Remembering the Survivors
The Music Department at South Texas College plans to unveil a completely new composition detailing the harrowing experience of the Holocaust by its survivors.
Faculty at STC are planning to perform excerpts from a new work in progress composed by Dr. Michael Gersten on the clarinet that follows the stories of three women, one of whom is his grandmother, he said.
The composition intends to represent the women’s experiences as they sought to survive the Holocaust, taken from the same area in southern Poland and sent on the same death march. The performance is set to take place as the City of McAllen holds its Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony this month.
Leslie Blasing has been one of those Wintertainers that has adapted quite well to social distancing. She was one of the first to go online with her shows last year when we all had to start quarantining. He Facebook was always busy with her daily shows on her back porch, or out on her street depending on the weather.
The Colliers are a vibrant, Americana group, that blends acoustic and electric instrumentation. They mix a host of genres like rock, pop, country, Celtic (Irish/Scottish), and folk, in a rootsy, down-home way. By doing this they form their own unique sound. They also put their own twist on a huge variety of covers of all genres from past to present, including pop-rock, country, R&B, swing, and even some Hawaiian pedal steel. They are refreshingly different from other Wintertainers™.
While the official events – parade, carnival, costume ball – for Charro Days have been cancelled for this year, The Sombrero Festival will be held virtually. There will be a Sombrero Festival en Casa virtual show on Saturday, February 27. The show will feature a virtual variety show that you can watch in the comfort of your own home. There are several events you can get involved in now to be part of that show.
Dave and Daphne are here again. This couple loves to entertain and you can see it when they get on the stage. This group has won a couple of Valley Star Awards including Duet Musical Group of the Year, and in 2019 they won Entertainer of the Year. 
Ralph Kuster has been a Valley favorite for several years. He is well known for his variety of acts, wide-ranging vocals and the energy he puts into his shows. With what he does now, you would not believe that he spent many years teaching golf. 
The showcases held the last two weeks for activity directors throughout the Valley were an opportunity for the entertainers to shine – and they did just that. Despite being held outside, even during a dreary Thursday, the showcases were attended well and fun was had by all.
