North Adams Library Serves Up Music This Summer
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The city's library is hosting its first concert series, offering five musical performances on Friday nights that are free of charge to the public. The second concert in the series takes place Friday night on the library's front lawn, which is located at the corner of East Main and North Church Street.
The Berkshire Hills Chorus of Sweet Adelines International, also known as "Sweet Adelines," will perform barber-shop harmonies from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. this Friday. The Drury High School Jazz Band kicked off the concert series on May 28, drawing about 75 spectators.
On July 23, Sgt. Daniel M. Clark, more popularly known as "The Singing Trooper," will sing patriotic numbers at the library. In the past, Clark has belted out notes at pro sporting events and with the Boston Pops Orchestra. Library Director Rick Moon expects "The Singing Trooper" to be the biggest attraction during this year's concert series.
On August 13, folk-group The Beeline Ramblers will play and, on Sept. 24, folk-trio Wintergreen caps the series.
"I'm looking to show that the library is more than just a library," Moon. "We are an extension of the community. We want to let people know that the library is alive, and we're not just about renting books, CDs and videos."
The Sweet Adelines' performance Friday night happens to fall on the same day as the Eagle Street Beach Party, which takes place just a stone's throw from the library. Moon said the timing of the two events was pure coincidence, but it works out well for residents interested in both activities.
The first half of the beach party ends at 6:30 p.m., then the newly-added "Fiesta" for adults commences at 7 p.m. In the transition time needed for clean-up of the sand on Eagle Street, people won't have to go very far for more entertainment; the Sweet Adelines will just be kicking off their show.
Sweet Adelines is a chorus consisting of all females, of all ages, who perform mostly in Southern Berkshire County. About 14 members are expected to perform at the North Adams Public Library, singing mostly a capella tunes, but there will be several selections with a ukelele accompaniment.
Laurie Boudreau, of Clarksburg, is a tenor in the chorus and is one member of "Breakaway," a quartet that will perform some patriotic tunes in between selections from the chorus. Boudreau said that, besides patriotic songs, the group specializes in popular songs from past eras in music, such as "Ain't Misbehavin" and "Under the Boardwalk." The Adelines don't sing just "oldies" songs; "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack is part of their repertoire.
"We like to entertain and bring smiles to people's faces," Boudreau said. "Hopefully it won't be 100 degrees and it'll be a pleasant evening, so people can sit in the lawn and enjoy the music."
Boudreau said the chorus' live shows are also an opportunity to attract some new members to the group. In the past, female spectators have been so intrigued by the Adelines that they tried out for the group and became members.
"We don't get to sing in North County too often, so this could be a chance to attract some new talent," Boudreau said.
For Moon, who became the library director on Jan. 1, he said the concert series was organized for the simple reason of giving local folks something else to do on a Friday night.
"We were thinking, 'what can we do that's not ordinary for a library to do?'" Moon said. "The first one [with the Drury Jazz Band] was successful. After that, a lot of people called me up and said, 'OK, who's next?'"
While the concert series is free, donations will be accepted and will help fund future concerts at the library.
If you're a female and have interest in singing barber-shop harmonies, please call Boudreau at 413-663-9003.
