BCHS Presents the Opera 'Billy Budd'

11:32AM / Tuesday, September 17, 2024Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — "Billy Budd, Sailor" is Herman Melville's novella exploring themes of innocence, justice, and the corrupting influence of power.

According to a press release:

It is the tale of a noble young sailor who is conscripted, falls victim to petty jealousy, and pays the price with his life. Set aboard a British naval ship during the Napoleonic Wars, Budd is falsely accused of mutiny and sentenced to death. Even as he is martyred, he retains his integrity.

As part of its continuing celebration of the centennial of Billy Budd, Sailor's publication, the Berkshire County Historical Society, in collaboration with Berkshire Opera Festival and Tanglewood Learning Institute, will present selections from the 1951 opera Billy Budd composed by Benjamin Britten with a libretto by authors E. M. Forster and Eric Crozier.

The selections will be paired with readings by actor Ryan Winkles. The event takes place at the Linde Center for Music and Learning at Tanglewood on Sept. 20 at 7 pm.

Open seating tickets are $100 and can be purchased by using the BOOK NOW button at bekshirehistory.org. Ticket includes a post-performance reception with drinks and desserts by Gourmet Catering, and the launch of a unique Arrowhead cider from Berkshire Cider Project.

The event is sponsored by The Feigenbaum Foundation. All proceeds benefit Berkshire County Historical Society educational, preservation, and restoration programs.

"The Berkshire County Historical Society is pleased to be partnering with Berkshire Opera Festival and Tanglewood Learning Institute to celebrate Billy Budd, said BCHS Executive Director Lesley Herzberg. "The Berkshires are fortunate to be home to so many quality cultural venues and individual artists who so generously collaborate to create programs that one organization alone cannot achieve."

Tags: berkshire county historical society,

iBerkshires.com Text Ads

Save & Earn with Greylock

3.30% APY 6-month certificate. Click to learn more! Insured by NCUA.

www.greylock.org

rk MILES Blding Materials

Are You Ready to Update Your Home? Start With rk MILES. 4 Locations (800)670-7433

www.rkmiles.com

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Berkshire Innovation Center Expansion Aims to Bring Jobs, Innovation to Pittsfield

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
06:36AM / Friday, October 30, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Innovation Center broke ground on its roughly 12,000-square-foot expansion on Thursday, surrounded by state and local officials, business leaders, and industry partners who helped bring the project to fruition.

The approximately $8 million expansion will bring advanced manufacturing capabilities, new jobs, and additional opportunities for technology companies to the William Stanley Business Park, speakers at Thursday's ceremony said.

The importance of collaboration among state and local officials and the private sector in fostering innovation, creating jobs and driving economic growth was a central theme throughout the event.

It was no coincidence that the groundbreaking brought together representatives from government and the private sector, including Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, state Sen. Paul Mark, state Reps. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, Leigh Davis and John Barrett III, alongside business leaders and industry partners from the Berkshire Innovation Center, Electro Magnetic Applications and Myrias Optics.

"Massachusetts is now the mecca of research in the world. Nothing comes close to what we do," Neal said, highlighting several of the state's research and innovation centers, including Berkshire Medical Center, Kendall Square and UMass Medical.

"These are the breakthrough moments that are happening, and we have a chance to witness them," he said.

The BIC and the tech hub that has been created around advanced optics is going to build on creating new opportunities in an organic way by using the region's success and leveraging it for more, Driscoll said.

View Full Story