-grade honors choir will perform under the direction of BHS choir director Brian Stubbs.
"This is one of our most formal concerts we have during the year," Stubbs said. "The pieces the choirs will sing are of a harder literature, but I also picked some fun, lighter pieces.
"Having the fourth-graders perform will give the whole night a neat feeling."
Stubbs said Brainerd has done the concert for years. He said it was started to help boost the choir program for younger students. Stubbs said the concert allows the younger students to see the high school students perform at a higher level and, in return, keep them interested in staying in choir.
If you go
What: Brainerd High School Choirs Guest Conductor concert.
When: 7 p.m. Monday. Concert hall opens at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Tornstrom Auditorium at Washington Education Services Building.
Cost: Adults $6, students $4.
Concert selections at the high school level will span from simple sea shanties to a Bach motet, "The Spirit also helpeth us" or "Der Geist Hilft" in German. A string quartet from the orchestra program will assist with the performance.
Brainerd High School choir director Brian Stubbs directed the fourth-grade choir Monday in preparation for the upcoming Guest Conductor Concert.
Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls
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The fourth-grade honors choir will perform four selections, "Little Firefly," "Longing for Spring," "Charlette-town" and "Hope for Resolution" - the finale in which all of the groups will sing.
Tickets will be sold at the door and are $6 for adults and $4 for students. The concert hall opens at 6:30 p.m.
Mennicke, the guest conductor, has been the music professor at Concordia College in St. Paul since 1989. Mennicke graduated from BHS as class valedictorian in 1979. He served as manager and tenor section leader of the A Cappella Choir and was voted "Outstanding Choir Member" by his peers.
Mennicke graduated summa cum laude with a major in vocal music education from St. Olaf College in 1983. After teaching secondary vocal music in Benson, he earned master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Arizona. He has studied with such eminent conductors as Kenneth Jennings, Helmuth Rilling, Robert Shaw and Maurice Skones.
JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851.