FRIDAY 3/16

MARY A. CARSON--Ah, the mysteries of the student recital. What pieces will Carson use to demonstrate her proficiency on the viola? Will she be up to the task? And will you get your money's worth? Brechemin Auditorium, UW campus, 543-1201, 8 pm, free.

SATURDAY 3/17

TUDOR CHOIR--As much as I hate John Tavener--for his banal simplicity, the arrogance of his spiritual stance, and his flowing golden mane--there's no denying the chord he struck with audiences when Song for Athene was played at Princess Diana's memorial service. It wraps up an evening of similarly cheery reflections on death, from Tavener's similarly dull Funeral Ikos to Howells' more obviously 20th-century compositions Requiem and Nunc Dimittis, by way of such Renaissance masters as Sheppard, Tallis, Josquin, and Byrd. St. Mark's Cathedral, 1245 10th Ave E, 322-3118, 8 pm, $18 general/$15 students & seniors/$10 children.

SUNDAY 3/18

ORCHESTRA SEATTLE--Pianist Duane Hulbert, driving over from the University of Puget Sound, tackles Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43. Should Hulbert lack the fingers to pull off this masterpiece, you can still count on the Orchestra for acceptable readings of the less musically challenging (though greater artistically) Ma Mère l'Oye by Ravel and Schumann's Symphony No. 4 in d, Op. 120. Meany Hall, UW campus, 682-5208, www.osscs.org, 3 pm, $15-$35.

SEATTLE SYMPHONY--Elgar's magnificently simple Cello Concerto in e, Op. 85 (Truls Mørk soloing) and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 3, "Polish," are the two examples conductor Andrew Litton will use to illustrate the notion of "Art Over Adversity." Said struggle in Elgar's case involving a tonsil operation and the devastation of WWI; Tchaikovsky, of course, was nothing but a walking bundle of neuroses. Benaroya Hall, Taper Auditorium, 215-4747, www.seattlesymphony.org, 2 pm, $15-$39.

RADIO SHOWS
by Jason Pagano

SATURDAY 3/17

ALTERNATIVE RADIO--"Nickel & Dimed: Women, Welfare, & Work." Author, essayist, and critic Barbara Ehrenreich assesses the current economic situation of the millions of former welfare recipients--a majority of them women, many supporting children--herded into low-paying jobs since the program's controversial reform in 1996. KUOW 94.9 FM, 3 pm.

THE LIVE ROOM--Your preconceptions of the Irish as a bunch of potato-eating, drunken rowdies are shattered with an hour of drunken, rowdy Irish music performed live by renowned potato-lovers St. Bushmill's Choir. KCMU 90.3 FM, 8 pm.

SOUNDTRACK CINEMA--Host Ford Thaxton plays selections from Oscar-losing scores of the past 22 years, including Raiders of the Lost Ark (John L. Williams), The Mission (Ennio Morricone), and Braveheart (James Horner). KING 98.1 FM, 10 pm.

SUNDAY 3/18

WHAT'S THE WORD?--Three leading translators discuss the art of rendering the literature of the non-English-speaking world, specifically the works of Pablo Neruda, Paul Celan, and Gabriel García Márquez. KUOW 94.9 FM, 2:30 pm.

BATTLE OF THE BEST--Each week, two superstars of classic soul and R&B go head to head, with the winner determined by listeners' votes. A pointless effort to map the impossible divide between individual musical tastes, perhaps, but mostly the comfort that someone cares to listen--if only one underappreciated intern dutifully sorting faxes at Sandusky Radio in Bellevue. Past matchups have included the Temptations vs. the Four Tops, Diana Ross vs. the Supremes, and Barry White vs. Al Green. Alert the station of your opinion by fax to 888-225-SOUL. KSRB 1150 AM, 5 pm.

OUT OF TOWN

C.O.C.O., C-AVERAGE, PARLOR MAIDS: Thurs March 15, Meow Meow, Portland

SNO JAM w/ SICK OF IT ALL, DEATH BY STEREO, A.F.I.: Thurs March 15, Croatian Cultural Center, Vancouver, BC

B. B. KING, COREY HARRIS: Thurs March 15, Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver, BC

THE SAMPLES: Fri March 16, Crystal Ballroom, Portland

DUSTY 45'S, THE COUNTRYPOLITANS: Fri March 16, Cobalt Lounge, Portland

THE JUNGLE BROTHERS: Fri March 16, Roseland Theater, Portland

THE SAMPLES: Fri March 16, Crystal Ballroom, Portland

CARISSA'S WIERD: Sat March 17, Medicine Hat, Portland

KING BLACK ACID: Sat March 17, Ohm, Portland

REEL BIG FISH, SUM 41, THE BENJAMINS: Wed March 21, Roseland Theater, Portland

Headed to Portland? Visit www.portlandmercury.com.