In its only performance this season in the greater Washington-Baltimore area, Windham Hill's Winter Solstice concert comes to Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts at 8 p.m. Friday.
Featured are the pianist Paul Aaberg, singer Barbara Higbie and the Modern Mandolin Quartet, with Mike Marshall, John Imholz, Dana Rath and Paul Binkley. The musicians share a varied background of classical, jazz and folk music training, and bring fresh interpretations to traditional music.
Tickets are $21 for general admission, $19 for Maryland Hall members. Call 263-5019.
*
Maryland Hall plays host to a very different kind of entertainment tomorrow night when Mary Carter Smith, Maryland's official African folklorist, offers a multi-cultural evening of tales and fables.
The 7 p.m. storytelling is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by the Anne Arundel County Reading Council and Educational Media Association of Anne Arundel County. For further information, contact Elaine McLaughlin at 757-7271.
*
In celebration of its 10th anniversary, the Tintinnabulators present a concert at the Legislative Services Building on Lawyers Mall at 5 p.m. Sunday.
The choir of English Handbell Ringers will offer a variety of works to illustrate the music they present at school, church and community concerts. They'll also provide the accompaniment for a sing-along of patriotic songs.
The Sunday concert is free and open to the public. The Tintinnabulators' annual Christmas concert is at 7:20 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Dawson Art Gallery, 44 Maryland Ave. For information on both concerts, call Patricia Ban Mater at 268-8627.
It's a true sign of the times: the Quiet Waters Park Ice Skating Rink opens for the season at noon Thursday. On Saturday, normal park entrance fees will be waived for an Open House, so that visitors can explore the park and visit the skating rink.
During the winter, the rink is closed on Tuesdays. Regular hours are from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays; noon to 9 p.m. Saturdays and school holidays; and noon to 8 p.m. Sundays.
The regular rate for a two-hour session is $3, with special rates for children under 6 and seniors over 62. Hockey and figure skates are available for rent. For information on group rates, season passes, lessons and private rentals, call 268-7463.
Madeline, the star of children's books and cartoons, will make a guest appearance at the Eastport-Annapolis Neck branch library 2:30 p.m. Saturday as part of National Children's Book Week festivities. The program is free and open to all ages, with no registration required.
Children are invited to bring their own copies of Madeline books for autographs and to participate in a special story time session. Madeline's visit is sponsored by TCI Cablevision of Annapolis. For more information, call the library at 222-1770.
*
The YWCA Woman's Center is offering a program, Legal Aspects of Separation and Divorce, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday and again from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 17. A second workshop, Emotional Aspects of Separation and Divorce, will be presented from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 3. The workshops will be held at the First Presbyterian Church, room 302, 144 Conduit St. in Annapolis.
At the legal workshop, a private attorney who is a member of the Woman's Law Center will present information about legal rights and the procedures for obtaining a separation or a divorce in Maryland.
The second workshop will be led by Martin Kranitz, author of the book "Getting Apart Together." Kranitz will discuss the emotional issues of separation and divorce, the needs of the children involved and the use of mediation as an alternative to separation and divorce.
There is no fee, but pre-registration is required. Call 268-4393.
*
A support group for the parents of juvenile diabetics meets tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. at the Anne Arundel Medical Center Health Education Center on Jennifer Road at Medical Parkway.
The Juvenile Diabetics Support Group provides an opportunity for a discussion of medical issues. Many sessions feature a guest speaker. Topics include disease control, coping and medication.
For more information on the group, call Barbara Noonan at 757-5135. The group meets on the third Tuesday of every month.
*
As the holiday season picks up momentum and lists of gifts and things to do proliferate, how about taking a break to give a very special present to a stranger? Anne Arundel Medical Center is in need of blood donors, particularly those with B positive or O negative blood types. Every pint of blood helps two patients at AAMC. Donors must be between ages 17 and 69.
Call Carolyn Mull at 267-1619 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.
*
The monthly meeting of the Severn River Association is tomorrow at 7 p.m. in the Tawes State Office Building's lobby conference room on Taylor Avenue in Annapolis.
Steve Cover, development administrator for the Anne Arundel County Planning and Zoning Department, will be the guest speaker. He will discuss the county's adequate facilities law. The meeting is open to the public.