Happy 90th Birthday to Mrs. Pat Laurent!

This Sunday, March 19, at 3:00 PM, the Pointe Coupée Historical Society will honor Ms. Pat Laurent on the occasion of her 90th birthday with a concert performance of the Pelican State Chamber Music Series. The concert will feature the Nicholls Camerata and the Men’s Choir of St. Francis Chapel in New Roads. The concert will be followed with a birthday reception including the cutting of the birthday cake and a toast with sparkling beverages. Ms. Pat Laurent is well-known in Pointe Coupee as piano teacher, choir director, concert performer, and one of the founders of the Pelican State Chamber Concert Series which is in its 12th year of performance at the Julien Poydras Museum and Arts Center. Ms. Laurent received her degree in music from LSU, and did additional coursework in music at the University of Texas. She started teaching piano in New Roads in 1965, and also played in schools and churches for graduation ceremonies, weddings, and other special programs. She taught almost all her 18 grandchildren to play piano. “Her teaching piano has been a tremendous contribution to the parish,” said Sarita Bouanchaud, organist at St. Mary of False River Catholic Church and Ms. Laurent’s friend for many years. “Pat was instrumental in getting the piano at the public library too.” Miss Pat and Miss Sarita played four-hand piano along with June Allor and Donna Dial. “Four people playing on two pianos. That was fun!” Ms. Laurent, who is known widely as Miss Pat, is also credited - along with Gail Roberts - with saving the old Poydras High School from demolition, and turning it into the museum and arts center that is now home to the Pointe Coupee Historical Society and the Arts Council of Pointe Coupee. This Sunday’s concert features the Nicholls Camerata, a chamber ensemble comprised of students of the String Program at Nicholls State University, an intensive program of study started by James Alexander in 2007. Students in this program come from all over the world and have won prizes in national and international competitions. The Camerata performs without conductor a repertoire ranging from Baroque to modern music. The ensemble has just returned from Brazil, where it was the orchestra-in-residence at the International Music Festival of Santa Catarina in Jaragua do Sul. Sunday’s program includes music of Mozart, Beethoven, and Bartok and features guest soloist cellist Dennis Parker.

The concert is free and open to the public. All are invited to the birthday reception following the concert. Sunday, March 19 3:00pm Julien Poydras Museum and Arts Center 500 West Main Street New Roads