please crosspost – Page 8 – The Books are Taking Over…

Greater Boston area people – we need your help!

When you think of creepy, spooky, or cool and mysterious, what do you think of? Is it the Ether Dome at MGH? One of the chapels in Mount Auburn Cemetery? Or something else entirely?

Here’s why we’re asking.

One of the music groups I work with is planning a very cool and very creepy Halloween concert. Several concerts, actually. And we’re looking for the creepiest, spookiest, and coolest places in the greater Boston area for these concerts.

I know it’s July and way to hot to be thinking about falling leaves, a chill in the air, and ghosts and goblins, but we’re planning ahead. If you have any ideas about a place that would be cool for a concert of music about things like severed heads and possessed vegetables, please leave a note in the comments. Thanks!

~Kelly

Live, Work, or Play in Somerville? Wanna be on TV?

Somerville, formerly known as “Slummerville” has the most artists per-capita of any city in the US second only to NYC. That’s not bad considering Somerville is a suburb of Boston (though functionally it is as much a part of Boston as Cambridge.)

If you’re a resident of Somerville, if you work in the ‘ville, or if you make art, play in a band there, or spend a lot of time doing Somerville related things, this post is for you. (If not, you should read it anyway, it’s about communities and people working together.)

Continue reading “Live, Work, or Play in Somerville? Wanna be on TV?”

Boston & Cambridge area people- big freecycle event in July

Harvard University and the Harvard Square Farmer’s Market are having a huge freecycle event on July 8th, 2014 on the Plaza in front of the Science Center. There will be tons (ok, maybe not tons, it depends on how much is donated) of stuff there for people to take and reuse.

Donations will be accepted as early as 9:00am. Details on the website are here. You can bet I’m going to be there to drop off the growing pile of stuff Geoff and I have in our “To Donate” corner of the guest room.

Harvard Square Famer's Market Freecycle event poster — Harvard Square Farmer’s Market Freecycle event poster

Tell your friends, coworkers, family, etc. I’ll see you there.

~Kelly

ETA: Month fixed. I was tired.

Boston! Live Jazz near YOU

From the always awesome David Scott comes a list of performances in the greater Boston area that you, yes you, should attend. Dave is an amazing performer and he’s always working with amazing performers. If you haven’t heard him before take a moment to check him out.

Continue reading “Boston! Live Jazz near YOU”

Calling all Boston area Geeks, Nerds, and Star Trek fans!

Tribbles like you’ve never seen them before! Captain Kirk with cleavage!

Um, what?

My friend, Karen, is performing in this.

Karen’s pretty cool even when she’s not dressed up as Captain Kirk but this – this is really cool. Also, FREE. Come one, come all. Details are here. If you missed this at Arisia 14, this is your last chance.

~Kelly

May, June & July 2014 concerts – mark your calendars

It’s time for the summer concert season in Boston. Mark your calendars now, there’s some great stuff happening.

This list is from Julia Cavallaro and Matthew Hall of Musical Offering

Musical Offering - Baroque Chamber Ensemble — Musical Offering – Baroque Chamber Ensemble

Saturday, May 31 at 4:00 PM
Sunday, June 1 at 2:00 PM
C.P.E. Bach’s Playlist: Works by C.P.E., J.S. & Telemann
Musical Offering (musical-offering.org)
May 31: First Church in Cambridge, MA
June 1: St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields, Lincoln, MA
More Info: musical-offering.org/season-3

Sunday, June 22 at 8:00 PM
Gesualdo Tenebrae Responsories for Maundy Thursday
Zefiro Ensemble (zefiroensemble.com)
St. John’s Church, Jamaica Plain, MA
Directions: goo.gl/maps/xC45s
Tickets: $10 at the door

This is from Julia and is AGO/Pentecost/awesome related.

Wednesday, June 25 at 7:30 PM
Thursday, June 26 at 7:30 PM
A Praetorius Organ Vespers for Pentecost
Canto Armonico; Ulf Wellner, dir. (cantoarmonico.org)
Boston Early Music Festival Chamber Orchestra
First Lutheran Church of Boston, MA
More Info: agoboston2014.org/2013/09/lutheran-vespers

And then we have Meravelha and SoHIP.

Veni Creator Spiritus – SoHIP Summer Concert Series

July 15, 2014 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM
St Peter’s Church 320 Boston Post Rd Weston, MA 02493

July 16, 2014 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM
The Chapel at West Parish Cemetery 129 Reservation Rd Andover, MA 01810

July 17, 2014 time TBA
Emmanuel Church 15 Newbury St Boston, MA 02116

Go out and enjoy all the music the summer has to offer!

~Kelly

Choral & Orchestral Auditions

I received this today from the folks at Mercury Orchestra. Channing Yu is their Music Director and Conductor and he’s fantastic. Check out the announcement if you’re looking for some musical activities this summer.

Continue reading “Choral & Orchestral Auditions”

The Art of Craft

Singing Stones Jewelry will be a featured vendor this weekend at The Art of Craft at the Fayerweather School in Cambridge. This is a fundraising fair for the arts programs at the school. There will be live music, food, and lots of handmade pieces by craftspeople from all over the region.

Please come and bring the whole family. Admission is $5 per person with a maximum cost of $20 per family. Parking is FREE and the school is located just off of Route 2 and also off of the Rt 78 and 74 bus lines.

~Kelly

Cantilena in concert Sunday May 4 – 4:00pm Arlington, MA

This Sunday Cantilena will perform their second concert of the season at 4:00pm in Arlington, MA. Josh Lawton, organist and choirmaster of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Central Sq, Cambridge will accompany the group.

Spring Concert: Sunday, May 4th, 4 p.m.

Immovable Objects, Irresistible Forces: Songs of Human and Natural Wonders

Cantilena performs a variety of songs for women’s voices about forces of nature, human endurance, and triumph over personal challenges. Compositions range from Romantic to Modern, featuring works by Franz Schubert, Emma Lou Diemer, and Ron Jeffers. Experience Jonathan Pieslak’s energetic “Solar Flares” set to Romanian poetry, Susan Borwick’s bluesy setting of a famous speech by Sojourner Truth, Carol Barnett’s raucous and lusty interpretation of Dorothy Parker’s sarcastic “Song of Perfect Propriety,” and music sung by women imprisoned during WWII in Sumatra as memorably depicted in the film “Paradise Road.”

For more information on the concert click here. Ticket information is here. The concert will be held at:

First Parish Unitarian Universalist
630 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, MA

First Parish is accessible by the 77 bus.

~Kelly

Hey, Boston!

Today is a beautiful day. In fact, today is supposed to be the best day this weekend. Do all of us who are stuck inside working a favor:

GO OUTSIDE

Take your dog for a walk. Find a bench and read Game of Thrones in the sunshine. Go to your local park with some friends and practice your light saber dueling. I know we’re in the grip of Marathon frenzy right now so maybe don’t take a backpack anywhere, but go out and do something. Get some of that Vitamin D that we New Englanders lack.

And for the love of all that is good and holy, don’t hole yourself up in a library, museum, mall, or other indoor windowless place. Those of us who are stuck working inside one of these places thank you in advance.

~Kelly