Grand Rapids Symphony Music Director Marcelo Lehninger leads the symphony in the Jan. 5 performance of music of Tchaikovsky and Dvorak.
Tonight’s joint concert with the Grand Rapids Symphony and Cornerstone University Chorale at Cornerstone University has been canceled due to weather.
Titled “Classically Inspired Hymns,” the program had been scheduled for 6 p.m., Sunday, April 15, in Christ Chapel on the Cornerstone University campus. The concert in the Grand Rapids Symphony’s Sacred Dimensions series may be rescheduled at another time. More information will be provided when it’s available.
Ticket buyers should retain their tickets. Tickets will remain valid if the concert is rescheduled or will be exchangeable next season for a Grand Rapids Symphony concert in either its Classical or Great Eras series. (Some restrictions will apply).
Just before high school students select colleges and start sending applications into the Federal Student Aid, “U.S. News & World Report” comes out with its annual college rankings and this year, several Grand Rapids colleges and universities did quite well in those rankings.
Calvin College was ranked tops in Regional Colleges Midwest. Colleges in this category focus on undergraduate education but grant fewer than half their degrees in liberal arts disciplines. The rankings are split into four regions, north, south, midwest, and west. The midwest ranking includes North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan.
Calvin College President Michael Le Roy in a statement said it was encouraging when an independent source such as “U.S. News and World Report” recognizes the work of the faculty, staff and students. The college also ranked second in Best Undergraduate Teaching in the Midwest.
Other colleges that ranked in the Regional Colleges Midwest are University of Detroit Mercy, which was ranked No. 19, and Adrian College, ranked No. 20. The University of Detroit Mercy program is offered at Aquinas College and the college has an affiliation with Cornerstone University.
The Cook Carillon Tower at Grand Valley State University, Allendale campus.
In the Regional Universities Midwest category, Grand Valley Stated University ranked No. 29, Aquinas College, No. 47 and Kuyper College, No. 59. This category is for universities that offer a full range of undergraduate programs and some master’s programs but few doctoral programs. The Regional Universities also are split info four regions, north, south, midwest, and west. The midwest region includes the same states as the Regional Colleges. Other local and Michigan universities listed in the Regional Universities Midwest are University of Michigan – Dearborn, No. 38; Ferris State University, No. 83; Cornerstone University, No. 115, and Davenport University, No. 122.
West Michigan also captured a couple of spots in the National Liberal Arts Colleges category, colleges that emphasize undergraduate education and award at least half of their degrees in the library arts fields of study, which Kalamazoo College ranking at No. 76 and Hope College was No. 106.
The rankings are based on several key measures of quality including peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving. Data was collected from each institution that included several indicators of academic excellence.
The data also includes other ranking information such as Grand Valley State University was ranked No. 3 in Top Pubic Schools and No. 4 in Best Value Schools. For more information or to see the rankings, click here, and for just the Michigan rankings, click here. For more information on the schools in this story, click on the name of the school.
The sweet sound of country is coming to the Van Singel when homegrown music artist Mallory Skilling returns to West Michigan, performing a benefit concert for the Van Singel Fine Arts Foundation. Former Byron Center native and former Cornerstone University student is set to perform with her band at the Van Singel Fine Arts Center on Thursday, May 18, at 7:30 p.m.
As a young girl, the singer/songwriter, attended Byron Center Public Schools. She studied contemporary music performance at Cornerstone University, completing her degree at the Contemporary Music Center in Nashville, Tenn. During her time at Cornerstone, Skilling released her first EP, “Spitfire Heart.” Since the release of her first EP, Mallory has added several singles to her collection, which can be found on both iTunes and Spotify. Her music is inspired by many artists including Patsy Cline, Miranda Lambert, Alison Krauss, The Band Perry, and the Civil Wars.
Currently, Skilling is working toward her master’s degree in elementary education at the University of Georgia and plans to graduate this December. She is, “looking forward to teaching students and sharing my love of music in the classroom.” She added, “I have many fond memories attending shows at the Van Singel as a child.” The Van Singel Fine Arts Center was the core to Skilling’s inspiration for the love of music and theater. She found that she was greatly impacted by her experiences through events presented at the center. She is thrilled to be returning to her roots and performing at there.
Skilling continues to pursue her music endeavors and has recently recorded a small EP composed of four songs that will soon be released.
Band members include former Cornerstone University student Ben Hoppe (acoustic guitarist), Cornerstone University graduate Jake Milo Partridge (drummer), Evan Profant (electric guitarist) and Daniel Schuler (Bass) from Ann Arbor.
Reserved seats are $25 and include a post-performance dessert buffet where patrons can meet the artist. Reserve tickets in person at the Van Singel box office or by calling 616-878-6800, Monday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Tickets are also available at www.vsfac.com.
The Van Singel Fine Arts Center is located at the east end of the Byron Center High School complex, at 8500 Burlingame SW (84th Street and Burlingame SW) in Byron Center, just 1.5 miles west of US-131. The Van Singel features free, easy parking and curbside handicap parking is available.
Local Wyoming District 9 may be the host for the Central States Region of the 2016 Big League Baseball Tournament, but their pitching staff has been anything but friendly. Bennett Norry and southpaw Cade Cintorino combined to throw another gem in a 2-0 win over Indiana District 10 last night. The shutout marked the third straight for District 9 and earned the host team a spot in the championship on Thursday at 5:30pm.
With Cornerstone University’s DeWitt Field as a backdrop, the semifinal game was a pitchers duel at its finest. Indiana starter Brock Hinton gave up two unearned runs on just four hits over five and two-third innings, but took the loss. In the other dugout, Norry gave up only three hits and struck out seven in his six and two-third innings. The only thing preventing him from a complete game was the 105 pitch count which is the maximum allowed in the tournament.
Cintorino came on to give up a triple to pitcher David Keating, but struck out pinch hitter Deyonne Hunter to get the save and preserve the shutout.
District 9 got off to an early lead by scoring a run in the first inning as lead-off hitter Christian Falicki singled to start the game and advanced to second on a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by second baseman Austin Anderson. He then scored on a hard hit ball by left fielder Jace Beatty that went through the legs of Indiana first baseman Stephan Walker.
Jarod Nickel sacrifice bunt advances Spencer
The only other marker came in the fifth inning as third baseman Elijah Spencer reached second base to start the inning when his ground ball deep in the hole to Indiana second baseman Korrie Griggs was thrown wild and into his teams dugout. He advanced to third on another well executed sacrifice bunt by center fielder Jarod Nickel and was brought home on an infield ground out to second by Anderson.
That was more than enough for Norry, as Indiana got runners into scoring position only two times while he was on the mound. Indiana’s best chance to score came in the sixth with runners on first and second and no outs as a result of a hit batsman and a walk, but catcher John Corey gunned down his fellow catcher from Indiana, Bailey Sheldon at third as the lead runner in an attempted double steal. Norry then got Walker to strike out swinging and closed the inning by getting left fielder Kyler Doran to fly out to Nickel.
District 9 gets Wednesday off as they wait to see the results of which team comes out of the losers bracket. Illinois will play Ohio at 5 pm and the winner of that game will play Indiana at 7:30 pm with that winner getting to the championship game on Thursday night against District 9 at 5:30 pm with a game to follow if District 9 were to lose.
The champion will then head to Easley, South Carolina to compete against four other USA regions along with four International regions for the Big League World Series Championship taking place between July 26 and August 2.
This past weekend, I had the privilege to see a preview of Cornerstone’s production of Louisa May Alcott’s classic Little Women.In its brief length, I experienced truly memorable performances from an exceptional cast under the enviable direction of Nancy Wagner, a seasoned performer around Grand Rapids and theatre instructor at GRCC.The production proves an entertaining escape from the worries and freezing of today, transporting viewers to a “simpler time” of adolescent love and that beneficial little thing called family.
The timeless story of growing up is given the premium treatment thanks to Wagner’s thoughtfully realistic approach to the performances which truly made the show.The most popular adaptation of Alcott’s work remains the 1933 film starring the unquestionably iconic Katharine Hepburn as the passionate and temperamental Jo March.Thankfully, Ms. Wagner doesn’t try to echo Hepburn’s scene-stealing characterization, instead going for a more theatrically appropriate approach: realism.Portrayed by Skye Walker, Jo is passionate and temperamental but portrays such traits with mild restraint, as the play does take place during the American Civil War, well before the feminist movement even appeared.The rest of the cast do a fine job of bringing such characters as Jo’s impulsive younger sibling Amy [Jory van Dyke], the frail yet gifted Beth [Rebecca Wierenga], the subtly graceful mother Marmee [Alexa Heeres], and many others the performances worthy of modern theatre, disconnecting perfectly from the popular film.Here, characters aren’t portrayed as slots to be played by character actors in a Hollywood production; they feel like truly realized people which adds to rather than dilutes the heartbreak and sacrifice of the choices they make over the course of the show.
Tickets for the production are $12 for adults and $10 for non-Cornerstone students and Senior citizens.The show plays at the Grand Rapids Theological Seminary this Thursday thru Saturday at 7.30 pm as well as a matinee Saturday at 2.30 pm.There will be a talk-back Friday night with the cast and crew.Don’t miss this one; it’s well worth your time and support.
Local Wyoming District 9 may be the host for the Central States Region of the 2016 Big League Baseball Tournament, but their pitching staff has been anything but friendly. Bennett Norry and southpaw Cade Cintorino combined to throw another gem in a 2-0 win over Indiana District 10 last night. The shutout marked the third straight for District 9 and earned the host team a spot in the championship on Thursday at 5:30pm.
