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Dakota Pro Musica, North Dakota's only professional choral ensemble, is beginning its fifth season with three concerts scheduled for Friday to Sunday, Oct. 4-6, in Minot, Turtle Lake and Bismarck.
The concerts, titled "Keeping Love in the Circle Around Me," were commissioned by the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Task Force of Trinity Lutheran Church in Bismarck, in partnership with Christ Lutheran in Minot and Trinity Lutheran Church in Turtle Lake.
The concerts are:
- Friday, Oct. 4, at 7:30 p.m. in Christ Lutheran Church in Minot.
- Saturday, Oct. 5, at 6 p.m. in Trinity Lutheran Church, Turtle Lake.
- Sunday, Oct. 6, at 3 p.m. in Trinity Lutheran Church, Bismarck.
A freewill donation will be accepted for all concerts.
"Keeping Love in the Circle Around Me" will reflect on the journey of mental health, recovery and wellness. The first half of the concert features a wide variety of music from across the history of choral music. The second half of the concert focuses on themes of love: self-love and affirmation, loving those in distress with unconditional love, and love for those we have lost.
The new a cappella ensemble AVORA, directed by Kolbe Schanzenbach, has been invited to join Dakota Pro Musica for the performance and will also perform two pieces in the second half of the concert.
Guitars 4 Vets ensemble will be special guests at the Minot concert.
Dakota Pro Musica's mission is to build community through concerts. "Keeping Love in the Circle Around Me" reflects on an important issue in our world, mental health, learning to love ourselves and the struggle of dealing with suicide and grief, according to the group's news release. While delving into a dark and deep subject, the concert also provides light, hope and joy.
Dakota Pro Musica was founded in October 2020 by Dr. Jason Thoms, who moved to Bismarck from the New York City area in August 2020. The ensemble is modeled after the many professional, project-based choral ensembles that Thoms has sung in across the U.S. Musicians come together on a short rehearsal schedule of about one week to rehearse and perform concerts. Dakota Pro Musica offers all of its concerts in Bismarck and across central North Dakota, including small rural communities.