GBHS to screen ‘Back to the ‘50s’ Halloween double feature
Great Barrington — To coincide with its “Back to the 50’s” exhibit, the Great Barrington Historical Society will present a Halloween double feature Sunday, Oct. 29, at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center. “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” will screen at 4 p.m. and the Alfred Hitchcock film “Vertigo” will be shown at 7 p.m. The Sunday Strummers ukulele band will be perform ‘50s music from 3:30 to 4 p.m. and again at from 6:30 to 7 p.m. Those who arrive in 1950s costumes will be entitled to a free 1950s-themed appetizer at the Castle Street Cafe with a meal between shows. The cost is $7 for one movie or $10 for both films. All proceeds will benefit GBHS and the Mahaiwe. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact GBHS at (413) 591-8702 or info@gbhistory.org.
–E.E.
* * *
Crescendo to present ‘Through Truth We Triumph’
Lakeville, Conn. — Crescendo’s first concerts of its 2017-18 season, “Through Truth We Triumph,” will celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther with music and words in settings of German Renaissance and Baroque motets, choruses and chorales. The performances will be presented at Saturday, Oct. 28, at 6 p.m. at Saint James Place in Great Barrington, Massachusetts; and Sunday, Oct. 29, at 4 p.m. at Trinity Lime Rock.
Recognizing music as a powerful element in faith and community, Luther sparked religious and political reform in Germany, creating the Lutheran branch of Protestantism. In the two centuries after the Reformation, many composers incorporated Luther’s melodies into their works. All of the works to be performed are based on eight of Luther’s most famous chorales and span a period of 200 years. The program will feature a variety of styles from simple chorale settings to elaborate polyphonic cantata choruses, Renaissance motets, duets and double-choir compositions. The program will include works by Schütz, Telemann, Praetorius, Walther and J.S. Bach.
The performers will be the Crescendo Chorus and Vocal Ensemble; sopranos Jennifer Tyo and Sarah Fay; tenor Philip Anderson; the Baroque Ensemble of Chris Belluscio on natural trumpet and cornetto, Emily Hale on baroque violin, Hideki Yamaya on theorbo, Jane Hershey on viola da gamba and violone, and Michael Sponseller on organ. Christine Gevert, Crescendo’s founding artistic director, will conduct.
Tickets are $10–$60. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact Crescendo at (860) 435-4866 or crescendo@worldsclassmusic.org.
–E.E.
* * *
Naumkeag hosts haunted house
Stockbridge — Naumkeag’s haunted house continues Thursday, Oct. 27, and Friday, Oct. 28, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. with more scares, bigger haunts and new surprises that are not for the faint of heart. Geared toward adults and children age 12 and older, the haunted house starts with a new and frightening path through the garden and then, for the first time, welcomes visitors into the historic mansion, where brave guests will be treated to three floors of new frights, scares and–some might call them–delights. The event finishes with a cash bar and refreshments in the newly constructed Naumkeag greenhouse. Tickets are $15 for Trustees of Reservations members and $25 for nonmembers. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact Naumkeag at (413) 298-8138 or naumkeag@thetrustees.org.
–E.E.
* * *
Sandisfield Arts Center to offer pumpkin decorating for children
Sandisfield — The Sandisfield Arts Center will celebrate the bounty of autumn with a free, family-friendly pumpkin decorating event Saturday, Oct. 28, at 11 a.m. The event will include an easy craft allowing children of all ages to add their personal touches to Sandisfield-grown pumpkins. All decorating supplies, including non-toxic paints, will be provided. Pumpkins will be provided free of charge for the first 20 children. Costumes are encouraged. For ore information, contact the Sandisfield Arts Center at (413) 258-4100 or info@sandisfieldartscenter.org.
–E.E.
* * *
Michael Davidson exhibit of paintings at Hotchkiss School
Lakeville, Conn. — The Hotchkiss School’s Tremaine Art Gallery will present “Transitions: New Paintings by Michael Davidson,” and exhibition of new abstract works on paper in watercolor, Saturday, Oct. 28, through Sunday, Dec. 10. A reception will be held Saturday, Oct. 28, from 4 to 6 p.m.
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in painting and ceramic sculpture from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1985, Davidson studied at Purchase College, State University of New York with Robert Storr and Irving Sandler. He moved to New York City in 1988 and, while there, worked as an art handler for the Guggenheim Museum, the International Center of Photography, the American Craft Museum, and numerous galleries and private collections. In 2011 he started teaching at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design where he helped develop a contemporary studio curriculum and degree program. Davidson’s work has been exhibited in the Midwest and in New York, most recently at the Re Institute in Millerton, New York.
For more information, contact the Hotchkiss School at (860) 435-2591.
–E.E.
