Friday Musical
March 28th, 2025 St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
Aminte – Traditional French Song Arr. By Jean-Baptiste Weckerlin (1821-1910)
Mandi Rickard, soprano; Julie Thackston, piano
Du bist die Ruh – Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Angela Hunt, mezzo-soprano; Julie Thackston, Piano
Drei Duette Op. 20, No. 1-3 – Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Mandi Rickard, soprano; Angela Hunt, mezzo-soprano; Julie Thackston, piano
II.
Agnus Dei – Audrey Snyder (b. 1953)
Canon of Praise From Kanon by Johann Pachelbel, Arr. Hal H. Hopson (b. 1933)
That 40’s Swing! – Medley, Arr. Roger Emerson (b. 1950)
Murasame (The Mists of Evening) – Victor C. Johnson (b. 1978)
O Eyes of My Beloved – Madrigal for SSA, A Cappella, by Orlando di Lasso (1532-1594), Arr. Jerry Wesley Harris (1933-2021)
Weepin’ Mary – Negro Spiritual, Harmonization by H.T. Burleigh (1866-1949), Arr. N. Clifford Page (1866-1956)
Were You There – Negro Spiritual for Women’s Voices, Arr. H.T. Burleigh (1866-1949)
Treble Makers: Dena Tippets, Soprano; Jurene Phaneuf, Second Soprano; Barbara Belstad, Alto; Laurie Eash, piano
III.
Ka ‘Ōiwi Nani – Queen Lili’uokalani (1838-1917)
Ob ich manchmal dein Gedenke – Josephine Lang (1815-1880)
Fleur desséchée – Pauline Viardot (1821-1910)
Madrid – Viardot
Night – Florence Price (1887-1953)
There are fairies at the bottom of our garden – Liza Lehmann (1862-1918)
Ann Brueggemeier Benson, mezzo-soprano; Carol Miyamoto, piano
Today’s Performers:
Mandi is a western Washington native who studied piano from the age of eight until she was transplanted to Spokane at the age of fourteen. In 1993, she attended Spokane Falls Community College as a running start student with the intention of obtaining a fine arts degree. While at SFCC, she changed course and graduated in 1995 with an associate’s degree in music with an emphasis on vocal performance. During her time at the Falls, she studied voice with Melissa Drumm, piano with Beverly Rhodes, and was under the choral direction of Chuck Zimmerman. Mandi was also a member of the Spokane Symphony Chorale from 1996-2020 where she was selected as soloist for the Brahm’s Requiem. She also performed as a chorus member for Inland Northwest Opera’s productions of La Boheme and Carmen. More recently she performed with the Whitworth Community Chorale. Mandi currently teaches private voice and piano lessons from her in home studio. When she isn’t teaching, she is joyfully busy caring for her husband and three teens. She loves to read, bake, and cook.
Angela Hunt has been a music educator in the Central Valley School District for twenty-two years. She currently teaches choir at North Pines Middle School in Spokane Valley, WA and is the Director of Music at New Hope Christian Center. Miss Hunt is a graduate of Whitworth University with degrees in Vocal Performance and Music Education. As a singer/songwriter, Angela is known for her diversity in performance and musical style. Last month she performed a recital of Jazz and Gospel Music with the Brent Edstrom Trio. She is currently finishing recording for a new original gospel song to be released in June.
Julie Thackston is a Spokane native who started studying piano from the age of ten with wonderful teachers including Judith Schoepflin and Linda Siverts. Her endeavors over the last 40 years have included teaching hundreds of piano students, raising five children, and working as a collaborative artist and church musician. Her passions include time with family and friends, reading, downhill skiing and her current work as a marriage and family therapist.
Treble Makers is a small group of women who enjoy rehearsing and occasionally performing beautiful music. They are all members of Celtic Aires.
DENA TIPPETS (Soprano) grew up in Montana as the daughter of a music teacher and has been surrounded with music her whole life. From piano lessons, private clarinet lessons, voice lessons, pursuing formal training at the collegiate level, performing in church choirs, singing for weddings, and performing (and recording) with a women’s trio for more than thirty years, Dena is a very dedicated amateur! Since moving to Spokane in 2016 with her husband Frank (a retired music teacher), Dena has sung in the St. Mark’s Lutheran Church Choir, Hubbardston Nonesuch and Celtic Aires.
JURENE PHANEUF (Second Soprano) has enjoyed music since childhood and earned a Bachelor of Music Education at Georgia State University. After a short couple of years teaching in the Chicago Public Schools, she stayed home to raise her two daughters. As a home-schooling family, they found limited choral music opportunities, but she met Sharon Smith and became involved with Crescendo Community Chorus for over a decade. Weekly Celtic Aires and Trio rehearsals are a pleasant diversion, and the occasional performance is an opportunity to share that joy with the community.
BARBARA BELSTAD (Alto) grew up in Wallace Idaho, sang in high school choir and briefly studied organ. She attended North Idaho College and obtained a nursing degree. Eight years ago, after 35 years of service at Sacred Heart Medical Center, Barb retired and came back to her love for music by seeking opportunities to sing. In addition to Treble Makers, she sings in St. Mark’s Lutheran Church choir as well as Celtic Aires. Barb is also part of a folk duo that performs at local coffee houses. Music has always been a big part of her life and she is grateful for the opportunity to sing with these groups.
LAURIE EASH began her studies in piano at age six and never ended this love affair with the keyboard! She graduated from Eastern Washington University with a BA degree in Music. She is active in MTNA and formerly held the office of President of Washington State Music Teachers Association. Laurie accompanies and performs both organ and piano and is organist and choir director at St. John’s Lutheran Church. She has been recorded on the compact disc Spokane Organists Unlimited, which was nationally broadcast on the NPR program “Pipe Dreams”. She has also performed on Spokane Public Radio with her duet partner, the late David Rostkoski. She currently delights in teaching a small studio of adult students, singing in “Celtic Aires”, and accompanying the “Treble Makers”.
Mezzo-soprano Ann Brueggemeier Benson is known for engaging performances in opera, musical theatre, concert works, and as a recitalist. She has appeared as a soloist with organizations all around the region, including the Spokane Symphony, the Palouse Choral Society, and Inland Northwest Opera. Most recently she portrayed Marmee in “Little Women” and Mother Superior in “Nunsense” for Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre. Ann maintains a thriving private voice studio of students ranging in age from middle schoolers to senior adults.
Carol Miyamoto is a well-known accompanist in the Inland Northwest. She was staff accompanist at Whitworth College, and frequently participates in recitals at Eastern Washington University and Gonzaga University. Beyond this area, her accompanying career has taken her to San Francisco, Nashville, Portland, Boise, the Flathead Festival at Big Mountain, Montana, and to Montreal, Quebec for the 2000 World Saxophone Congress. Carol has been music director and/or accompanist for many area theaters, including Spokane Civic Theatre, Spokane Theatrical Group, and Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre. She was resident accompanist for Uptown Opera. Carol has accompanied the All-Northwest Mixed Choir and ACDA High School Women’s Choir. She is music director/organist at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church and teaches a studio of nearly a dozen students. Carol and her husband, Brian, raise show dogs and enjoy showing their Keeshonden throughout the region. They have five grown children and four grandchildren.
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