Esterite Laurel Lynch performing in the St. Olaf Orchestra

I just received a little news item about a concert performance at St. Olaf College in their 2008 Christmas festival. The event is happening too soon to get in the Republic, so I'm posting it here. The concert will be broadcast live on Minnesota Public Radio and carried on public television stations, too. I'm not sure if KUAC will be airing this concert. At any rate, here's the announcement they sent:

NORTHFIELD, MINN. -- St. Olaf College First Year Student Laurel Lynch of Ester will participate in the 2008 St. Olaf Christmas Festival, one of America's longest-running celebrations of Christmas. Lynch , a member of the St. Olaf Orchestra , will appear in four performances Dec. 4 through Dec. 7.

The St. Olaf Christmas Festival, which began in 1912, is a two-hour service of hymns, carols, choral works and orchestral selections that celebrate the birth of Christ. This year's theme is "My Spirit Sings of Wondrous Things." It will be performed by more than 500 student musicians in five choirs and the St. Olaf Orchestra, under the leadership of Conductor Anton Armstrong '78. More than 12,000 students, alumni and friends of the college attend the four sold-out performances presented at St. Olaf annually.

The Sunday, Dec. 7, performance of the 2008 Christmas Festival will be broadcast live and streamed online by Minnesota Public Radio at 3:30 p.m. Public television stations across the nation will broadcast a one-hour program of the 2007 Christmas Festival, "Christmas at St. Olaf: Where Peace and Love and Hope Abide," plus "A St. Olaf Christmas in Norway" (2006) during the holiday season. Check local listings for broadcast times in your area.

Here's what they say about the school:

Founded in 1874 by a group of Norwegian Lutheran immigrants, St. Olaf is a nationally ranked liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located 40 miles south of the Twin Cities. Its 3,000 students work closely with dedicated professors who challenge them to grow in mind, body and spirit. In addition to its world-class programs in music and mathematics, St. Olaf is recognized for its innovative approaches to undergraduate science education, long-standing engagement in global education and commitment to environmental sustainability. Since 1996 the college has produced more Rhodes Scholars than any other liberal arts college in the nation, including two in 2008.

Laurel Lynch is a graduate of West Valley High School (my old school!) and is majoring in nursing.