Berkshire Lyric to present ‘Beethoven’
Lenox — Berkshire Lyric will present “Beethoven: Power, Passion, Beauty on Sunday, May 28, at 3 p.m. at Tanglewood’s Seiji Ozawa Hall. The concert will feature Beethoven’s Mass in C Major, Op. 86, plus two shorter works: the Hallelujah chorus from “Christ on the Mount of Olives,” Op. 85, and “Elegiac Song,” Op. 118, for chorus and strings. In keeping with Berkshire Lyric’s commitment to contemporary choral music, the chorus will also sing Henryk Górecki’s “Amen” for large a cappella chorus.
Accompanied by a full orchestra, the 85-voice Berkshire Lyric Chorus will also be joined by a soprano Andrea Bargabos; Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano Marjorie Dix; internationally known tenor John Bellemer in his Berkshire Lyric debut; and John Demler, Berkshire Lyric’s resident vocal artist. Berkshire Lyric’s two choruses for young singers, the Blafield Children’s Chorus and Melodious Accord, will present a prelude concert of Beethoven works on the Tanglewood grounds before the concert.
Tickets are $25 for adults and free for youth age 18 and under. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact Berkshire Lyric at (413) 499-0258 or info@berkshirelyric.org.
–E.E.
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Sheffield Land Trust to offer art, photography show
Sheffield — The Sheffield Land Trust will hold an art and photography show featuring images of Sheffield trees from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 27, and 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 28, at the Bushnell-Sage Library. An opening reception will take place Saturday, May 27, from 3 to 5 p.m., when prizes will be awarded, and music and refreshments will be available. Also on Saturday, children will be able to make their own art from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The juried art show was conceived as a tribute to the Sheffield Tree Project, which has been associated with the land trust since December 2015. To date, The Sheffield Tree Project has planted over 150 trees along public ways in Sheffield. The prizes for art and photography will be awarded in three categories: youth under 18, adult amateur and professional.
For more information, contact the Sheffield Land Trust at (413) 229-0234 or shefland@bcn.net.
–E.E.
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Morningside Up joins Morningside Neighborhood Pride Night
Pittsfield — To celebrate the end of a creative and productive planning year funded by a Kresge Foundation grant, Morningside Up project partners will actively participate in the thirteenth annual Morningside Neighborhood Pride Night on at Morningside Community School from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 31.
Designed to bring out residents who live in the Morningside neighborhood and the people who work in the area, Morningside Neighborhood Pride Night aims to instill a sense of pride in the neighborhood and aid in the revitalization of the Morningside area.
Morningside Up will engage neighborhood residents while providing a host of interactive new additions to the community event. During the event, Berkshire Earth Regenerators will showcase its plans to build a cutting-edge food forest in Springside Park and seek input from residents; the Pittsfield Community Gardens manager will offer a garden talk and free plant giveaway; IS183 Art School of the Berkshires will offer a do-it-yourself paper flower craft with community members; the Youth Action Research Team will create flags of hope with residents; Berkshire Photo Booth will present free photo fun; and La Fogata will offer half-priced Latin American fare, subsidized for maximum affordability to highlight Morningside Up’s commitment to neighborhood food access.
The event is free and open to the public and will include the 13th consecutive Neighborhood Pride March at 6:30 p.m. around the Morningside School block.
–E.E.
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Berkshires Jazz announces winners of student art contest
Pittsfield — Berkshires Jazz Inc. has announced the winners to its annual student art contest. The winning entry is an abstract watercolor by Estefania Rivera Cadvid and will become the graphic symbol of the 13th annual Pittsfield CityJazz Festival, set to take place in October.
The contest was conceived as a way to spread the interest in jazz to a broader part of the community, as well as to draw attention to Jazz Appreciation Month. After a late start because of the burst water pipes that impacted the art facilities at Pittsfield High School, this year’s entries are being exhibited at City Hall throughout the month of May.
The judges were given no identifying information of the artists or their schools. The second-place winner was Anthony Curico and third place went to Kenzi Kinnas. Honorable mentions were awarded to Lauren Phillips, Abby Kittler, Lauren Cowlin, Brian Lavinio and Stella Kimball Denbitzen. The judge’s choice award was given to Emily Mazzeo. All of this year’s entries came from PHS students.
This year’s judges included multimedia artist and designer Debbie Carter, oil painter Sean McCusker and designer Tom Buckley. The project was coordinated by PHS art teacher Colleen Quinn. The overall project coordinator was jazz musician, retired music educator and Berkshires Jazz education committee chair Art Niedeck.
–E.E.
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‘Baked to Death’ at Ventfort Hall
Lenox — The Comical Mystery Tour ensemble will present the murder mystery dinner theater program “Baked to Death!” at Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum on Saturday, June 3, at 6:30 p.m.
Martha Stupor is hosting a baking competition with three of the top chefs in the world. Will the crown go to chef Julia Chives, Emery Legacy or Day Ja’Vou? Judge Bacon Whopper Junior will have the honor of choosing the winner, if it should happen to get that far. Apparently, someone isn’t happy with the contest and Martha will get her just desserts, putting an end to the competition.
In production since 1995, the Greenfield-based Comical Mystery Tour has had over 50,000 audience members view and/or participate in its programs.
Tickets are $40 per person and include a full-course dinner with a cash bar. Reservations are required by Tuesday, May 30. For information or reservations, contact Ventfort Hall at (413) 637-3206 or info@gildedage.org.
–E.E.
