CMU community to celebrate Bach's birthday and World Poetry Day with special events
Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) students and faculty will celebrate Bach and poetry at two separate special events, both happening on campus this coming Tuesday, March 21.
Both of these events are free and open to the public:
- Bach on the Bridge will feature musicians from the CMU community performing the music of J.S. Bach on the Marpeck Commons pedestrian bridge (2299 Grant Ave.). There are two performances: one at 10:00-11:30 AM, and one at 12:00-1:30 PM. Bach on the Bridge coincides with Bach in the Subways, an annual celebration of Bach's birthday that features musicians around the world performing his music for free in public spaces.
Born in Germany on March 21, 1685 to a renowned musical family, Johann Sebastian Bach was well-respected as an organist during his lifetime. Although he wrote some 1,100 items while he was alive, it wasn't until 200 years after his death that Bach's skills as a composer gained widespread recognition. Today, he is generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.
- Pop-Up Poetry will feature Winnipeg poets stationed at vintage typewriters in folio café (2299 Grant Ave.), writing poems on demand. You can approach one of the poets and name a topic, and the poet will write an original poem on the spot for you to keep. The CMU Department of English is organizing this event to celebrate World Poetry Day. It takes place 12:00-1:00 PM and will feature Sally Ito, Ariel Gordon, and Joanne Epp. "We want people to see that poets do important work in our society," says Dr. Sue Sorensen, Associate Professor of English at CMU. "We're also trying to make poetry fun, exciting, and spontaneous, so that people can get over their fear of poetry."
March 21 was declared World Poetry Day by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1999. The day is meant to recognize the unique ability of poetry to capture the creative spirit of the human mind.
About CMU
A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU's Shaftesbury campus offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, humanities, music, sciences, and social sciences, as well as graduate degrees in theology, ministry, peacebuilding and collaborative development, and an MBA. CMU has over 800 full-time equivalent students, including those enrolled in degree programs at the Shaftesbury and Menno Simons College campuses and in its Outtatown certificate program.
For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.
For additional information, please contact:
Kevin Kilbrei, Director of Communications & Marketing
kkilbrei@cmu.ca; 204.487.3300 Ext. 621
Canadian Mennonite University
500 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg, MB R3P 2N2