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Blind Notes Music Presents: Broadway Favorites & More with Mary Mikels

Join us as we welcome Mary Minkel back to Bishop Gadsden! Mary Mikels, who was selected by American Idol in the first round, will be performing her “Broadway Favorites & More Concert” on Friday, April 19th at 3:00pm in Blackmer Hall Program Description: Mary Mikels will be performing a “Broadway Favorites & More” one hour concert featuring classic show tunes from Les Misérables, Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady and more —including “O Mio Babbino Caro,” the opera piece that landed her a spot in the first round of American Idol. She also sings beautiful well-known Christian pieces to conclude the concert. Her “imitations” and surprises between songs are sure to delight the residents. She will tell a little about herself in the program, as well as her response to being born totally blind. Her CDs will be available for sale at the conclusion of the program featuring the popular show tunes from the concert including crowd favorites such as Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” Andrea Bocelli’s “The Prayer,” and Puccini’s “O Mio Babbino Caro.”   Mary Mikels’ Background: Born totally blind and with a hearing loss in her left ear, Mary is a soprano, and has been singing nearly her whole life. After graduating from Sanderson High School in Raleigh in 2017, Mary received her Associate of Arts degree with honors from Wake Technical Community College in 2021. Mary was delighted to be selected by the North Carolina Master Chorale in 2017-2018, the official chorus of the North Carolina Symphony. She was also honored to be a featured soloist twice with The Tenors. Mary became a finalist in the National Blind Idol Competition. In 2018, Mary was selected in the first-round competition for American Idol©️. After graduation, Mary began a vocation of vocal performance and now devotes her time to singing nearly exclusively in retirement communities, which she adores. Mary can be found on her website at www.blindnotesmusic.com and on social media under the name Blind Notes Music.
April 19 @ 3:00 pm

Engage Yourself in the 2024 Charitable Fund Grant Process!

Join us to hear the presentations from our seven nonprofit finalists.  Following the presentations, mingle for some wine and cheese.  Ballots to vote on your top organizations will be distributed following the presentations.
April 18 @ 4:00 pm

BGU: When Religions Got Morals WEEK 3

Click "Register for Week _" to be registered for the classes you wish to attend.

All classes will take place on Wednesdays, April 3- April 24 at 3:00pm - 4:00pm in Blackmer Hall

Early world religions didn't have much of an ethical component; the emphasis was more on making sacrifices to deities in hope of favors or to prevent divine displeasure.  And then came the "Axial Age," a period when, across Eurasia, some very diverse cultures decided that God/the gods cared about how human beings treated each other, with profound consequences for human societies.  For the four weeks of this class, we will examine four great world religions that developed from the Axial Age and how this new moral component continues to echo to the present day.
4/3 Week I: Asian Experiments.  The focus will be on how Buddhism grew from Hinduism, as Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) came to grips with the poverty and suffering of his society.  We will also look at the semi-religion of Confucianism for comparison. 4/ 10 Week II: Mediterranean Melting Pots: Judaism and Zoroastrianism learned much from each other, and by c. 500 BCE both were teaching that God cares how we treat our neighbors.  At about the same time, Greek philosophers began exploring the same issues, adding a moral component at least to elites among Greek polytheists. 4/17 Week III: Transforming the Roman World: How Christianity made a difference.  There's a lot to live up to when the founder of your religion allows himself to be killed for you.  In this week, we will examine how early Christian communities internalized the moral implications of their new religion, gradually reshaping Roman society in the process. 4/ 24 Week IV: The Prophet's Social Message.  Muhammad grew up on an Arabian Peninsula under massive social stress.  His teaching has two key, intermeshed components: submission to God's will, and care for your fellow humans.  Early Islam produced a social safety net that energized and transformed the Near and Middle East (and beyond). $25 a class or $100 for series
April 17 @ 3:00 pm

Table Trivia

Come, join us and put your skills and knowledge to the test at our weekly table trivia event. It's a fun-filled evening that you wouldn't want to miss!
April 15 @ 4:30 pm

BGU: The History of Northern Renaissance Art WEEK 2

The History of Northern Renaissance Art (Monday, April 8th- April 29th at 11:00am in Blackmer Hall) This 4-week course will introduce students to the history of Northern Renaissance art. Students will learn about Flemish, Dutch, and German artists who worked between 1400-1600. Students will gain an understanding of the principles and techniques employed by these artists; visual comparisons will be made with contemporaneous Italian Renaissance art. Week 1: Divinity in Everyday Life : Robert Campin, Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden (Monday, April 8th, at 11:00am in Blackmer Hall) Week 2: The Body and Natural Materials: Martin Schongauer, Matthias Grünewald, Albrecht Dürer (Monday, April 15th, at 11:00am in Blackmer Hall) Week 3: Visualizations of the Fantastic: Lucas Cranach the Elder, Hans Baldung, Hieronymus Bosch (Monday, April 22nd, at 11:00am in Blackmer Hall) Week 4: Realism in Politics and Myth: Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Jan Gossaert, Hans Holbein the Younger (Monday, April 29th, at 11:00am in Blackmer Hall)
April 15 @ 11:00 am

Mayor, William Cogswell Jr.

You wouldn't want to miss out on meeting our newly elected Mayor, William Cogswell Jr., would you? This is your chance to have a friendly meet and greet with him. Join us at 1:00pm on Thursday, April 11th, and be a part of this exciting event! Mark your calendars, and we'll see you there!
April 11 @ 1:00 pm

BGU: When Religions Got Morals WEEK 2

Click "Register for Week _" to be registered for the classes you wish to attend.

All classes will take place on Wednesdays, April 3- April 24 at 3:00pm - 4:00pm in Blackmer Hall

Early world religions didn't have much of an ethical component; the emphasis was more on making sacrifices to deities in hope of favors or to prevent divine displeasure.  And then came the "Axial Age," a period when, across Eurasia, some very diverse cultures decided that God/the gods cared about how human beings treated each other, with profound consequences for human societies.  For the four weeks of this class, we will examine four great world religions that developed from the Axial Age and how this new moral component continues to echo to the present day.
4/3 Week I: Asian Experiments.  The focus will be on how Buddhism grew from Hinduism, as Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) came to grips with the poverty and suffering of his society.  We will also look at the semi-religion of Confucianism for comparison. 4/ 10 Week II: Mediterranean Melting Pots: Judaism and Zoroastrianism learned much from each other, and by c. 500 BCE both were teaching that God cares how we treat our neighbors.  At about the same time, Greek philosophers began exploring the same issues, adding a moral component at least to elites among Greek polytheists. 4/17 Week III: Transforming the Roman World: How Christianity made a difference.  There's a lot to live up to when the founder of your religion allows himself to be killed for you.  In this week, we will examine how early Christian communities internalized the moral implications of their new religion, gradually reshaping Roman society in the process. 4/ 24 Week IV: The Prophet's Social Message.  Muhammad grew up on an Arabian Peninsula under massive social stress.  His teaching has two key, intermeshed components: submission to God's will, and care for your fellow humans.  Early Islam produced a social safety net that energized and transformed the Near and Middle East (and beyond). $25 a class or $100 for series
April 10 @ 3:00 pm

Table Trivia

Come, join us and put your skills and knowledge to the test at our weekly table trivia event. It's a fun-filled evening that you wouldn't want to miss!
April 8 @ 4:30 pm

BGU: The History of Northern Renaissance Art WEEK 1

The History of Northern Renaissance Art (Monday, April 8th- April 29th at 11:00am in Blackmer Hall) This 4-week course will introduce students to the history of Northern Renaissance art. Students will learn about Flemish, Dutch, and German artists who worked between 1400-1600. Students will gain an understanding of the principles and techniques employed by these artists; visual comparisons will be made with contemporaneous Italian Renaissance art. Week 1: Divinity in Everyday Life : Robert Campin, Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden (Monday, April 8th, at 11:00am in Blackmer Hall) Week 2: The Body and Natural Materials: Martin Schongauer, Matthias Grünewald, Albrecht Dürer (Monday, April 15th, at 11:00am in Blackmer Hall) Week 3: Visualizations of the Fantastic: Lucas Cranach the Elder, Hans Baldung, Hieronymus Bosch (Monday, April 22nd, at 11:00am in Blackmer Hall) Week 4: Realism in Politics and Myth: Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Jan Gossaert, Hans Holbein the Younger (Monday, April 29th, at 11:00am in Blackmer Hall)
April 8 @ 11:00 am

BGU: When Religions Got Morals WEEK 1

Click "Register for Week _" to be registered for the classes you wish to attend.

All classes will take place on Wednesdays, April 3- April 24 at 3:00pm - 4:00pm in Blackmer Hall

Early world religions didn't have much of an ethical component; the emphasis was more on making sacrifices to deities in hope of favors or to prevent divine displeasure.  And then came the "Axial Age," a period when, across Eurasia, some very diverse cultures decided that God/the gods cared about how human beings treated each other, with profound consequences for human societies.  For the four weeks of this class, we will examine four great world religions that developed from the Axial Age and how this new moral component continues to echo to the present day.
4/3 Week I: Asian Experiments.  The focus will be on how Buddhism grew from Hinduism, as Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) came to grips with the poverty and suffering of his society.  We will also look at the semi-religion of Confucianism for comparison. 4/ 10 Week II: Mediterranean Melting Pots: Judaism and Zoroastrianism learned much from each other, and by c. 500 BCE both were teaching that God cares how we treat our neighbors.  At about the same time, Greek philosophers began exploring the same issues, adding a moral component at least to elites among Greek polytheists. 4/17 Week III: Transforming the Roman World: How Christianity made a difference.  There's a lot to live up to when the founder of your religion allows himself to be killed for you.  In this week, we will examine how early Christian communities internalized the moral implications of their new religion, gradually reshaping Roman society in the process. 4/ 24 Week IV: The Prophet's Social Message.  Muhammad grew up on an Arabian Peninsula under massive social stress.  His teaching has two key, intermeshed components: submission to God's will, and care for your fellow humans.  Early Islam produced a social safety net that energized and transformed the Near and Middle East (and beyond). $25 a class or $100 for series
April 3 @ 3:00 pm