In last week’s Review you saw the pictures of three lovely and very smart young ladies from St. Bernardine School. They were Helen Roach, Alexis Ginwright and Natalie Maltby. Here’s a little more information about the young ladies: Helen’s science project merited a gold ribbon and special recognition from the Water Reclamation District of Cook County. Alexis Ginwright also earned a gold ribbon and Natalie Maltby’s award was a silver ribbon.

March Madness has not escaped St. Bernardine’s. On March 20, players from St. B’s participated in all-star games at St. John Vianney School. Representing the Lady Lightning were Maeve Roach and Maeve Dunaway. Representing St. B’s boys were Xavier Scott, Grant Goode and Nathaniel Coleman. The boys and the girls were victorious on the 20th. Congratulations to St. Bernardine and their smart scientists and stalwart sportsmen.

Let’s not forget about our music. On Monday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m., the Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest with many players and singers from Forest Park, will perform the magnum opus of Gustav Mahler, the Symphony of a Thousand, Symphony No. 8. It will be performed at Orchestra Hall (or Symphony Center as it is now called), 220 S. Michigan Ave. Jay Friedman will conduct the orchestra and chorus(es). Generous donations for this event were made by the Audrey Love Charitable Foundation, Navistar and legendary CSO principal trumpet emeritus Adolph “Bud” Herseth. The choruses are directed by William Chin. These choruses include the regular Symphony Chorus, the Chicago Chorale, Chicago Men’s A Cappela, the Concordia University Kapelle Choir, and the OPRF Children’s Chorus..

It’s not too late to audition for one of MacDowell Artists’ generous music scholarships if you are a high school senior. Auditions will be held at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, East Avenue at Randolph in Oak Park on May 15 from 1:30 to 5 p.m. Contact Dr. David Leehey at 708-383-5092. These scholarships are open to high school seniors only. The money must be used for further study of music after high school, not necessarily for music majors only, just further study.

March 31 would have been the 85th birthday of a great man who died on March 20. Dan Tucker was a gentle, self-effacing giant who loved music, words and people. His music was performed by the old Oak Park Symphony and his opera, Many Moons, was performed by MacDowell Artists many years ago at Dominican University (then Rosary College). His ideas could be found on the editorial page of the Chicago Tribune for many years. His music was performed by orchestras all over the world, including a work commissioned by Mstislav Rostropovich when he was conductor of the National Symphony in Washington D.C. There is much that could be said of Dan, all of it inadequate. On his office wall at the Tribune were these words by William Butler Yeats: “Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy, which sustained him through temporary periods of joy.”

Other birthdays this week are Dolores Holub, Fabrizio Cirrintano, Jessica McIlquham, Ian Hitre, Matt Novak, Matt Espinoza, Jim McGuin, Kyler Pacyga, Todd Bower, Ryan Tomaso, Nick Novak, Tony Calderone, Dorothy Bentel, Ed Charvat, Dorothy Calderone Roseann McGuin, Keith Hickey, Jessie Jones, Mary Jones, Rich Schauer, Bill Freeman, Nick Tricoci, Rick Barger, Vito Gabino, Maura Flanagan, Joe Bugajsky, Jon Leganski, Jeanette Gerger, Mitzi DeVilbis, Tom Collis and Isabel Rossi.