2008 - 2009 Season

Scott Russell Sanders – Reading and Commentary
2008 Mackey Distinguished Professor of Creative Writing
Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2008, 8 p.m. @ Eaton Chapel
Free and open to the public

Sanders’ recent memoir, A Private History of Awe (2006), touches on the beauty, contradictions, and provocations of life. He recounts his youth and early adulthood, before turning to themes of a settled—if not complacent—maturity. In a review for Booklist, Donna Seaman praised the author’s “thoughtful reflections on the cycles of life, the flashpoints of awe, and our quest for meaning.”

BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet
Friday, Sept. 19, 2008, 8:30 p.m. @ Eaton Chapel
$15 ($12 senior citizens; free to students)

Upbeat and infectious, this is Cajun music at its finest! For more than three decades, Grammy Award-winning BeauSoleil has served up a hot and spicy blend of contemporary Cajun music flavored with zydeco, New Orleans jazz, Latin and Caribbean rhythms, country, blues, and western swing—featuring the legendary master fiddler, Michael Doucet.

Supported by the Bink R. Noll Endowed Cultural Affairs Fund.

Cherryholmes
Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008, 8 p.m. @ Eaton Chapel
$15 ($12 senior citizens; $5 students)

Winner of the 2005 International Bluegrass Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year Award, Cherryholmes incorporates twin fiddles, Irish stepdancing, classic country yodeling, and dynamic bluegrass music in concerts. Family harmonies take center stage with this talented ensemble.

The Inaugural Miller Upton Keynote Address By Douglass North
The Wealth and Well-Being of Nations: the Miller Upton Forum
Friday, Oct. 31, 2008, 7:30 p.m. @ The Atrium, Center for the Sciences
Reception to follow
Free and open to the public

The ideas and influence of Beloit’s first Upton Scholar, 1993 Nobel Laureate in Economic Science Douglass North, will be the focus of discussions, panel exchanges, and lectures during this year’s Upton Forum. North will offer his views on the critical question of why some countries enjoy great prosperity while others remain persistently poor.

Chic Gamine
Friday, Nov. 14, 2008, 8 p.m. @ Eaton Chapel
$15 ($12 senior citizens; $5 students)

French-Canadian quintet Chic Gamine is truly an international sensation, drawing upon gospel, soul, world, roots, African, Middle-Eastern, and South-American music for a unique and entrancing sound. A percussionist provides the main instrumental support as the band members sing soul music with passion and precision.

The Dixie Hummingbirds
Friday, Feb. 13, 2009, 8 p.m. @ Eaton Chapel
$20 ($17 senior citizens; $5 students)

For 75 years, the Dixie Hummingbirds have performed in churches and concert halls, bringing the gift of heartfelt gospel music to audiences worldwide. In its latest incarnation, the talented vocalists draw on the original group’s time-honored repertoire of gorgeous, soul-stirring songs of praise. They also play guitar, bass, and drums—tapping into a glorious musical and cultural legacy.

The show will be a tribute to original group member Ira Tucker, Sr., who passed away on June 24, 2008.

Beloit International Film Festival
Thursday-Sunday, Feb. 19-22, 2009
Times, venues, and admission prices to be announced

The Beloit International Film Festival is a celebration of the best in contemporary and classic international cinema. Film actors, directors, designers and producers, and movie fans will converge for four days of networking that MovieMaker Magazine dubbed “a must-attend event.”

Visit http://www.beloitfilmfest.com/ for details.

The St. Petersburg String Quartet
The Victor E. Ferrall, Jr. Artists-in-Residence
Thursday, March 5, 2009, 8 p.m. @ Eaton Chapel
$15 ($12 senior citizens; $5 students)

One of the world’s leading string quartets, this ensemble offers a sumptuous program of classical works. The New York Times has celebrated its “...stylish, supple, openhearted performances,” while The Washington Post commended the musicians’ “astonishing sophistication and selfconfidence.”