True spirit of the season
Great Barrington – On this Christmas Eve, in anticipation of the burst of consumer excess that will come unwrapped tomorrow, best to remind ourselves of another world altogether, represented by the above photo of the indefatigable Sally Harris, at the Salvation Army station at the corner of Railroad and Main streets.
“Every penny,” she explained, while ringing the Salvation Army bell,“goes to people in need in the Berkshires.”
By the way, Harris – and her husband Fred – possess a rare generosity of spirit.
They saved the historic St. James Church on South Main Street from certain demolition, and are busily converting the structure and its adjacent parish house into spaces for nonprofit organizations, among them the People’s Pantry – bringing that essential service back downtown where it is more accessible to pedestrians – and the Berkshire Playwrights Lab that may use the sanctuary for performances, once the reconstruction is completed next year.
— D.S.
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Bruce Katz Band brings soul-blues to Helsinki Hudson
Hudson, N.Y. — The Bruce Katz Band, featuring the legendary keyboardist and three-time Blues Music Award nominee Bruce Katz, will bring its organ-drenched blues-rock to Club Helsinki Hudson at 405 Columbia St. on Saturday, December 27, at 9 p.m.
Bruce Katz’s resume reads like a who’s who of blues and blues-rock. Playing piano and B3 organ, Katz has toured and recorded with the Greg Allman Band, Delbert McClinton, Maria Muldaur, Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters, among numerous others. While blues remains his core influence, Katz’s music occupies a unique space where blues, soul-jazz, jam-band rock, and all aspects of Americana collide into a style of original music all his own. “Homecoming,” the new recording by the Bruce Katz Band, features songs and instrumentals including guest appearances by guitarists John Hammond Jr. and Jimmy Bennett and drummer Randy Ciarlante.
For reservations in The Restaurant or in the club call 518-828-4800. For the most up-to-date concert information, visit www.helsinkihudson.com, or consult The Berkshire Edge calendar for information and tickets.
— H.B.
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‘Mid-winter’ contradance at Dewey Hall
Sheffield – If social dancing is your thing – or it you’d like to try it – Dewey Hall will host an evening of live music by the Eclectic Jam Band and contra dancing on Saturday, December 27. Calling by Kathryn Wedderburn. A potluck supper begins at 6:30, with the dancing at 7:30 until 11. Suggested donation: $8 for students, $10 to $15 for adults. Everyone’s welcome, regardless of experience level. For more info: Visit sheffieldcontradance.wordpress.com.
— D.S.
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Blast of Bach at New Year’s
Great Barrington — Berkshire Bach is offering one of its most festive concerts ever at 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve (December 31) at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center. Kenneth Cooper will conduct the ensemble featuring three trumpet virtuosi, Allan Dean, Neil Mueller and Gerald Serfass, augmented by horn virtuosi Ann Ellsworth, Rachel Drehmann, John Gattis and Laura Weiner, and timpani virtuoso Benjamin Harms. With an expanded string section this year, the Berkshire Bach Ensemble, led by its renowned director, Kenneth Cooper, will perform a robust and stimulating program of well-known Baroque and Classical favorites at three marvelous New England venues.
On the program is Haydn’s luxurious Symphony No 31 in D, called Hornsignal for its blatant and witty imitations of the Posthorn calls, those octave signals that accompanied mail deliveries by horse and carriage in the 18th century. It is one of the few 18th century symphonies that boast four French Horns. As a sorbet, the Berkshire Bach Ensemble will play five (maybe six) Mozart Contredanses, written for the Viennese court in the last years of his life. This is the ultimate in entertainment music — with some special effects — composed with a mischievous mastery only Mozart could have accomplished.
Also in the 1790s, towards the end of his life, Haydn wrote his famous Trumpet Concerto, which was apparently performed just a few times, then not again until the 1920s. Given Berkshire Bach’s triumvirate of trumpets, Dr. Cooper has decided to let them all play this classic concerto, one movement each, and he has written special cadenzas and ornaments for all three players.
Post-intermission fare consists of two Bach classics in special Berkshire Bach versions: Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 (what would New Year’s be without a Brandenburg?) with its spectacular solos for violin, horns, oboes, bassoon, and percussion, and the brilliant Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D with its three-trumpet-and timpani power and its famous Air for strings.
Berkshire Bach is happy to welcome back this year many of its devoted artists including concertmaster, renowned violinist Joel Pitchon, violists Liuh-Wen Ting and Irena Momchilova, cellists Roberta Cooper and Lucy Bardo, flutist Alison Hale, oboists Marsha Heller, Meg Owens and Gerard Reuter, bassoonist Stephen Walt, percussionist Ben Harms, and Berkshire Bach’s ever-present bassist Peter Weitzner, who hasn’t missed a Bach at New Year’s performance since 1993.
The Berkshire Bach Ensemble also welcomes this year several guest artists in the violin section — Tim Cho, Yoon Jung Yang, Caroline Chin, Ari Isaacman-Beck and Ronald Long, Jr.
For tickets, consult the Berkshire Edge calendar or the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center.
— H.B
