A great Gloucester, built environment, story of renewal.
The devastating fire in an apartment building on Middle street in 2007 killed 1 person, and destroyed Temple Ahavat Achim’s building dating from 1828 and acquired in 1950. Gloucester’s First Parish Church, established in 1738, relocated from Grant Circle and assembled here 1828-1950. The doors salvaged from the burned building and the arch detail referencing the original historic structure were meaningfully incorporated into the synagogue’s new building, designed by Maryann Thompson. How beautiful! Hundreds of years of continuous community faith, hope and unity.
‘Murray’ meeting house | corner of Middle & Dale – postcard, collection C. Ryan
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Pre-Sale Catalog Special Offer: Pre-order your Edward Hopper & Cape Ann: Illuminating an American Landscape catalog in anticipation of this special exhihibition. Shipping of the catalog will begin on the official release, May 2nd.
What music are you listening to on St. Patrick’s Day?
While I was mulling a great story by Ethan Forman in the Gloucester Daily Times about our community, a Torah scroll and Jewish life in Ireland, a Clancy Brothers album was playing in the background, a St. Patrick’s Day ritual ever since I was a child. I sang along instinctually and smiled even more at the poetry and word play of Torah and Too ra loo ra when that track came on.
“Rabbi David Kudan, the new interim rabbi at Temple Ahavat Achim on Middle Street, was instrumental in helping a small but growing Jewish community he is close to in the port city of Cork, Ireland obtain a sacred Torah scroll from his former congregation in Malden.
“They have graciously decided to bequeath this sacred scroll to help to renew Jewish life in the south of Ireland,” Kudan said during services in Gloucester on Saturday.”
Here’s the Clancy Brothers intro before playing Moses Ri-Toora(h)l-I-Ay Live at Carnegie Hall 1963
“There was a friendly son of St. Patrick by the name of Robert Briscoe who became Lord Mayor of Dublin, twice. He was a great Irish rebel as a matter of fact, a great Jewish Irish rebel, which gives us an excuse to sing a song that is the only Irish Jewish rebel song in captivity. And for those of you who don’t know, it needs a bit of explaining, it’s sort of old. At one time, the Irish language, Gaelic–at least it’s called Gaelic everywhere else–but in Ireland naturally enough it’s called “Irish”. This language is forbidden by British law, and this song was written to ridicule that situation. It’s about a Jewish merchant who came to Ireland and went to a small country town where he opened up a store and over his store he put his name in Hebrew. Now this very ambitious British policeman came along, took one look at the Hebrew and assumed it was Gaelic and dragged the Jew into court. And the song is concerned with the trial of the Jew. The song wasn’t written so much to show the great love between the Irish and the Jews so much as it twas to show the stupidity of the British…”
Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem concert Live at Carnegie Hall 1963 Intro 4 – Moses Ri-Tooral-I-Ay
Although laws banning Welsh and Irish languages were lifted, and Welsh permissible in Wales courts, it’s English solely for courts in Northern Ireland to this day.
One of seven children of Lithuanian-Jewish immigrants who came to Ireland to escape persecution, Robert Briscoe (1894-1969) studied electrical engineering in Germany, opened and shuttered a Christmas lights manufactory in NY ahead of US engagement in WWI, was active in Sinn Féin and IRA under Michael Collins before Ireland’s War of Independence, served in the Irish parliament (from 1927-1965), raised money to help Jewish immigrants escape Nazism (sadly failed to make that happen in Ireland, including some 100+ he was related to), and was the first Jewish Lord Mayor in Dublin–a title equivalent to Gloucester’s President of the City Council–which made international news. His cross country advocacy tours in the United States drew hundreds of thousands in New York, Boston and Chicago. One time, parade organizers moved the day of the parade out of respect for Briscoe’s faith.
“Briscoe’s twinkling eye, his wit and his pride in Ireland and Judaism captured the hearts of his countrymen. His 1950 election as Lord Mayor of this heavily Catholic city raised no eyebrows here but introduced Briscoe to a world in which he championed his beloved Ireland.”– 1969 obit
Roars of 450,000 Rock Old Southie Boston Globe, 1957, by Ian Forman. You can read the article here on GMG which I posted in 2021. Gloucester residents participated in the parade.
Here is how Briscoe described the parade in Boston:
“…Four miles it was, and by the end of it I was shuffling my feet like an elephant with corns. Incidentally, I clean wore out my best shoes and had to buy a new pair next day, which news being cabled back to Dublin made people there say, “A fine salesman for Ireland this Briscoe fellow! The first thing he does is to buy American shoes.” One of the newspapers in Boston; greeted me with a great green headline saying “AARON GO BRAGH” in both English and Yiddish characters. The supposedly proper Bostonians gave me such a welcome as almost made me weep. There I made thirty- six speeches in thirty-six hours, and lost my voice. Between speeches they had to keep rushing me to the hospital to have my throat sprayed…”
Robert Briscoe, For the Life of Me, 1958 page 325
Briscoe boasted in his autobiography that he codified a law regulating loan fees and that it made certain that women couldn’t borrow money without letting their husbands know. Because, you know. Women. A lot to unpack:
“…It may seem odd to those whose ideas of the business methods of our race are formed by the unfortunate Merchant of Venice, but the people my father abhorred most of all were unscrupulous moneylenders. The first time I came back from America, cutting a rather dashing figure in my New York clothes, I began going out with a certain very beautiful Jewish girl. When my father learned of it he called me to his room, and said, “I hear you are keeping company with Esther. You know her father is a moneylender and I am sure you know how much I love you. Now I solemnly tell you this, rather than see you married to a moneylender’s daughter, I would prefer to see your right arm cut off at the shoulder.” Mother shared this feeling of his. One time a moneylender died who had never paid his subscription to the Jewish cemetery of which Pappa was a trustee. His relatives, who were forced to pay a large capital sum to get him buried there, came to Pappa to complain. Mother hearing the argument, said to them, “Those good Jews who lie in the cemetery will rise when the Messiah comes. But your uncle will be there forever. He’s getting a bargain.” I was so impressed by Pappa’s abhorrence of moneylenders that when I first went into the Dáil, I joined with Patrick J. Little to introduce a bill which would put an end to their worst abuses. They often juggled loans so that they received as much as a thousand per cent interest, and once in their clutches a man had as little chance of escaping as a rabbit in a boa constrictor’s jaws. My bill regulated the interest that could be charged and also made it illegal for a married woman to borrow money without the knowledge and consent of her husband, for these foolish ones are always the easiest prey of the moneylenders. The act was passed and is today the law of Ireland.”
Robert Briscoe autobiography, For The Life of Me, 1958, page 16
I haven’t researched how that law evolved if at all since.
Jumping back to 2023, Ethan Forman wrote that a dynamic leader from Cork, Sophie Spiegel, carried the Torah scroll from Massachusetts to Ireland this month.
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Heidi Dallin shares a reminder about this weekend’s gorgeous concert program:
CAPE ANN SYMPHONY 71st SEASON
March 19, 2023 2:00 PM
Brahms, Dvorak
& featuring special guest soloist, Blaise Déjardin – Boston Symphony Orchestra Principal Cellist
Cape Ann Symphony’s 71st Concert Season continues on Sunday, March 19 at 2 pm with Brahms, Dvorak & Déjardin featuring the CAS return of Boston Symphony Orchestra Principal Cellist Blaise Déjardin at the CAS performance venue, Manchester-Essex High School Auditorium on 36 Lincoln Street, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA. For tickets or information, call 978-281-0543 or visit http://www.capeannsymphony.org
The orchestra opens the concert with Brahms’ powerful Symphony No. 1 in c minor, a piece which Brahms struggled with for years to complete. Cape Ann Symphony welcomes back Boston Symphony Orchestra Principal cellist Blaise Déjardin to close the concert with Dvorak’s stirring Cello Concerto. Déjardin made his CAS debut in March 2017 with his acclaimed performance of Saint-Saens’ elegant Cello Concerto.
“Our concert on March 19th will feature two great works and one amazing soloist,” points out CAS Music Director and Conductor Yoichi Udagawa.
“The Brahms Symphony No. 1 took almost 20 years for Brahms to write and is full of passion and struggle. It’s a fiery piece, and a perfect match for the passionate Cello Concerto by Dvorak. Dvorak wrote this concerto here in America and is full of gorgeous melodies – one after another. Our soloist, Blaise Déjardin is the principal cellist of the Boston Symphony, and he is an incredible musician. The musicians of the orchestra and I are really looking forward to presenting this concert to our wonderful audience!”
Yoichi Udagawa
About Blaise Déjardin
Born in Strasbourg, France, cellist Blaise Déjardin made his orchestra debut at age fourteen, performing Haydn’s C Major Concerto at the Corum of Montpellier, France. He was a member of the European Union Youth Orchestra and the Gustav Mahler Jugend Orchester, as well as a founding member of A Far Cry. A dedicated chamber musician, he spent two summers at Ravinia’s Steans Institute for Young Artists prior to joining the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 2008. That same year, he gave the US premiere of Les formes du vent for cello solo by French composer Edith Canat de Chizy.
In 2010, he founded the acclaimed Boston Cello Quartet with three of his colleagues from the BSO cello section. The Boston Cello Quartet’s diverse playlist and fresh style quickly drew an international following ranging from seasoned symphonic audiences to modern music lovers who had never attended a chamber music concert.
An accomplished and in demand arranger as well, he has written numerous pieces for cello ensembles, which led to three consecutive ASCAP Plus Awards. Commissions include Yo-Yo Ma, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and A Far Cry. In 2013 he launched Opus Cello, his online sheet music publishing company.
A prizewinner at numerous international competitions, including a First Prize at the Maurice Gendron International Cello Competition (2005), he has performed as soloist with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, the French Camerata, and many others.
In 2019 Déjardin released the album MOZART New Cello Duos with cellist Kee-Hyun Kim, featuring his own transcriptions. He also appears on both Boston Cello Quartet albums Pictures and The Latin Project. His first album as principal cello of the BSO, Ades Conducts Ades, was released by Deutsche Gramophone in 2020.
Mr. Déjardin holds a First Prize of Cello with highest honors from the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique of Paris, as well as a Master of Music Diploma and a Graduate Diploma from the New England Conservatory in Boston. His main teachers were Philippe Muller, Laurence Lesser and Bernard Greenhouse. He now teaches privately and is on the faculty of the New England Conservatory Preparatory School and the Tanglewood Music Center. He has served as Artistic Director of the Boston Cello Society since its creation in 2015.
About Cape Ann Symphony and Maestro Udagawa
Founded in Gloucester in 1951, the Cape Ann Symphony is a professional orchestra of over 70 players from throughout the New England area. They perform a subscription season of four concerts per year plus several Pops and youth concerts. The Symphony Board of Directors named Yoichi Udagawa the Music Director and Conductor of the Cape Ann Symphony in the summer of 2000 after a yearlong search. In addition to his leadership of Cape Ann Symphony, he is Music Director and Conductor of the Melrose Symphony Orchestra, and the Quincy Symphony Orchestra and a cover conductor at the Boston Pops Orchestra. Maestro. Udagawa is on the faculty of the Boston Conservatory where he teaches conducting. Frequently invited to guest conduct, Maestro Udagawa has worked with many different orchestras including the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, Nobeoka Philharmonic Orchestra, the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston, the University of Texas Symphony Orchestra, the Indian Hill Symphony, the Garden State Philharmonic, the Brown University Orchestra, the Syracuse Society for New Music, the Boston Conservatory Orchestra, the Midcoast Symphony Orchestra, the Newton Symphony, the Austin Civic Orchestra, and the Mid-Texas Symphony. Maestro Udagawa is at home in popular and contemporary music as well as the standard symphonic repertoire. He is known for his relaxed manner and ability to speak from the podium which has helped new audiences as well as enthusiasts gain a greater appreciation for symphonic music. His programs often include premieres of new works – some specially commissioned for the orchestra — as well as great orchestral works across the symphonic repertoire and lively Pops programs. He is also an integral part of the Cape Ann Symphony Youth Initiative.
Yoichi Udagawa, the son of a nuclear physicist father and singer/artist mother, was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. His family immigrated to the United States soon thereafter. He began playing the violin at age four and made his conducting debut at age fifteen. After receiving a music degree from the University of Texas at Austin, he continued advanced studies in conducting with Gunther Schuller, Seiji Ozawa, Morihiro Okabe, and Henry Charles Smith. A fan of many different styles of music, Mr. Udagawa also enjoys performing gospel music in addition to his conducting activities. He is an accomplished violinist and an avid fan of exercise and yoga.
The Cape Ann Symphony’s March concert: Brahms, Dvorak & Déjardin is Sunday, March 19, 2023 at 2:00 pm at the Manchester-Essex High School Auditorium on 36 Lincoln Street, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA. Manchester-Essex High School Auditorium is handicapped accessible. Ticket prices are $45 for adults, $40 for senior citizens, $5 for Youth (12 years old and under). For information, call 978-281-0543 or visit www.capeannsymphony.org
Photos 1 : BSO Principal Cellist Blaise Dejardin, Guest Artist for March 19 Concert; Courtesy Photo Photo 2: CAS Music Director and Conductor Yoichi Udagawa Photo 3: BSO Principal Cellist Blaise Dejardin, Guest Artist for March 19 Concert; Photo Credit: Toby Oft
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LAST CHANCE! Adin Murray : Springtime on the Marsh | Process and Place
Gloucester artist Adin Murray will be on site at the gallery drawing and painting this Saturday and Sunday and invites the public to stop in, view his work and learn about his painting process. Gallery is located at 19 Pleasant Street, Gloucester MA. Please contact the artist for visiting hours: 912-856-1407.
Springtime on the Marsh 2023 . Oil on canvas . 40 x 40 inches
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The Cape Ann YMCA Performance Camp led by award winning professional actress, director and arts educator Heidi Dallin is back for Summer 2023. Dallin and her team of theater professionals / arts educators including Rin Wolter, Tyler Garofalo, Sarah Vandewalle, Jenny Hersey, TS Burnham, Martina Gallo and Julia Drost are set for another exciting summer at the Cape Ann YMCA culminating in 2 public performances of Disney’s Frozen JR!
One year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, remembering early 20th C. Ukrainian immigrant artists and Ukrainian American artists including Alexander Archipenko, David Burliuk, Jack Delano, Sonia Delaunay, Chaim Gross, Louis Lozowick, (Kazimir) Malevich, Jules Olitski, Louise Nevelson, Milton Resnick; also, New York’s first women dealer, Edith Halpert, who founded The Downtown Gallery. (Halpert represented Stuart Davis and dedicated several solo exhibitions for him despite lack of sales.)
A few traveled with or visited friends in Gloucester as they built their lives anew.
Reading The Holodomor Memorial 1932-33 at Grand Park in Los Angeles, CA.–dedicated in 1986, the first such tribute in the United States–is devastating, and through the lens of today’s war may fuel a greater understanding of the Ukrainian fight for freedom.
As of January 2021, the Senate and House or Representatives have recognized the famine as man made and an act of genocide. Timeline roundup of the US Senate here and current US House of Representatives resolution (excerpt below):
“…Whereas title V of the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1986 (Public Law 99–180; 99 Stat. 1157), signed into law on December 13, 1985, established the Commission on the Ukraine Famine to “conduct a study of the Ukrainian Famine of 1932–1933 in order to expand the world’s knowledge of the famine and provide the American public with a better understanding of the Soviet system by revealing the Soviet role” in it;
Whereas the Commission on the Ukraine Famine, Investigation of the Ukrainian Famine 1932–1933: Report to Congress, adopted by the Commission, April 19, 1988, and submitted to Congress April 22, 1988, found that in 1932 and 1933, the Government of the Soviet Union had committed genocide against the Ukrainian people;
Whereas with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, archival documents confirmed the premeditated nature of the famine and exposed the atrocities suffered by the Ukrainian people;…”
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The morning sky on February 24, 2023 was a dramatic wintry mix, sunny and threatening. Blue skies and bright winter whites prevailing now in picturesque Gloucester.
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If you want to be thunderstruck by how much New York inspired Edward Hopper and how much Hopper influenced everything else, look no further than Renzo Piano’s spectacular design of the Whitney Museum flagship which opened on 99 Gansevoort in 2015. The building serves the art no matter the exhibit. Yet, I have not felt such an overwhelming Hopper vibe until this show.
This piece is part one of a review with installation images and photo journal inspired by visits to Edward Hopper’s New York at the Whitney Museum (October 19, 2022-March 5, 2023).
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Feb. 10, 2023- a dreamy magic realism morning with several white rainbows at sunrise, maybe still. This one spanned the marsh, Old Nugent, Thacher Road more than an hour after sunrise. Hope to see your photos!
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A big save the date–July 22, 2023–in today’s paper!
“The exhibition, accompanied by a 225-page catalog, will include 65 paintings, drawings, and prints, 57 of them by Hopper, seven by Nivison, and one by Robert Henri…”
Step into Edward Hopper’s life in Gloucester with the web-based digital Google map I first created in 2010, Edward Hopper all around Gloucester, that reveals where scores of Hopper’s works of art were inspired in Gloucester beyond a well known core, and corrected several misidentifications possibly hinting at Maine or Cape Cod. By my last tally, there’s more than 120 in Gloucester! The exhibition at Cape Ann Museum will gather Gloucester originals together from public and private collections which is no small feat. What a thrill and opportunity to wander and wonder about art and ideas, and celebrate Gloucester.
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wintry day photos: Amitie related vessel (see Pat Morss Curious Visitor post) was out all night, often eerily or completely occluded in the thick sea smoke until blue skies gained; direction of the storm wind left Eastern point roadside past Niles Beach ice blasted; alas skating on thin ice at Niles Pond tomorrow; and saw groups of frenetic robins feeding in every neighborhood. Imagine the rough condition for the crew involved with this 1905 rescue and lighthouse keepers.
Twin Lights 6:30AM (enlarge to see tower) vs. 7:30 vs. 11 AM
per request!
15 seconds of video sea smoke past Thacher Island Twin Lights 7:30AM Feb 4, 2023
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Good Morning Gloucester 
