Berkshire Bach: James Bagwell Conducts Magnificat

12:11PM / Wednesday, May 08, 2024Print Story | Email Story

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Berkshire Bach Society continues its 2023-2024 season with a choral event on Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 4pm when internationally known choral conductor James Bagwell leads professional soloists, chorus, and Baroque orchestra in two settings of Magnificat by father and son—J.S. and C.P.E. Bach—at the First Congregational Church in Great Barrington.

"We're delighted to present James Bagwell, his incomparable singers, and members of The Berkshire Bach Ensemble in Magnificat, in a major choral event," said Terrill McDade, Executive Director of The Berkshire Bach Society. "The Magnificat, also known as the Song of Mary, is one of the oldest hymns in the Christian tradition and the source of inspiration for hundreds of composers over the centuries. The two versions by Bach senior and junior are among the most beloved. Mr. Bagwell has given us so many superb performances of choral works in the past and this year's promises to be another transcendent experience. We're excited to bring Magnificat to our audience and to share the joy, power, and glory of Baroque choral music at its finest."

The concert honors longtime Berkshire Bach chairman, Adrian van Zon, who joined the Board in 1997 and is in his 24th year as chair. As the longest-serving officer in the group's history, he continues to guide The Society in its mission of bringing high quality performances of Baroque music to the Berkshires and surrounding areas. Artistic Director Eugene Drucker comments that "knowing [Mr. van Zon's] love for both choral and instrumental music from the Baroque period, I can think of no better way to honor and thank him for his service to the community than through a performance of these two Magnificats under the expert and inspired direction of James Bagwell."

Tickets to Magnificat are available online at www.berkshirebach.org/events for best selection and at the door. Berkshire Bach member discounts apply. As always, children under 18 and Students with valid ID are admitted FREE.

The Berkshire Bach Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the oldest, continuously operating membership-based music organization in the Berkshires. The group encourages all music lovers to support The Society by joining, by helping sponsor a concert, and by volunteering at their events.

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First Eagle Mill Units in Lee to Open in Springtime

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:02AM / Tuesday, February 03, 2026

Eagle Mills developer Jeffrey Cohen updates the Lee Chamber of Commerce as the project's phases, and the amount of heavy lifting to get it to this point.

LEE, Mass. — More than 50 affordable units are expected to come online at the Eagle Mill this spring.

This is the first of several planned development phases at the former paper mill that dates back to the early 1800s, totaling more than 200 units. The Lee Chamber of Commerce hosted an information session on the project during its Business Breakfast last Wednesday.

"We are here because we have a really big project that's happened for a very long time here in Lee, that, for myself, has provided a real sense of hope, and has has really defined this community as one of the few in the Berkshires that's really looking forward, as opposed to just being sort of stuck in the past," Chamber member Erik Williams said.

The estimated $60 million development broke ground in 2021 after nearly a decade of planning and permitting. Hundreds of workers once filed into the 8-acre complex, producing up to 165 tons of paper a week. The last mill on the property closed in 2008.

Hearthway is accepting applications for 56 affordable apartments called "The Lofts at Eagle Mill" with expected occupancy in May. The housing nonprofit was also approved for 45 additional units of new construction on the site.

Jeffrey Cohen of Eagle Mill Redevelopment LLC said the project dates back to 2012, when a purchase contract was signed for the West Center Street property. The developers didn't have to close on the property until renovation plans were approved in 2017, and the mill was sold for $700,000.

It seemed like a great deal for the structure and eight acres on the Housatonic River, Cohen explained, but he wasn't aware of the complex pre-development costs, state, and local approvals it would entail. Seven individually owned homes adjacent to the property were also acquired and demolished for parking and site access.

"If I knew today what I knew then, I'm not sure we'd be sitting here," he said, joining the breakfast remotely over Zoom.

Cohen praised the town's government, explaining that the redesigns and critiques "Could not have been done in a friendlier way, in a more helpful way," and the two Massachusetts governors serving during the project's tenure. The Eagle Mill redevelopment is supported by state and federal grants, as well as low-income housing tax credits.

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