2019 is our 10th year of the Historic North Hall Arts Festival opening with the Opera Showcase. For theatre we offer a staged reading of The Chalk Garden, a comedy by National Velvet author Enid Bagnold. And plenty of music follows. We start June with Dixieland Stomp, a Louis Armstrong tribute, moving on to Meadow Flutes, a flute quartet with classical, traditional and popular music. In July the Berkshire Mountain Boys play folk, gospel and bluegrass while Wild Thyme brings memorable Irish and Scottish tunes. In August, La Voz De Tres play infectious Latin rhythms with a blend of jazz. In September the Bob Sparkman Trio moves us into swing and smooth jazz and Old Country Road Band closes our festival with vintage country and bluegrass. Two Open Mic Music Jams are back along with two art exhibitons. And a special Square Dance event on July 19 at 7 pm has been added featuring longtime caller Gene King leading the dance. All ages, all levels – from first timer to pro are welcome to this free event.
(more…)
OPERA ARIA & SONG SHOWCASE
Saturday MAY 25 2019-7:00 p.m.
Sunday MAY 26, 2019 – 2:00 p.m
$15 at door, students FREE. Wheelchair-accessible, air-conditioned
The accomplished NYC ensemble of soprano Amy Orsulak, tenor Antonio Abate, baritone Samuel Bowen and pianist Jerome Tan will perform various Italian arias and Schubert art song favorites including “An die Musik”, “Gretchen am Spinnrade”, and “Standchen”. Several Italian opera gems such as the fierce soprano aria “l’altra notte” from Boito’s Mefistofele, the emotional aria “Nessun Dorma” from Puccini’s opera Turandot, and arias from La Boheme will be included, and more . (more…)
DIXIELAND STOMP
Louis Armstrong Tribute; Banjo and Brass instruments
Sunday JUNE 23 2019 – 2:00 p.m
$10 at door; students FREE. Wheelchair-accessible, air-conditioned
David Neil and ensemble present Life, Times and Music of Louis Armstrong. The ensemble has 6 members playing trumpet, clarinet, two trombone, banjo and tuba performing traditional Dixieland, Blues and Rags. Much of the music is from actual transcriptions of Louie Armstrong’s music from the Hot 5 and Hot 7 recording done in Chicago 1927 to 1929. (more…)
MEADOW FLUTES
classical, traditional and popular
Sunday. JUNE 30, 2019 – 2:00 p.m.
$10 at door; students free. Wheelchair-access, air-conditioned.
The Meadow Flutes quartet featuring, classical, popular and traditional music was founded in 2011 by Andrea Taupier, Lynn Winsor and Karen McCarthy as a venue for exploring the flute chamber music repertoire with an ensemble versatile enough to present instrumentation from duets to six-part scoring that included the entire family of flutes. (more…)
OPEN MIC
MUSIC JAM
Friday July 5, 2019 – 7:00 p.m
FREE or donation at the door; Wheelchair-accessible, air-conditioned
Open MIC performances by musicians, instrumental and vocal. Performers to determine format. Musicians and public welcome. the North Hall artist gallery is exhibiting the works of local artists. (more…)
BERKSHIRE MOUNTAIN BOYS
Folk, Bluegrass, Gospel & Country
Sunday JULY 14, 2019 – 2 p.m.
$10 at door; students FREE. Wheelchair-accessible, air-conditioned
Berkshire Mountain Boys will be bringing you bluegrass, traditional and contemporary folk, gospel and country music with autoharp, banjo, guitar, mandolin and vocals.
(more…)
WILD THYME
Folk/Celtic music
Sunday. JULY 28, 2019 – 2:00 p.m.
$10 at door; students free. Wheelchair-access, air-conditioned.
WILD THYME plays and sings Celtic folk music, drawing from the rich repertoire of Irish and Scottish traditional music and including some French Celtic music as well. Traditional Irish and Scottish songs played with—fiddles, guitars and more, include The Wild Rover and I’ll Tell Me Ma, The Road to Lisdoonvarna and Merrily Kiss the Quaker. The artists are Ray Lequin of Chesterfield on guitar, mandolin and tin whistle; Alexis Truslow of Northampton on fiddle and mandolin; Starr Adams and Justine McCarthy of Northampton on fiddle and Deborah Stevens of Shelburne Falls on guitar. (more…)
OPEN MIC
MUSIC JAM
Friday August 2, 2019 – 7:00 p.m
FREE or donation at the door; Wheelchair-accessible, air-conditioned
Open MIC performances by musicians, instrumental and vocal. Performers to determine format. Musicians and public welcome. The North Hall artist gallery is exhibiting the works of local artists. (more…)
THE CHALK GARDEN – Staged Reading
A comedy by Enid Bagnol, author of National Velvet
Sunday. AUGUST 18, 2019 – 2:00 p.m.
FREE. Wheelchair-accessible, air-conditioned
The THE CHALK GARDEN, a comedy by Enid Bagnold, author of National Velvet, comes to the North Hall stage with the mysterious Miss Madrigal who can coax flowers to bloom in the chalky soil of England’s Dover cliffs, but she has other comic tricks up her sleeve when it comes to calming an unruly household. The staged reading features Susan Daniels, Margery Shaw, Kenneth Tigar, Michelle Joyner, Sandra Blaney and Mitch Giannunzio, with cameos by members of the North Hall board. “I’ve always loved this play because it is a deft combination of thriller and drawing room comedy,” said director Mitch Giannunzio. Annual Afterparty Celebration follows, donations welcomed.
(more…)
