MONTEREY, Mass. — On March 9 at 7 p.m., join the Bidwell House Museum for the second program in their online winter lecture series focused on the Indigenous Peoples of Western New England.
Dr. Lucianne Lavin, Director of Research and Collections at the Institute for American Indian Studies will discuss the historical Mohican presence in northwest Connecticut.
According to a press release, early European documents demonstrate that Mohican tribal homelands extended east and south into what is now Connecticut, with known villages reported in what would become the towns of Salisbury, Sharon, and Canaan. The documentary evidence reveals stable, peaceful social and political relationships between Mohicans and Housatonic Valley tribal communities to their south, particularly the Schaghticoke (AKA Scaticook) and this archaeology pushes the Mohican presence back even farther, into deep history.
Lucianne Lavin is Director of Research and Collections at the Institute for American Indian Studies, a museum and research and educational center in Washington, Conn. She is an anthropologist & archaeologist who has over 50 years of research and field experience in Northeastern archaeology and anthropology, including teaching, museum exhibits and curatorial work, cultural resource management, editorial work, and public relations. Dr. Lavin is a founding member of the state's Native American Heritage Advisory Council and former editor of the journal of the Archaeological Society of Connecticut for 30 years.
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Berkshire Bach Society Announces Two Organ Recitals
GREAT BARINNGINTON, Mass. — The Berkshire Bach Society (BBS) announces two organ recitals on historic organs in Housatonic and Great Barrington as part of its Organ Masters series.
The recitals take place on Feb. 7, 2pm, at the UU Meeting House in Housatonic, and on May 2, 3pm, at the First Congregational Church in Great Barrington with master organists Renée Anne Louprette and Peter Sykes.
"We celebrate Bach and his circle in our Organ Masters series and give our audience a chance to hear two of today's most distinguished organists bring the repertoire to life on important organs in our region," said Terrill McDade, Executive Director of the Berkshire Bach Society. "For good reason we've called the 1893 Johnson Organ at the UU Meeting House in Housatonic a hidden gem and the 1883 great Roosevelt organ at the First Congregational Church in Great Barrington a remarkable and innovative instrument that defies comparison. Both organs have escaped modernization and kept their original voices. They sound very much the way they did when new—and that provides a unique musical experience. Combine the authenticity of the instruments, the virtuosity of the organists, and interesting repertoire and we have a recipe for two very special events."
According to a press release:
On Feb. 7, Renée Anne Louprette presents The Baroque Dance Masters with works by Bach, Georg Böhm, Dieterich Buxtehude, and Élisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre, one of the most remarkable composers of the Baroque era. To enrich the audience experience, Louprette provides commentary during the program, demonstrates thematic material, and conducts a Q&A session after the recital. Notably, her program includes the Chaconne in G minor that was one of two pieces recently attributed to a young J.S. Bach and added to the catalog as BWV 1179. The work dates from 1705 when J.S. Bach was 20 and is one of the earliest finished works by him to survive. It dates from the same year that he traveled to Lübeck to hear Buxtehude perform, which had a profound impact on his compositional style. Berkshire Bach is pleased to give our audience an opportunity to hear the work live.
Renée Anne Louprette is Assistant Professor of Music and College Organist at Bard College where she directs the Bard Baroque Ensemble. She has performed on important organs throughout the world and in 2022-2023 received a Fulbright research grant to document the restoration of historic organs in Romania.
On May 2, Peter Sykes returns to play the great Roosevelt Organ in a mixed program of French organ music. Beloved by many, the Roosevelt was the most important organ in America at installation in 1883 and is the largest example that survives in largely its original form by innovative organ builder Hilborne Roosevelt. Cousin to presidents Teddy and Franklin, Hilborne Roosevelt established Roosevelt Pipe Organ Builders in 1870 and built many of the largest organs in America in the period. He introduced electricity into the workings of his instruments and coincidentally contributed to aspects of the early telephone, including inventing the automatic switch hook. His Great Barrington organ remains a sophisticated and expressive example of his craft that, in the hands of master organist Peter Sykes, inspires awe and can literally shake the rafters with its majesty, power, and beauty.
Join Berkshire Bach for The Organ Masters at 2pm on Saturday, Feb. 7 at the UU Meeting House in Housatonic and 3pm on Saturday, May 2 at the First Congregational Church in Great Barrington. Tickets: $45 Nonmembers | $40 Berkshire Bach Members | $85 Two-concert package | $10 Card to Culture. Children and Students under 25 with valid ID are admitted free. Visit www.berkshirebach.org/eventsfor more information, including tickets and specific venue information.
Representatives from those towns were presented with plaques and proclamations, and shared stories of their communities' participation in both the Knox Trail and the Revolution. click for more
