Jon Lord, best known as part of the group Deep Purple, has also had a lifelong involvement with classical music. His new piano concerto is influenced by Bach and Dave Brubeck, and takes its title from D. H. Lawrence.

In "Simple Gifts," the King's Singers bring their signature a cappella sound to songs like Helplessly Hoping and She's Always a Woman. It's a successful venture into a fraught category -- crossover.

Audiences at the State Fair on Saturday can tour Minnesota through choral music. Six choirs from around Minnesota will perform specially commissioned music reflecting the diverse histories, landscapes and people of the state.

A college English professor argues that the J.D. Salinger classic is getting a bit dusty, and would like to see high school students exposed to more contemporary fiction. Midmorning examines which books should be considered the new "classics" for teen readers.

It appears that even though St. Paul's Excel Energy Center is the site of the Republican National Convention, it's Minneapolis that's playing host to the conventioneers. That's where most of the private parties are taking place and where the majority of Republican delegates and supporters are staying.

About 50 female Republicans gathered at the Mall of America Tuesday for a fashion show and fundraiser for battered women.

The "after hours" scene at the Republican National Convention has taken on a charitable focus. Organizers of a number of events and private parties transformed the gatherings into fundraisers for the Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund.