Norfolk Chamber Music Festival Choral Festival
Norfolk, Conn.— On Saturday, August 17th at 4 p.m., the grand tradition of choral music in the Music Shed continues on Saturday with Norfolk’s acclaimed Choral Festival.
Professor in the Practice of Choral Music at the Yale School of Music and Yale Institute of Sacred Music, Jeffrey Douma directs the 2024 choral program with a group of stellar Choral Fellows that have gathered from across the country. They will be accompanied by the Norfolk Festival Chamber Orchestra with keyboardist Jeffrey Grossman. Douma has curated an exciting musical tour of choral works from the Renaissance to the 21st Century.
The festival is on Saturday, August 17th at 4 p.m. at the Yale School of Music’s Music Shed at 20 Litchfield Road in Norfolk, Conn. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Sheffield Historical Society to host a walk and a celebration of the life of Elizabeth ‘MumBett’ Freeman
Sheffield— On Sunday, August 18th at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m., Sheffield Historical Society hosts a walk and a celebration of the life of Elizabeth “MumBett” Freeman.
The Walk to Freedom is at 8:30 a.m. at the Ashley House at 117 Cooper Hill Road in Sheffield. The reenactment commemorates the four-mile walk MumBett took from the Colonel Ashley House to Theodore Sedgwick’s home on Main Street. Her goal was to petition Sedgwick to help her win her freedom in court. (Victory was hers on August 21, 1781.) To participate in the Walk to Freedom, meet at the Ashley House at 8:30 a.m. Rides back to the Ashley House to retrieve vehicles are offered. Participants are encouraged to wear appropriate clothing, footwear, and sunscreen, and to bring water bottles. Any questions about the walk can be directed to Jana Laiz at jana@janalaiz.com.
The walk is followed by a community conversation and celebration of the life of Elizabeth “MumBett” Freeman at 11 a.m. at Sheffield Historical Society at 159 Main Street in Sheffield. The wonderfully talented Wanda Houston will recount her experience reenacting the life of Elizabeth Freeman. Houston first performed the play “Meet Elizabeth Freeman” written by Teresa Miller, courtesy of the Museum of the American Revolution, in 2021. She will read excerpts from the play and entertain questions from the audience. Light refreshments will be served. Any questions about the talk can be directed to the Sheffield Historical Society at sheffieldhistoricalsociety@gmail.com.
The free events are on Sunday, August 18th at 8:30 a.m. at the Ashley House at 117 Cooper Hill Road in Sheffield, and at 11 a.m. at Sheffield Historical Society at 159 Main Street in Sheffield. All are welcome.
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The Adams Theater presents Voloz Collective’s ‘The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much’
Adams— After sold-out shows at Edinburgh Fringe and multiple awards in Europe, Voloz Collective’s “The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much” has come stateside this summer, with stops in Chicago, Cleveland, New York City, West Stockbridge, and Adams. On Saturday, August 17th at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday August 18th at 2 p.m., the tour stops at The Adams Theater.
“The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much” is a Wes Anderson meets Hitchcock meets Spaghetti Western, an inter-genre, cinematic caper of accusations, accidents, and accents. Roger, a Frenchman in 1960’s New York, has spent years following the same predictable routine, until a minor delay saves him from an explosion. Throwing his ordered world into chaos, Roger chases his would-be assassins around the globe. Raucously funny and endlessly inventive, this Lecoq-trained theatre company delights and stuns with live, original music and virtuosic acrobatics in this fast-paced, OFFIE-finalist whodunnit.
Voloz Collective is a multi award-winning international physical theatre company that reinvents and recharges physical comedy by exploiting the capacities of the human body and blurring the lines between the theatrical and cinematic.
The performances are on August 17th at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday August 18th at 2 p.m. at The Adams Theater at 27 Park Street in Adams. Tickets and more information can be found online. (The tour also stops at The Foundry in West Stockbridge on August 15th and 16th at 7:30 p.m. More information can be found online.)
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‘Shabbtai Tsvi,’ an immersive staged reading at the Yiddish Book Center
Amherst— On Sunday, August 18th at 2 p.m., Theater Between Addresses presents ‘Shabbtai Tsvi,’ an immersive staged reading at the Yiddish Book Center.
“Shabbtai Tsvi” by Sholem Asch, translated and adapted by Weaver, a play never before performed in its entirety, tells the story of the meteoric rise and tragic fall of Shabbtai Tsvi, the 17th century Ottoman Jewish mystic whose messianic aspirations attracted a following of thousands of Jews from every corner of the earth.
“Shabbtai Tsvi” takes place throughout the Yiddish Book Center grounds and orchard, and the audience is free to explore the environment freely throughout the play. As an audience member, it is your choice how you engage with the mass feeling of messianism — will you stand on the edges and watch, or join in the dance of liberation?
The reading is on Sunday, August 18th at 2 p.m. at the Yiddish Book Center at 1021 West Street in Amherst. Sliding scale tickets and more information can be found online.
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Bernay Fine Art presents ‘Stop Making Sense,’ a showcase of contemporary abstract art
Great Barrington— From August 17th through September 15th, Bernay Fine Art presents ‘Stop Making Sense,’ a showcase of contemporary abstract art, featuring works by Deborah Zlotsky, Will Hutnick, Noah Post, and Kit Warren.
The title, “Stop Making Sense,” serves as a guiding principle for the exhibition. It encourages audiences to experience abstract art in its purest form, emphasizing emotional resonance and aesthetic enjoyment over intellectual interpretation. In a world where meaning is often sought and dissected, this exhibition offers a refreshing reminder to appreciate art as it is, allowing intuition and personal perception to take the lead.
The exhibit runs from August 17th through September 15th at Bernay Fine Art at 296 Main Street in Great Barrington. There is an opening reception on Saturday August 17th from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. More information can be found online.
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Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce presents the 32nd annual Stockbridge Summer Arts and Crafts Show
Stockbridge— On Saturday, August 17th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, August 18th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce presents the 32nd annual Stockbridge Summer Arts and Crafts Show will be held on the grounds of the Town Offices and Bidwell Park.
Over 85 jury-selected artists and crafters will display their work. Returning artisans include Su Chi Pottery which brings together simplicity and usefulness with joyous color, Barbara Doncaster, whose vivid watercolors reveal the emotions inherent in nature-the serenity of a landscape, the vibrancy of a garden, or the boldness of a flower, Linda Barbadoro offering a distinctive style of handcrafted dark bamboo flutes and walking sticks, Robert Tobin offering handmade wooden stools, benches, and children’s chairs on which he hand weaves seats with fiber rush, Danish cord, cane, or Shaker tape; and many more.
New exhibitors include Natasha Wein offering nature jewelry and home décor celebrating the landscapes of the Berkshires, James Takaki showcasing sculpture, lighting, garden art, and custom metalwork; and blacksmith Del Martin offering candle stands, knives, hearth tools, corkscrews, and many more.
Larry Friedman of Berkshire Mountain Gourmet/Seven Barrels will be offering 25-year barrel aged balsamic vinegars and infused oils. Lori Miller of Heart Strings treats offers cake balls and cake pops, and Patience Thomas from Great Cape Baking Company will offer hand cut cider donuts, gourmet breads, sandwiches, and beverages.
The show is on Saturday, August 17th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, August 18th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the grounds of the Town Offices and Bidwell Park at 50 Main Street in Stockbridge. Admission is free. More information can be found online.
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Elihu Burritt Day on the New Marlborough Village Green
New Marlborough— On Saturday, August 17th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Elihu Burritt Day takes place on the New Marlborough Village Green.
Elihu Burritt, also known as “The Learned Blacksmith,” lived in New Marlborough in the early 19th century. A staunch abolitionist and an advocate of peace and equality, he later became a leader of the 19th century world peace movement. An anvil dedicated to Elihu Burritt is permanently mounted on the Village Green in New Marlborough.
At noon, New Marlborough librarian Debbie O’Brien will receive the Annual Elihu Burritt Award for outstanding service and dedication from outgoing state representative William “Smitty” Pignatelli.
Vendor booths will offer a vast array of one-of-a-kind handcrafted items and quality gifts like hand-lathed bowls, jewelry, and original paintings, pocket-knives, sun-catchers, and more. There will be food, live music, an antique car show, a silent auction, a “White Elephant” table, and activities for children including face-painting, balloon art, live animal “meet & greet,” and hayrides.
Special guest, Charlie Flint, will return this year offering free antiques appraisals for the town’s own version of an antiques roadshow. Flint has consulted with The Berkshire Museum, The Norman Rockwell Museum, The Mount, and other arts and antique institutions throughout his career. All are invited to bring items from home to learn more about their history and value.
The event is on Saturday, August 17th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the New Marlborough Village Green in New Marlborough. More information can be found online.
At 5 p.m., there is an after-party hosted by the New Marlborough Fire Company at the Fire Station at 205 Norfolk Road in Southfield. The after-party features a pig roast, block dance, and raffles. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Berkshire Concert Choir presents ‘Broadway and Beers’ at Hot Plate Brewing
Pittsfield— On Sunday, August 18th from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Berkshire Concert Choir, in collaboration with the Hot Plate Brewing Co., presents ‘Broadway and Beers,’ a community sing-along of music from Broadway and the Great American Songbook.
Chelsea Beatty, soprano and Board Member of Berkshire Concert Choir, will lead attendees in singing familiar favorites like “I Got Rhythm,” “The Sound of Music,” and other selections from Broadway shows like Cabaret and Wicked. In addition to the sing-along selections, members of Berkshire Concert Choir will offer several solo pieces. Amy Renak, collaborative pianist, will accompany singers on the piano.
“We can’t wait to raise our voices (while also raising a delicious pint of Hot Plate beer) with others in our community who love to sing,” says Beatty, who is curating the program.
The event is on Sunday, August 18th from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Hot Plate Brewing, Co, at 1 School Street in Pittsfield. Admission is free, and donations to the Berkshire Concert Choir are welcome. More information about Berkshire Concert Choir can be found online.
