Recent and Upcoming Events

Holden Village Vespers

In 2024, Claire Larson, Director of Bands at Kenyon-Wanamingo High School, commissioned Shirley to compose a band work based on Marty Haugen’s beloved Holden Evening Prayer. The Kenyon-Wanamingo High School band premiered the new work, Holden Village Vespers, at their “Sounds of the Season” Concert on Mon. Dec. 9, 2024, and performed it again on their “Reflections of Home” program at the MMEA Midwinter Convention on Fri. Feb. 14, 2025.

Holden Village Vespers is truly a collaborative effort, a project that celebrates the power of music and community. Thank you to Claire Larson and the Rachel Nesseth Extra Mile Foundation (which funded the commission), and congratulations to the Kenyon Wanamingo High School Band for a successful project and premiere!

Holden Village Vespers is now available for purchase exclusively through JW Pepper.

Remarks from Band Director Claire Larson about Holden Village Vespers:

“It has been a joy to commission and premiere Holden Village Vespers by Shirley Mier. She did outstanding work incorporating the characteristics I was looking for in a Grade 3 piece. I specifically requested active and interesting percussion parts to engage my students. She knew the strengths of each instrument and cleverly composed music that challenged them while also allowing for personal growth in highly independent instrumental lines. The gratification my students felt through mastery has helped us improve as an ensemble. The instrumental choirs were featured prominently throughout the work and highlighted unique colors across the band through the three main sections.

As a band director, I have found it challenging to find quality repertoire to program in my December concerts – music that is not overly sacred or secular but can fit within the programming of a ‘Sounds of the Season’ theme. This new work has been warmly received by our community and requested to be performed each and every year. From the opening recitative flute solo and responsive clarinet line, you will be drawn into the beauty and mystery of Holden Evening Prayer by Marty Haugne, one of the great liturgical composers of our era. This piece was craftily re-imagined through Shirley Mier’s masterful setting for instruments.  It is simply a must-have for every band director.”

Of Lakes and Legends: Scenes from White Bear Lake (Concert Band)

Shirley’s concert band suite Of Lakes and Legends received two performances this spring: on Mon. Mar. 3, 2025, by the University of Minnesota Gold Campus Band at Ted Mann Concert Hall (conducted by U of M doctoral student Seth Davis) and on Thu. Apr. 24, 2025, by the top band at the University of South Dakota (conducted by USD doctoral student Justin Pray Lincoln).

Of Lakes and Legends: Scenes from White Bear Lake was first composed for the Century Chamber Orchestra and premiered in May 2017 at Century College in White Bear Lake, MN.  The work has subsequently been recorded and performed by the Zagreb Philharmonic (Czech Republic).  Reggie Buresh, a longtime member of the Century Band as well as the Century Chamber Orchestra, commissioned this transcription for concert band, and the concert band rendition was premiered by the Century College Concert Band (Charles Preis, Director) in November 2023.  The scrolling score video for this transcription is now viewable on YouTube.

Deep Freeze

The Capilano University Instrumental Ensemble (located in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) performed Shirley’s flex-band work Deep Freeze at their concert on Nov. 29, 2024, 7:30pm. The concert, titled “Vivid Landscapes”, featured visually evocative compositions such as Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and Vaughan Williams’ English Folk Song Suite. Thank you to director Karen Nakajima for including Deep Freeze on this program!

Forge Ahead!

Shirley’s band work Forge Ahead! was featured on two programs at Winona State University concerts in November – at the High School Honor Band Festival on Sat. Nov. 2, and at the WSU Wind Ensemble Concert on Sun. Nov. 3.

The High School Honor Band Festival is a longstanding tradition at WSU – this year it featured works by Minnesota composers (including a world premiere by Eric Heukeshoven), and I was honored that my music was a part of it. Thank you to director Janet Heukeshoven for programming these works, and congratulations on a successful weekend of performances!

Music Directing and Performing

Comedy Improv

Shirley is excited to be playing piano on the comedy improv stage again!  In March 2024 she performed a monthlong gig with Stevie Ray’s Comedy Cabaret at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, and since August 2023 she has performed multiple gigs with the Masters of Improvisation at Crooners Supper Club and other venues. The Masters of Improv return to Crooner’s on Sat. June 7th, 2025, at 3pm as part of Crooner’s Loons on the Lake Comedy Festival – get your tickets here and see you there!