Author: S.D. Kelly

Go Courtney! She Made the Final Five!

Posted on by S.D. Kelly

Remember Gloucester singer-songwriter Courtney Reid’s bid to win the Folgers Jingle contest with her original song? Thanks no doubt in part to GMG voters (who could, in good conscience, vote for her great entry), Courtney is in the top five of the contest out of thousands of entries – now it’s down to a live Grand Audition competition in NYC on June 16th. Keep pulling for Courtney — you can follow along and see her video submission if you haven’t already by checking out this link. But fair warning: you’re gonna want a cup of coffee after you see it. Yes, her jingle is just that good.

http://www.bestpartofwakinup.com/folgers-jingle-contest-finalist-gallery/718703

The Daffodil Project in Rockport

Posted on by S.D. Kelly

Thanks to the work of Rockport Garden Club, the town was filled with the cheerful sight of thousands of daffodils this Spring. And the best part is, this is only the first stage of a three-stage process. Peggy Coonley, who conceived the project and brought it before the Garden Club, planned for what will eventually be 9,000 new bulbs planted throughout town, both in existing public gardens and in town spaces that aren’t cultivated, like along a stone wall bordering a town field on South Street (the spot pictured in the photo). 3,000 bulbs were planted last fall with 3,000 more due to be planted in 2011. The final 3,000 bulbs will be planted next year.

As you can imagine, this is a major undertaking, the cost of which has partially been underwritten by a grant, with the Garden Club fundraising to cover other costs incurred. The Garden Club will be selling daffodil bulbs to help fund the project along with their other ventures, such as the annual scholarship awarded to a Rockport High School student. So make plans to join the daffodil project by purchasing your bulbs from the Rockport Garden Club – available at their booth at this fall’s HarvestFest as well as in other venues. And if you see a Garden Club member be sure to say thanks. Our Spring has been brighter because of their efforts — and that’s no small thing in gray New England.

A Tour of a Cape Ann House

Posted on by S.D. Kelly

Last Saturday, along with about 400 other people, I went on the Rockport Cottages & Castles house tour, a benefit for Rockport Music. It was a great event and a reminder of all the incredible homes we have here on Cape Ann.

House tours are kinda like tattoos — you either get the appeal or you don’t. My husband, for instance, cannot begin to understand why I want to pay money to go shuffle around the homes of a bunch of strangers. I can’t explain it to him, and I don’t even try. Of course there is the practical side of things, you can get ideas for your own home by seeing what other people have done to their living spaces. But even more than that, seeing a historic house gives you a glimpse into another time in a way that is a lot more connected to reality than visiting a house museum (of course I love house museums as well). On my blog I occasionally feature a local house, usually historic, and its interior. A few weeks ago I posted about this 1760 Rockport house, which highlighted how to honor the past without being locked into historical accuracy. An inspiring place.

Know of any amazing Cape Ann homes waiting to be discovered? I’d love to hear about their stories. Feel free to email me: therovinghome@gmail.com

Free Music is Almost Always a Good Thing

Posted on by S.D. Kelly

This time, in my opinion, it’s a really good thing, if bluegrass/indie/Americana/folk music is your style. Singer-songwriter Daniel Dye is offering a couple of free downloads through his facebook page. Daniel’s music is all original – he comes up to Cape Ann a few times a year with his band, The Miller Road Band to play a mix of Americana music with bluegrass instruments (banjo, mandolin, guitar, harmonica, fiddle and even a cello). These people are all family members of mine, so I’m probably a little biased but if the Avett Brothers are your thing (or the suddenly-they’re-everywhere Mumford and Sons), you will probably want to take advantage of these free downloads. Of course, you have to be on facebook to take the band up on the offer but you can’t truly get something for nothing, I guess. Click here for the download: www.facebook.com/danieldyemusic.

Here’s a video of Daniel Dye & (part of) the band recording a show at public radio station WYSO.

Draw on the Sidewalk…and Win a Prize!

Posted on by S.D. Kelly

As if drawing on the sidewalk isn’t reward enough, this is your chance to draw on the sidewalk and win some prizes in the 2nd Annual Sidewalk Chalk Art Contest in downtown Rockport on Motif No. 1 Day. This festival is all about celebrating the arts in Rockport, and interactive activities have been created to highlight this.

It Happened in Rockport…

Posted on by S.D. Kelly

…Can you believe it? On Saturday night, April 23rd, there were THREE things taking place at night. At night!

Citizens of Gloucester, you cannot fully appreciate how amazing this is, as Rockport rolls up its sidewalk at approximately 5 pm. (Then all of us go over to Gloucester to eat dinner at one of your many fine establishments.) Well, that’s what it feels like, anyway. But, this was not the case a few weekends ago. Oh no. On THAT very special night there was an event at the Rockport Art Association (it was private, but who cares? At least there were live human beings coming in and out the front door of the RAA after dark), another event at the Shalin Liu Performance Center, and an art opening at the Tusinski Gallery, all three events taking place on Main Street.

I attended the opening at the gallery and, over a week later, am still enjoying the experience of seeing people in downtown Rockport. So exciting. Here are some photos from a very happening gallery opening. Consider this the society pages of the new so crazy-we’re-up-past-8-o’clock-Rockport. The rest of you on Cape Ann, feel free to join us downtown after dark! Maybe you’ll be able to talk a restaurant owner into staying open for dinner if you come! We’ll toast the good life on Cape Ann together.

Celebrating the release of the book along with an accompanying art show.
People! Lots of people!
MORE people!
A Rockporter sporting fashionable footwear.

Todd Farm is Open!!!

Posted on by S.D. Kelly

For those of you who love a good Flea Market, Todd Farm in Rowley is open again. This, along with all the open fish shacks, is the sign that Spring has truly arrived.

Vintage stuff at ol' Todd Farm Flea Market.

I wrote a post on my blog about flea market fashion after going to Todd Farm yesterday. Here’s one of the stylin’ flea marketers I spied:

Nearly everything she's wearing is vintage flea market stuff. Just after I took this photo she promptly scored a scarf at the next booth. A real pro.

Let me know (email: therovinghome@gmail.com) if you find anything amazing this summer at Todd Farm and I’ll shout it from the rooftops via GMG! Happy hunting!

Awesome New Posters are HERE!!!!

Posted on by S.D. Kelly

The beautiful new Motif No. 1 posters have arrived featuring a block print from Folly Cove Designer Sarah Elizabeth Holloran. This image of Motif no. 1 was used courtesy of Isabel Natti. Remember the interview Joey did with Isabel a while ago? Check the first video in the series out by clicking this link to learn about the Folly Cove Designers and Isabel’s shop, the Sarah Elizabeth shop. It’s a great story, and a few of Sarah Elizabeth’s designs are available along with Ms. Natti’s own block prints, one of which is of a herring plant that follows the whole production cycle, circa 1970s.

The Motif No. 1 Day posters were produced in a limited run, and can be purchased at www.rockportartfestivals.com for $20 each, with all proceeds going to support Motif No. 1 Day itself.

Catch: At the Tusinski Gallery

Posted on by S.D. Kelly
Catch, at the Tusinski Gallery until May 22nd.

Catch, a show at the Tusinski Gallery on Main Street in Rockport, opens today, Earth Day, and runs through May 22nd.

Catch features the work of artist Nina Samoiloff, as she collects and collates the pieces she finds on the beaches of Rockport (documented on her blog, also called Catch) before creating sculptures and photographs of her finds. But the artist’s beach finds aren’t the usual gallery suspects, the carefully edited and crafted work involving natural driftwood, shells, or even beach glass. Catch features items of a different sort, all of them man-made — the artist even uses cut lumber, washed up on the beach, instead of naturally-occurring driftwood in her pieces. The show is a sobering and impressive collaboration between man and nature, truly an expression of the time we live in, for better or for worse. A time in which we make permanent stuff to use for a very temporary moment — like water bottles, for instance — before throwing this same stuff away, much of which ends up in the eternal ocean before rolling back onto the shore — and back into our lives.

My sculpture and my obsessive morning ritual of picking up of plastic on the beach (which I document and post on my blog Catch) are symbiotic, without the one the other would not exist. Both are discarded products of a consumer society, and both are a challenge to me as to how to present these items artfully to the viewer. The beach lumber sculptures are a combination of my industrial design education and my desire to recycle. Each piece of lumber speaks to me, it’s shape, texture, color or the nails protruding from it have the potential to become part of a bigger finished sculpture.

– Nina Samoiloff

A Little Philosophy With Your Adolescence?

Posted on by S.D. Kelly

Or the title could be “A Little Philosophy With Your Adolescents?” because this post is directed at both students and their parents. Paul Kelly, a local teacher (full disclosure: his other full-time job is being my husband), offers coffeehouse courses (a combination of discussion and workshops) in Philosophy for high school students through his company, Philosophy 4. The new Spring Sessions start next week, with a session taking place right here in Gloucester. Paul has found through the last several years of teaching that high school students are eager to address the always-relevant questions philosophy takes on, but that they often don’t have a venue for such a discussion, which is where Philosophy 4 comes in. The courses are both casual and engaging, and students have a really good time together discussing western philosophy. And if you’re on twitter or facebook, check out Philosophy 4 on both; Paul is new to networking using social media and looks forward to connecting with the GMG community! The Philosophy 4 Spring Sessions poster is below. Just click the image for more information:

Spring is Here! Time to Get Out of the House

Posted on by S.D. Kelly

A little of that Cape Ann winter hibernation thing is still going on around here (especially on cold, rainy days like today), but tomorrow you’ll have the chance to shake off that favorite blanket you’ve had draped over you for the last three months, get off your couch, and step outside into actual Spring sunshine. Come on down to the Community House in Rockport where we’re serving Twin Lights Soda, Coffee, Cupcakes and giving you the opportunity to take a photo with Motif No. 1 itself! There’ll be some dancing magic too, and if you’re lucky, maybe some GMG contributors will even show up to shake a leg. Rumor has it that no one cuts a rug like Paul Morrison, the smoothest scientist in Rockport. Admission is a Pay-What-You-Can donation, with all proceeds going to support programming for Motif No. 1 Day & Rockport’s HarvestFest. Check out www.rockportartfestivals.com for more info and we hope to see all of our friends and neighbors there for a real Community bash!

Calling All Creative People!

Posted on by S.D. Kelly

Minimalist Motif in George Anderson's Gallery window on Main Street at last year's festival.

Jud Wilson's action figures Motif at The Ice Cream Store on Bearskin Neck at last year's festival.

One of the highlights of last year’s Motif No. 1 Day was the Find-the-Motif Scavenger Hunt, where mini-Motifs were placed throughout Rockport’s downtown for festival-goers to discover. There were Motifs made of driftwood, papier mâché, sleek steel, and an especially crazy-awesome one made by Jud of Ace Hardware using action figures attached to a plywood Motif (with lights! and sound!). The people who make Motif No. 1 Day happen are looking for more submissions for this year’s festival on May 21st. The general dimensions are 2′ x 3′ so that Scavenger Hunt participants can spot the mini-Motif easily, but if your creativity leads you to create a Motif that’s a bit smaller — or larger — it’s no problem at all. To join in the fun, e-mail rockportfestivals@gmail.com and let them know  you’ll be making a Motif for the Scavenger Hunt. Submissions are due by Thursday, May 19th, and participants are asked to pick up their mini-Motifs in Dock Square at the close of the festival (7 pm on Saturday, May 21st).  To get you in the spirit of things, here’s an image of a kit for a paper Motif No. 1, sold online by Fiddler’s Green. Yours doesn’t have to be this perfect of course. It doesn’t even have to be red — just vaguely recognizable as the (arguably) most famous fishing shack/art studio/storage building in the known universe.

A Motif No. 1 model kit from Fiddler's Green.

 

The Rockport Swap Shop: a Little Slice o’ Heaven

Posted on by S.D. Kelly

For those of us who like rooting through other people’s cast-offs, there is a little shed at the Rockport Transfer Station that is like a slice of heaven on earth. This shed is home to Rockport’s Swap Shop (just to the left of the Book Barn, the site of more happiness), and  trumps all other forms of scavenging (Goodwill, yard sales, and so forth) because the bounty that you see before you is free for the taking.

Yes, it can get a little depressing at times to squeeze in among the other human seagulls, desperately hunting for that perfect item, like the replacement carafe that you needed for your coffeemaker or the coffeemaker that you needed for your broken carafe. But it’s all worth it for moments like the one I experienced today, when I brought along a few members of my extended family on my Dump Run and introduced my five-year-old nephew, Jon Luke, to the joys (and sometimes heartbreak) of the Rockport Swap Shop. He came away with an item so prized that it seemed almost unbelievable to him, a gift magically appearing out of a humble little shed, as if there were actually a Trash Fairy and today was a holiday he had never heard of. And it shall be called Trashmas.

Maybe creating a holiday around the Swap Shop is too much to ask, but if you had seen Jon Luke racing around in his new-to-him Swap Shop find this afternoon, you might have felt a little secondhand magic stirring in your heart.

 

Jon Luke's find: A Retractable Batman Cape. Holy Swap Shop!
Rockport's Swap Shop. Check out that fan! And that baby seat! And that...
For Your Clarification...

Hey! It’s a Community Dance at the Community House

Posted on by S.D. Kelly

Sounds like a good time!

Vote for a Local Musician!

Posted on by S.D. Kelly
Gloucester's own Courtney Reid

I wanted to let GMG readers know that one of our own, the extremely talented singer-songwriter, band member, recording artist, etc. etc. Courtney Reid of Gloucester is among the top 10 finalists in the Folger’s Coffee Jingle Contest. Check out her entry through the link below, and, since it is the best of the 10 finalists (no, I’m not biased, I promise), you can vote for it in good conscience. And even if you’re not crazy about Folgers coffee, her jingle just might make you rethink your position. Which is the whole point of a jingle. Just so you know, in order to vote the Folgers website requires you to fill out your name, etc. to make sure you’re a real person casting an actual vote as opposed to a virtual person who is part of a conspiracy to stuff the ballot box, but it will be worth the effort to have Courtney representing!

http://www.bestpartofwakinup.com/vote-for-your-favorite-semifinalist/718703?registered=true

Recollections of Rockport in the New York Times

Posted on by S.D. Kelly

From the March 24th edition of the New York Times:

When Rockport Was My Own

 

Pamela Baker

The Bakers’ home, left, and Main Street, right, presided over by a church that residents call the Old Sloop.

By KEVIN BAKER
Published: March 23, 2011

I GREW up in a small town called Rockport, on the North Shore of Massachusetts, home to no more than 5,000 people when we first moved there, and dear to those who know it. It is a place of rugged natural beauty: a shore of granite outcroppings that jut into a cold blue sea, a movie set of a New England village with streets full of small shops and not a traffic light in the town.

My mother was so happy when we moved there from New Jersey that she used to make up songs about it and sing them as she literally skipped down to the ocean. It was a place she would always love more than anywhere else on earth, and it was easy to see why. For most of my childhood we lived, very cheaply, in a two-story, wood-frame house, with a yard full of trees and a wood behind us. We ate wild blackberries straight from the bushes that grew along the edge of our backyard, spent the summers swimming in abandoned granite quarries and skated over their black-green depths in the winter.

The town was almost unbelievable in its innocence, its sweetness. Rockport Junior-Senior High School, with 250 students, was too small to have any serious cliques and divisions; the same kids starred on the basketball team and in the school play. There weren’t even any locks on the lockers; no one ever thought to put them there. Little League games weren’t laden with adult expectations. Our champion Pigeon Cove Red Sox were coached by a couple of hippie-ish high school kids who piled us all into their old wrecks after each game to getice cream.

For the rest of the article click here to go to the New York Times website

Kevin Baker is the author of the novels “Dreamland,” “Paradise Alley” and “Strivers Row.”

The author, second from left, at his boyhood home in Rockport, Mass.
Pamela Baker

Rockport’s stony shore.

The author, far left, next to his mother and two sisters. His father is at far right with two other relatives.

Pamela Baker

Motif No. 1, a fishing shack famed as an artists’ subject.

What is Monsanto & Why Should I Care?

Posted on by S.D. Kelly

Why should you care about Monsanto, a massive multi-national corporation in the seed business? Because, whether you know it or not, Monsanto plays a big role in your life. To find out what this means check out the free and fascinating double feature at the Rockport Library this Sunday, March 27th. The movie about Monsanto will be followed by Fresh — an inspired and upbeat depiction of people from the inner city to the farm fields taking on the task of growing and raising their own food — just like we’ve always done, with the exception of the last few decades when we started to allow Supermarkets and food manufacturers to supply all of our nutritional needs, like helpless baby birds (with one nasty mama bird dumping twinkies and high fructose corn syrup down our throats. Yum!).

The World According to Monsanto begins at 1:30 p.m. and  Fresh begins at 3:30 p.m. Both films are free and open to the public. This event is sponsored by Cape Ann’s Growing Green Group and The Common Crow. For more information contact Nina at 978-546-7785.

Ask Yourself: Is It Facebook-worthy?

Posted on by S.D. Kelly

Here’s a random post for you that doesn’t involve Rockport, festivals, home design, opossums, or any of my other favorite subjects for posting. It involves a question, one I have been pondering for quite some time now…

Why do so many people post about their family health issues on facebook? I’m not talking about using facebook as a convenient means of updating a whole bunch of people about an illness or accident. I mean updating everyone in your network with general musings about you and your offspring’s general state of health, usually a few minutes into your day.

A typical status update goes something like: “Feeling under the weather today. Hope I can get in to the doctor’s”.  Then, four hours later: “Feeling a little better. Took Tanner to his grandmother’s house and she gave me some Codeine she had left over from her last surgery. Yippee!”. Then, in another four hours: “Too sick to get up from the couch to make supper. Hope it’s just a 24-hour thing. Just grateful I managed to type in this status update with my aching flu-ridden fingers.”

I realize these examples are a little…over the top. And I realize I could just avoid reading these status updates, and I realize that one could question pretty much everything people choose to post on facebook. But — as far as I’m concerned anway — I understand updating people on major events, posting photos from the school concert, a vacation, et cetera. But providing all of your friends, family, colleagues, old boyfriends and that girl you knew for a few months in the 5th grade with a blow-by-blow account of your physical ups and downs — with a brief narration of taking your kids to the doctor thrown in for good measure? This something outside my range of comprehension. Which might speak to my limitations, and, if so, I’m sorry, facebook friends. I will try to be more sympathetic.

And on that note, I thought I’d let all the readers of GMG know that I’m sort of feeling like I have a cold coming on. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Rockport Music Announces 2011 Summer Season!

Posted on by S.D. Kelly

ROCKPORT MUSIC ANNOUNCES SUMMER CONCERTS AND EVENTS FOR JUNE, JULY, AND AUGUST 2011 IN THE SHALIN LIU PERFORMANCE CENTER

Concerts marks the organization’s second year in the Shalin Liu Performance Center.

The Rockport Chamber Music Festival celebrates its 30th anniversary season with 22 programs that include leading pianists, string quartets, string trios, choral and early-music ensembles, and a saxophone quartet.

Opening Night on June 9 features a world premiere written and performed by Rockport Chamber Music Festival co-founder David Alpher in memory of co-founder Lila Deis.

Additional Festival events include two free family concerts, five Friday evening Prelude Suppers, two lectures, a film screening, and a master class with David Deveau.

Post-Festival jazz, world, and music pop concerts offer 9 artists for a total of 13 concerts.

Rockport Music announces its plans for the 30th season of the Rockport Chamber Music Festival (June 9 through July 17) and a series of jazz, world and pop music oncerts (July 22 – August 28). All events take place in the Shalin Liu Performance Center (37 Main Street, Rockport, MA), which opened to critical acclaim on June 10, 2010. In response to all 20 Festival concerts selling out in 2010, two additional Festival programs have been added in 2011.

Non-classical concerts, which also sold out in 2010, have been increased from six to thirteen.

“I take great pleasure in creating programs – performed by great musicians both new and familiar to our audiences – that challenge, inspire and fulfill,” says Rockport Music Artistic Director David Deveau. “Our new home, the Shalin Liu Performance Center, affords such a wonderful cornucopia of acoustics and aesthetics that the planning of a Festival season is a pure joy for me. For our 30th anniversary season in 2011, I have attempted to create a broad range of genres, from the traditional
(string quartets, piano trios, solo piano recitals) to the novel (clarinets times 4, a cappella vocal quintet, piano duet for one and two pianos, saxophone quartet) so that you may enjoy our splendid new hall in all its glory.”

“Since the Shalin Liu Performance Center opened last summer, Rockport Music has expanded its programming to include outstanding performers from new musical genres, including jazz, pop and world music,” states Rockport Music Executive Director Tony Beadle, who oversees all non-classical programming. “I’m thrilled with this summer’s line-up. We’ve engaged four of today’s leading jazz artists, performers of Celtic and Sephardic music, the folk-blues icon Tom Rush, and Rockport’s own Grammy Award-winner Paula Cole.“

Subscriptions go on sale March 28, and single tickets on April 18. Subscription series vary; prices begin at $97 for four concerts. Single ticket prices range from $27 to $75. To develop future
audiences, free tickets are available to youth 18 and under to most concerts (limited availability).

Students 19 to 26 may purchase $12 tickets to all concerts. (HD Broadcasts and benefit concerts not included).

LOCATION: SHALIN LIU PERFORMANCE CENTER
37 Main Street, Rockport, Massachusetts

HOW TO ORDER TICKETS
ONLINE: http://www.rockportmusic.org
IN PERSON: Rockport Music Box Office, 35 Main Street, Rockport, MA (M-F, 10-4)
PHONE:
978-546-7391 (M-F, 10-4)

ROCKPORT CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL
June 9 – July 17, 2011

** WEEK #1 **

Thursday, June 9, 7:30PM
OPENING NIGHT
IKARUS CHAMBER PLAYERS
DAVID ALPHER, composer and pianist (co-founder of the Rockport Chamber Music Festival)
ANNE AKIKO MEYERS, violin
ANDRÉS DÍAZ, cello
DAVID DEVEAU, piano

BEETHOVEN: String Trio in G Major, Op. 9 No. 2
DAVID ALPHER: Song Without Words for piano, violin, viola and cello, in Memory of Lila Deis. Commissioned by Rockport Music to honor the memory of co-founder Lila Deis.
MENDELSSOHN: Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49
Post-concert reception in third-floor reception hall.

________________________________________

Friday, June 10, 8PM
ANNE AKIKO MEYERS, violin
ANDRÉS DÍAZ, cello
WENDY CHEN, piano
DAVID DEVEAU, piano

MOZART: Piano Sonata in C Major for Piano Duet, K. 521
XI WANG: Rhapsody for solo cello (2006)
TCHAIKOVSKY: Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50

________________________________________

Saturday, June 11, 8PM
STEFAN JACKIW, violin and GILLES VONSATTEL, piano

STRAVINSKY: Suite Italienne
BRAHMS: Sonata in G Major, Op. 78
DALLAPICCOLA: Sonatina Canonica for solo piano
R. STRAUSS: Sonata in E-flat Major

________________________________________

Sunday, June 12, 5PM
A FAR CRY
The Self-Conducted String Orchestra

BACH: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, BWV 1048
BARTÓK: Divertimento for String Orchestra
BARBER: Adagio for Strings
MENDELSSOHN: String Symphony No.7

** WEEK #2 **

FESTIVAL WEEK WITH THE JUPITER STRING QUARTET IN RESIDENCE

Thursday, June 16, 8PM
JUPITER STRING QUARTET

BEETHOVEN: Quartet in F Major, Op. 18, No. 1
GYÖRGY KURTÁG: 12 Microludes for string quartet
BEETHOVEN: Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 130 (with the original Grosse Fuge finale)
________________________________________

Friday, June 17, 8PM
MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN, piano

HAYDN: Piano Sonata in E minor, Hob XVI:34
STOCKHAUSEN: Klavierstück IX (1955-1961)
RAVEL: Gaspard de la nuit
LISZT: Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude
Rémìniscences de Norma
________________________________________

Saturday, June 18, 8PM
JUPITER STRING QUARTET with
MARK NUCCIO, clarinet
DAVID DEVEAU, piano

BEETHOVEN: Quartet in C Major, Op. 59, No. 3
BARTÓK: Quartet No. 3
BRAHMS: Trio in A minor, Op. 114 for clarinet, cello and piano

________________________________________

Sunday, June 19, 5PM
CLAREMONT TRIO
MARK NUCCIO, clarinet

FRANK MARTIN: Trio on Irish Folk Tunes
FANNY MENDELSSOHN/HENSEL: Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 11
MESSIAEN: Quartet for the End of Time

** WEEK #3 **

Thursday, June 23, 8PM
ANDERSON & ROE, Piano Duo

BRAHMS: Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Op. 56
GESUALDO: Io tacerò, ma nel silenzio mio
MOZART: Two Arias from Cosi fan Tutte and The Magic Flute (arr. Anderson & Roe)
BIZET: Carmen Fantasy (arr. Anderson & Roe)
Additional works by Schumann, Villa-Lobos, Radiohead, and Thomas Arne

________________________________________

Friday, June 24, 8PM
DAEDALUS STRING QUARTET
ANDREW RANGELL, piano

MOZART: String Quartet in F Major, K.590
RICHARD WERNICK: String Quartet No. 8
JANÁČEK: In the Mists for solo piano
DOHNÁNYI: Piano Quintet No. 2 in E-flat minor
________________________________________

Saturday, June 25, 8PM
DAVID LEISNER, guitar
ARNAUD SUSSMAN, violin
YINZI KONG, viola
JULIE ALBERS, cello
WILLIAM RANSOM, piano

MARTINŮ: Madrigals for violin and viola
LEISNER: Trittico for violin, cello and guitar
PAGANINI: Quartet No. 15 in A minor for guitar and strings
HAUG: Fantasia for guitar and piano
SCHUMANN: Piano Quartet in E-flat, Op. 47
________________________________________

Sunday, June 26, 5PM
DAVID FINCKEL, cello and WU HAN, piano

BEETHOVEN: Variations on a Theme from Handel’s Judas Maccabeus
BEETHOVEN: Sonata in A, Op. 69
BRAHMS: Sonata No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38
BRAHMS: Sonata No. 2 in F Major, Op. 99

** WEEK #4 **

Thursday, July 7, 8PM
THE MUSIC OF EVAN ZIPORYN- Featuring friends from Bang on a Can and more

EVAN ZIPORYN, ERAN EGOZY, ALICIA LEE, and RANE MOORE, clarinets;
VICKY CHOW, piano; TODD REYNOLDS, violin; ASHLEY BATHGATE, cello
Tsmindao Ghmerto for bass clarinet
Hive for clarinet quartet
In Bounds for solo piano
Typical Music for piano trio
________________________________________

RUSSIAN MUSIC MINI-FEST! – JULY 8 AND 9

Friday, July 8, 8PM
ST. PETERSBURG STRING QUARTET

SULKHAN TSINTADZE: Five Miniatures on Jewish Folk Songs
SHOSTAKOVICH: Quartet No. 7
PROKOFIEV: Quartet No. 2
ARENSKY: Quartet in A minor (arr. Boris Vayner)
________________________________________

Saturday, July 9, 8PM
ST. PETERSBURG STRING QUARTET
VASSILY PRIMAKOV, piano

BACH: Chaconne from the Partita in D minor (Arr. Boris Vayner)
TANEYEV: Prelude & Fugue in G-sharp minor, Op.29
TCHAIKOVSKY: December from The Seasons Op.37
TANEYEV: Piano Quartet in E Major, Op. 20
________________________________________

Sunday, July 10, 5PM
RED PRIEST
A period-instrument ensemble from the United Kingdom specializing in Baroque music for recorder, violin,
cello, and harpsichord

Venetian Carnival
VIVALDI: La Notte and The Four Seasons
Music by Tartini, Albinoni, others
The concert is made possible in part through the generosity of The Ira Fieldsteel Early Music Fund.
________________________________________

Monday, July 11, 7:30PM
RED PRIEST

Bach and the Pirates
BACH: Toccata and Fugue in D minor and other famous works, alongside ‘pirated’ music by
TELEMANN, HANDEL, LECLAIR and others.
The concert is made possible in part through the generosity of The Ira Fieldsteel Early Music Fund.

** WEEK #5 **

Thursday, July 14, 8PM
BORROMEO STRING QUARTET

MOZART: String Quartet in A Major, K. 464
DANIEL BREWBAKER: String Quartet
DEBUSSY: String Quartet in G minor
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Friday, July 15, 8PM
CALMUS ENSEMBLE LEIPZIG
A cappella vocal quintet from Germany; Grand prize winners of the 2009 Concert Artist Guild Award

The Bright Side of Life
Featuring music by Reger, Schütz, Brahms, Bobby McFerrin, Sting and others
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Saturday, July 16, 8PM
NEW CENTURY SAXOPHONE QUARTET

Weekend Traveler: Around the World with NCSQ
Arrangements of folk music from the United States, Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin America, including works
by Copland, Shostakovich, Piazzolla, and Grainger

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FESTIVAL FINALES: LISZT EXTRAVAGANZA!
Celebrating the 200th Birthday of Franz Liszt

Sunday, July 17, 2PM
Young Artists Piano Virtuoso Showcase
Including winners – ages 15-21 – of the Young Concert Artists International Competition

JEE HAE AHN (Liszt’s Venezia e Napoli)
ZENAN YU (Liszt’s Sposalizio and Mozart/Liszt’s Don Juan Fantasy);
CHARLIE ALBRIGHT (Schumann/Liszt’s Widmung, Liszt’s La Campanella; J. Strauss’ Blue Danube Waltz);
GEORGE LI (Liszt’s Two Concert Etudes, Consolation No. 3 and Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2)
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Sunday, July 17, 7:30PM
Grand Finale Concert of 30th Anniversary Season
RUSSELL SHERMAN, piano

ROBERT SCHUMANN: Arabeske, Op. 18 Fantasy in C Major, Op. 17
ROBERT SCHUMANN: Fantasy in C Major, Op. 17
LISZT: Sonetto del Petrarca No. 104
LISZT: Sonata in B minor

FESTIVAL COMMUNITY AND EDUCATION EVENTS

FREE FAMILY CONCERTS
Tickets required. Available starting May 1 online or by phone. Limit four per order.

Saturday, June 18, 10AM
JUPITER STRING QUARTET : “Musical Conversations”

As part of a week-long residency, members of the Jupiter String Quartet offer a behind-the-scenes look at how
they interact, communicate, and express a range of emotions when playing together. The members will
demonstrate different types of musical conversations from “passing” the melody from instrument to instrument
and performing a fugue “like a game of musical hot potato.”

Saturday, July 16, 10AM
TENTUMBAO

Experience the sounds, instruments and rhythms of Latin America from the beat of the samba, played on a
Brazilian tambourine, to the cha-cha-cha, played on a Cuban Guiro. Sponsor: GDF SUEZ

PRELUDE SUPPER LECTURE SERIES
$30 per person includes gourmet box dinner, lecture, and Q&A in the third-floor Reception Hall.

Wine, beer and other beverages will be available for purchase.

Friday, June 10, 6–7:30PM
STEPHEN CLAPP
Violinist, current faculty member, and Dean Emeritus of The Juilliard School
Mr. Clapp discusses music by Tchaikovsky, Mozart and Xi Wang.

Friday, June 17, 6–7:30PM
ELIZABETH SEITZ
Author, musicologist, and Boston Conservatory faculty member
Dr. Seitz speaks about Beethoven’s string quartets and György Kurtág’s inventive 12 Microludes.

Friday, June 24, 6–7:30PM
WILLIAM RANSOM
Recitalist, chamber musician, Artistic Director of the Highland Cashiers Chamber Music Festival, and Chair of Emory University piano department

Dr. Ransom provides enlightening commentary about the life and music of Robert Schumann.

Friday, July 8, 6–7:30PM
VASSILY PRIMKOV
A native of Moscow and winner of the Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition and the Young
Concert Artists Auditions Mr. Primakov shares his love and vast knowledge of the Russian repertoire from works by Tchaikovksy and Shostakovich to Arensky and Taneyev.

Friday, July 15, 6–7:30PM
THOMAS SCHNAUBER
Composer, Performing Arts faculty at Emmanuel College, and member of the Boston-based composers’ collective Composers in Red Sneakers Dr. Schnauber discusses music being performed by the acclaimed Calmus Ensemble Leipzig

FESTIVAL LECTURES
Free and open to the public, these lectures take place in the Shalin Liu Performance Center

Friday, June 17, 11AM
A CLARINETIST’S PATH TO THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC
Mark Nuccio, Acting Principal Clarinet of the New York Philharmonic
What does it take to become a member of a major symphony orchestra? One of America’s foremost clarinetists, Mark Nuccio shares his experiences and personal stories from early days as a beginner in elementary school to that triumphant audition which he won a coveted position the New York Philharmonic.

Sunday, July 17, 12:30PM
LISZT AND HIS WORLD
Allan Keiler, Brandeis University Professor and Liszt-Scholar

In celebration of Franz Liszt’s 200th birthday, Dr. Keiler provides insights into Liszt’s fascinating life as a performer, composer, teacher, and musical benefactor.

MASTER CLASS
Adults $10, youth under 18 and college students with identification free

Friday, July 15, 2PM
DAVID DEVEAU, PIANIST AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, ROCKPORT MUSIC

Watch a master pianist and teacher coach young artists in advanced repertoire. Pianist and educator David Deveau has presented master classes in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and in China. Deveau combines vast knowledge of the piano literature with the seasoned experience of a concert veteran to help young pianists realize their full potential.

FILM SCREENING & PANEL DISCUSSION

Wednesday, July 6, 7PM
EL SISTEMA: MUSIC TO CHANGE LIFE
Panel Moderator: Mark Churchill, Dean Emeritus of New England Conservatory’s Preparatory and Continuing Education program, and Director, El Sistema USA

Venezuela’s unique system of music education takes children from violent slums and turns some of them into world-class musicians. A film by Paul Smaczny and Maria Stodtmeier, El Sistema: Music to Change Life shows how Venezuelan visionary José Antonio Abreu has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of children over the past three decades.

ADDITIONAL EVENT — BENEFIT CONCERT
Saturday, June 4, 5PM-10PM

LISTEN TO THE FUTURE!
Concert to benefit Rockport Music’s Education and Outreach Program.

Live taping of NPR’s “From the Top” with pianist and host Christopher O’Riley and remarkable young guest artists. Hits from the Great American Songbook performed by musicians from Boston Conservatory

JAZZ, POP, AND WORLD MUSIC CONCERTS

Friday, July 22, 8PM
CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE & INSIDE STRAIGHT

CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE, Bass; STEVE WILSON, Alto/Soprano Saxophone; WARREN WOLF, Vibraphone; PETER MARTIN And ERIC REED, Piano; CARL ALLEN, Drums
One of the leading bassists of our day, Christian McBride has collaborated with such jazz greats as Freddie Hubbard, Ray Brown, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, and Herbie Hancock. A consummate entertainer and storyteller known for his warmth and humor, McBride and his quintet perform music from their new CD, “Kind of Brown,” a collection of swing and blues tunes.
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Saturday, July 23, 8PM
GEORGE WEIN AND THE NEWPORT ALL-STARS

Featuring GEORGE WEIN, piano; ANAT COHEN, clarinet and saxophone; HOWARD ALDEN, guitar; JAY
LEONHART, bass Founder of the Newport Jazz Festival, pianist and singer George Wein remains a towering figure on the American jazz scene. Beloved for his interpretations of both Dixieland and “straight-ahead” jazz, Wein has assembled an all-star band to mark his Rockport Music debut.
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Sunday, July 24, 5PM
FREDDY COLE QUARTET

Featuring FREDDY COLE, piano; CURTIS BOYD, drums; RANDY NAPOLEON, guitar; ELIAS BAILEY, bass
The New York Times declared that “Freddy [Cole] has an impeccable sense of swing…he is, overall, the most maturely expressive male jazz singer of his generation, if not the best alive.” The brother of Nat King Cole and the uncle of Natalie Cole, Freddy engages audiences with music that is personal, inspiring, and deeply moving.
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Friday, July 29, 8PM
JANE MONHEIT

Jazz and contemporary vocalist Jane Monheit has performed at many of the major concert halls, cabarets, and jazz venues around the globe. She has collaborated with such artists as Michael Bublé, Ramsay Lewis, John Pizzarelli, Mark O’Connor, and Terence Blanchard. Jane has received two Grammy Award nominations for recordings made on the Concord label.
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Friday, August 5, 8pm
Saturday, August 6, 8pm
Sunday, August 7, 5pm
PAULA COLE

Grammy Award-winning singer and Rockport native Paula Cole took the Boston-area by storm last summer with two sold-out performances at the Shalin Liu Performance Center. Cole returns for three performances singing such hit songs as “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?” and “I Don’t Want to Wait.”

Friday, August 12, 8PM
GUY MENDILOW BAND
Colorful tales of sailors seduced by sirens at sea, murder, fantastic dreams, and the treachery of kings and
queens abound in a program created by the Guy Mendilow Band. Discover ancient music of the Sephardic people, infused with the sounds and cultures from the places Mendilow and his band call home, from Israel and Brazil to Japan and the United States.
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Sunday, August 21, 2PM & 5PM
A CELTIC CELEBRATION WITH HANNEKE CASSEL AND FRIENDS

Celtic violinist and Rockport Music favorite, Hanneke Cassel returns with violinists Sarah Naylor, Andrea Beaton, and Kimberly Fraser, cellist Natalie Haas and guitarist Keith Murphy for Celtic-tune-filled concerts that include contemporary and traditional music from Scotland, Cape Breton, and more.
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Friday, August 26, 8PM
Saturday, August 27, 8PM
TOM RUSH

Tom Rush is known to audiences around the world for his distinctive guitar style, wry humor and warm, expressive voice. His music and his songs evoke everything from rib-aching laughter, to passion or sweet melancholy. With a voice and manner that “gives listeners the impression they’re old friends listening in on a musical conversation,” (Montreal Gazette), Rush is an engaging performer both of his own work and that of
other song-writers.
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Sunday, August 28, 5PM
GRACE KELLY and PHIL WOODS

18-year-old Boston native Grace Kelly is the youngest musician to be named the “Alto Saxophonist Rising
Star” by Downbeat Magazine. With a busy touring and recording schedule, Grace makes a return engagement
to the Shalin Liu Performance Center with the legendary Phil Woods, the three-time Grammy Award winner,
whose six-decade-long career helped define the art of jazz saxophone performance in America.

ROCKPORT CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL
AND ROCKPORT MUSIC
The Rockport Chamber Music Festival was founded in 1981 by soprano Lila Deis and pianist/composer David Alpher (artistic directors from 1981-1994) and local businessman Paul Sylva. Pianist and educator David Deveau was appointed Artistic Director in 1995. Located in the scenic seaport village of Rockport, Massachusetts, the Festival is recognized nationally for programs featuring the world’s foremost ensembles and soloists, and commissions from leading composers of our day. While maintaining the summer festival as its signature presentation, the organization adopted the name of Rockport Music in 2008, ushering in a new era that now includes year-round presentations of classical, jazz, pop and world music – as well as opera and theater high-definition broadcasts and film series. Educational enrichment programs reach over 7,500 youth and adults annually and include school outreach programs, family concerts, lectures, open rehearsals, and master classes.

THE SHALIN LIU PERFORMANCE CENTER –
A CENTER FOR CULTURAL EVENTS YEAR ROUND

The 330-seat Shalin Liu Performance Center was designed by acoustician R. Lawrence Kirkegaard (Kirkegaard Associates) and lead architects Deborah Epstein and Alan Joslin (Epstein/Joslin Architects). Specially created for the performance of chamber music, this intimate venue offers audience members superb acoustics, clear sightlines and a close connection to the performers on stage. A floor-to- ceiling glass window serves as the backdrop to the stage, providing magnificent views of the ocean and coastline. The Reception Hall on the third floor with its panoramic views of the town and coastline serves as the location for pre-concert suppers, intermission and post-concert receptions, and special education events.

Rockport Music Artists, Summer 2011

*Indicates Rockport Chamber Music Festival or Rockport Music debut

ROCKPORT CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL

Ensembles
Borromeo String Quartet
Claremont Trio
Daedalus String Quartet
A Far Cry*
Ikarus Chamber Players*
Jupiter String Quartet
New Century Saxophone Quartet
Red Priest* (Period instruments)
St. Petersburg String Quartet

Pianists
JeeHae Ahn*
Charlie Albright*
David Alpher, pianist & composer
Anderson & Roe, piano duo*
Wendy Chen*
Vicky Chow
David Deveau
Marc-André Hamelin
George Li*
Vassily Primakov*
Andrew Rangell
William Ransom
Russell Sherman
Gilles Vonsattel
Wu Han
Zenan Yu*

Instrumentalists
Stefan Jackiw, violin
Anne Akiko Meyers, violin*
Todd Reynolds, violin
Arnaud Sussmann, violin*
Yinzi Kong, viola
Julie Albers, cello*
Ashley Bathgate, cello
Andrés Díaz, cello
Mark Nuccio, clarinet*
Evan Ziporyn, clarinetist & composer
Rane Moore, clarinet
Eran Egozy, clarinet
David Leisner, guitar
David Finckel, cello

Vocal
Calmus Ensemble Leipzig*

NON-CLASSICAL ARTISTS

Bands
George Wein*
Christian McBride and Inside Straight*
Freddy Cole Quartet*
Guy Mendilow Band*

Singers
Paula Cole
Tom Rush
Jane Monheit*

Instrumentalists
Hanneke Cassel and Friends
Grace Kelly
Phil Woods

Recession-Style Dining Tips

Posted on by S.D. Kelly

Breaking News: An opossum (more commonly known by the affectionate nickname: “possum”) was spotted by the eagle-eyed John McElhenny of Matter Communications walking down the street in downtown Gloucester last night. It occurred to me that, if John knew what I know about these little critters, he might have snatched that possum right off the street and brought it home to mama for the kind of protein you just can’t buy at Stop ‘n Shop.

My own grandpa was a world-class consumer of possum. Oh, the stories he told. Of course, he was the product of another era: the Great Depression and general resourcefulness compelled people to discover all sorts of culinary delights that would otherwise have gone untasted. So, in honor of our own time of recession, where we are being forced to cancel our vacations to Disney World because we can no longer pay for the trip by refinancing our homes or getting yet another credit card, I want us to consider the possum for the first time since my grandpa’s generation. Your kids will love it, I promise. It might even replace pizza on Friday nights.

Stuffed Possum

Ingredients:

bullet 1 possum (whole)
bullet 1 qt. cold water
bullet 1/8 cup salt
bullet 5 beef bouillon cubes
bullet 2 bay leaves
bullet 3 celery stalks (chopped)
bullet 2 onions (sliced)
bullet 1 bag packaged stuffing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Soak possum in cold salt water for 10 hours. Rinse meat in cold water and refrigerate 2-4 hours. Prepare stuffing according to package directions. Stuff possum cavity with prepared packaged stuffing. Close cavity tightly. Place stuffed possum in roasting pan, add water, bouillon cubes, bay leaves, celery and onion. After 2 hours turn meat. Reduce heat to 300 degrees. Cook for 1 more hour. Test roast, if not done reduce heat and cook until done.

p.s. Make sure your possum is dead before handling. But not too dead. And for more possum recipes, click HERE. And git to eatin’!