Candles at Canaan to premiere

CONTACT: Marie Lucero, Communications Manager, 701-239-7535
2006-11-21

FARGO, N.D., November 21, 2006 - Three public events will highlight the release of an audio CD produced by Tom Isern and Prairie Public Broadcasting. "Candles at Canaan: Signs of Life in a Lonesome Land" is a two-CD set featuring regionalist essays by Isern, a folklorist, professor of history at North Dakota State University and "Plains Folk" columnist for Prairie Public.

Essays in the set celebrate life on the plains - memorializing the Can Pile of Casselton, the petrified wood shrines of New England or the Grandin smelt fry, for instance. The title essay of the CD set is a sketch of the Christmas Eve service at Canaan Church. "Like all the 24 essays in the set," said Isern, "this one has a message of hope - hope about living a good life on the prairies."

The world premiere of "Candles at Canaan" is Sunday, December 3, at Canaan Moravian Church in rural Cass County, during which Isern will present readings from the CD. He'll be accompanied by piano compositions performed by Bob Groves, professor of music at NDSU, whose music is featured on the CDs. The readings will be part of Canaan's 1st of Advent Service, which begins at 10:30 a.m. and is followed by a potluck. CD sales profits from this event will benefit the North Dakota Moravian Mission Society.

The second launch event featuring readings by Isern and music by Groves will take place in the Weber Reading Room of NDSU Libraries, December 6 at 3:30 p.m. Profits from CD sales during this event are designated for music scholarships at NDSU.

On December 10 at 2:00 p.m., Isern will present a program of readings and music at Zandbroz Variety at 420 N. Broadway in downtown Fargo.

Isern's essays have been published in newspapers across North Dakota, and they became a radio feature on Prairie Public in 2004. "We love running Tom's essays on Prairie Public because he offers such insightful nuggets of commentary about life on the upper great plains," said Bill Thomas, director of radio for Prairie Public. "We've wanted to produce a collection of Tom's essays for some time, and it's great to see the whole project come together - and the public's positive reaction to it."

"Candles at Canaan: Signs of Life in a Lonesome Land" can be purchased at any of the premiere events and is available for purchase in the shop section of the Prairie Public web site at www.prairiepublic.org.

Prairie Public Broadcasting, headquartered in Fargo, is a non-profit organization and community licensee that provides public television services throughout North Dakota, northwestern Minnesota, southern Manitoba, and parts of Montana and South Dakota, and public radio service to North Dakota. In addition to broadcasting services, Prairie Public Broadcasting provides a wide range of educational and technological services to communities and individuals across its coverage area.

"There is a role in any community for specialists charged with the preservation of tradition." From Lutefisk & Meatballs

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