Local concerts kick off December 1

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

The Christmas spirit is in the air and the Landmark Center in Henning is hoping to provide an opportunity to get in the festive spirit with a free concert next week.

The Landmark Center will host a Celtic yuletide performance from Laura MacKenzie on Wednesday, Dec. 4 for a celebration of yuletide holiday favorites. Many of the songs that will be performed come from Celtic origins and arranged with traditional Irish and Scottish music. They will be presented on an array of wind-powered instruments, including wooden flutes, whistles, concertina, several types of bagpipes, gems horn and voice.

The performance will begin at 7 p.m. and is free to the public thanks to a grant received by the Viking Library System. 

In addition to the performance at the Landmark Center, the Trinity Center will be hosting harpist and songwriter Nikki Lemire on Sunday, Dec. 1. The performance will get underway at 4 p.m. and the cost to attend is $20. 

Lemire, who is an artist from the Twin Cities area, spins her life around her music and performs in multiple fields and genres. Her songwriting features her expressive vocals that feature themes of everything from motherhood, love and loss. 

Among her many accolades, Lemire received second place at the Duluth Dylan Fest 2023 Songwriting Competition for her song “Let the Rain Come In.”

The performance is an encore to her Sunday, Oct.. 20 show that was also held at the Trinity Center in Henning.