Sunday, July 30, 2017

Classical Pianist Adam Bergeron at Village Lyceum Sunday, August 6 in Petersham MA

Adam Bergeron
Classical Pianist Adam Bergeron at Village Lyceum Sunday, August 6 in Petersham MA

The Village Lyceum will present pianist Adam Bergeron in the third of his 5-Part Concert Series with Two-Step Dances featuring composers: Beethoven, Schubert and Grieg at 3:00 p.m. in the Davis Memorial, 3 West Street, in back of Unitarian Church in Petersham. Adam Bergeron's 5-Part Concert Series is funded, in part, by a grant from the Petersham Cultural Council.  

All Lyceum proceeds will benefit the parish building fund and are used to maintain their historic buildings on the Town Common.  Refreshments will be available.  For further information, including Village Lyceum ticket prices, contact Genevieve Fraser at email: FraserGenevieve@gmail.com or call telephone 978.544.1872.

Monday, July 17, 2017

Village Lyceum presents John Sheldon July 29 in a performance inspired by Standing Rock

The Village Lyceum presents John Sheldon July 29 - in a performance inspired by Standing Rock –
“The Same Water, Music for a Deep Ecology”

John Sheldon and his famous red electric guitar – the one James Taylor sold him in the 1960s for $100 - return to the Village Lyceum on Saturday, July 29 at 7:00 pm to present “The Same Water, Music for a Deep Ecology.” The program, which will be held in the sanctuary of the First Congregational Parish, Unitarian on the Petersham Town Common, is inspired by Sheldon’s 5-day stay at Standing Rock Indian Reservation during a gathering of native tribes from across the nation to protest a proposed oil pipeline that threatens reservation water and ancient burial grounds.

Now, in his 51st year of writing songs and composing music, the former lead guitarist for Van Morrison and songwriter for James Taylor admits that in the past few years, the way in which he writes music, his music process itself has been changing. Today, his inspiration, his muse comes more directly from nature.

“Water, essential to all of life on earth, is the unifying element. I have put together a cycle of songs and improvisations to celebrate water in all its forms, including rivers, plants, animals, and of course, us,” Sheldon explained.

“A trip to North Dakota to help the effort at Standing Rock has made me realize how others on this planet have been listening to the spirits in nature for a long time. I dedicate this music to all of them, whether they be activists, gardeners, water protectors, or simply people who have at one time simply felt awe and wonder in the presence of the natural world,” he said. 


“Some of the spirits that appear in the music are: the wolf, the bee, the cricket, the redwood, the crust of the earth, and the light from the stars. So, prepare to take a journey through sound into the heart of nature itself,” Sheldon advised.

Sheldon has written hundreds of songs and instrumentals, and released 15 CDs of his own music. In the past few years, he has also been busy in theater, including composing music for and performing in "Milosevic at the Hague", "Ambush on T Street", "What She Knows", "Blind Dreamers”, "Skyscraper" and his own musical monologue, “The Red Guitar," which traces his musical journey and recalls the tumultuous era when it began. Last year, Sheldon performed "The Red Guitar" during a two-week run at the famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.

Tickets for “The Same Water, Music for a Deep Ecology” are on a sliding scale from $8 to $15, children 10 and under are free of charge. All proceeds for the Village Lyceum are used to maintain the First Congregational Parish Unitarian Petersham Church and the Davis Memorial Center.  For further information, please contact Genevieve at (978) 544-1872.

PHOTO CAPTION:
John Sheldon will perform “The Same Water, Music for a Deep Ecology” at the Village Lyceum on Saturday, July 29 in the sanctuary at the Unitarian Church in Petersham, starting at 7:00 p.m. The program is inspired by Sheldon’s stay at Standing Rock Indian Reservation during the 2016 protest of a proposed oil pipeline. Ticket prices are on a sliding scale from $8 - $15, children 10 and under are free of charge. Proceeds are used for the parish building and maintenance fund. For further information, contact Genevieve Fraser at (978) 544-1872 or email: FraserGenevieve@gmail.com



Monday, July 3, 2017

INTRODUCING The Drama Circle @ The Village Lyceum in Petersham (MA)

INTRODUCING The Drama Circle @ The Village Lyceum in Petersham (MA)


The Drama Circle, which was started in the 1990s at Mount Wachusett Community College, has a new home at The Village Lyceum in Petersham. We invite writers to submit their scripts for possible readings and will occasionally have readings of classical works, Shakespeare and more modern authors such as Horton Foote. One play we hope to "read" and possible produce is The Traveling Lady which in many ways can also be filed under the Petersham Unitarian's dedication to social justice issues.


"Foote’s play tells the story of dreamy Georgette Thomas, who has traveled with her daughter to meet her husband, Henry, an alcoholic who has served time in jail but who’s currently newly employed and on the wagon. It all takes place on a porch where various townspeople come and go and comment on the troubles of this young couple." https://www.villagevoice.com/…/horton-footes-maligned-cham…/

Genevieve Fraser​
Artistic Director, The Drama Circle
For further information: (978) 544-1872
FraserGenevieve@gmail.com