Community Calendar

OLD SAYBROOK — On Friday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 16, at 3 p.m., Salt Marsh Opera presents a double bill at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center — ‘The Kate’ — in Old Saybrook.

It’s all about family dynamics in Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini and Trial by Jury by Gilbert & Sullivan. These one-act comedies by two of opera’s most famous composers are sure to be sold, out so reserve your tickets soon.

Gianni Schicchi, Puccini’s only comedy, is a laugh-out-loud farce about the Donati Family and the passing of their not so dearly beloved patriarch, Buoso Donati. The family fortune hangs in the balance as each member of the family looks to bend the late Buoso’s will to their advantage with the help of the conniving Gianni Schicchi.

In Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial by Jury, the hijinks move into the courtroom when a jilted bride and her philandering groom battle it out in divorce court in this slightly updated production of the G&S classic.

Purchase tickets at this link for Friday and this link for Sunday.

OLD LYME — This Friday, Dec. 2, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., the public is invited to join a group of “Members with Cameras” from the Lymes’ Senior Center when they host an Opening Reception for a show of their photographs. The show will be held in Old Lyme’s Memorial Town Hall on Lyme St. These folks have been learning techniques related to expanding and enhancing the use of phones as cameras from long-time photographer, exhibitor, and instructor Fred Verillo. Choosing a subject and then improving it with photographic editing apps are just a few of the topics that have been covered in Verillo’s workshops. All are welcome to the free reception. Refreshments will be served.

DEEP RIVER, CT. — Cappella Cantorum will return to John Winthrop Middle School (JWMS, Deep River, CT) for the 2022-2023 season after a two-year absence.  Rehearsals are in full swing for the upcoming winter concert, Vivaldi’s Gloria and Other Holiday Favorites, to be performed Sunday, Dec 4, at 3 p.m. at JWMS.  Mark your calendar to join this musical celebration of the holidays.

Music Director Simon Holt will conduct, and the featured soloists are mezzo-soprano Rachel Abrams and bass-baritone Christopher Grundy. The chorus will be accompanied by pianist Patrice Newman and the Cappella Cantorum Orchestra.

Ticket prices are $15 for students, $30 for adults and $35 at the door. Tickets may be purchased in advance through any chorus member, on the Cappella Cantorum website through the link below, or by calling 860-532-0454.

This year marks the 53rd season of Cappella Cantorum, which was founded in Jan. 1970. The group has built a close partnership with the Region 4 School District for more than 30 years where Cappella can be found rehearsing at JWMS on Monday evenings and performing in the school district’s auditoria. Cappella has also donated acoustic sound shells to enhance the JWMS auditorium stage.

When COVID hit Connecticut in early 2020, Cappella Cantorum halted rehearsals that were already underway at JWMS and canceled its May concert. From Sept. 2020 to April 2021, the group hosted a popular Zoom series to help singers stayed connected and continue learning about music-related topics.

With the availability of COVID vaccines and improved treatments, the group began to plan its return to in-person singing for Fall 2021. However, changing state COVID guidelines made it difficult for Region 4 to allow community groups in school facilities, so Cappella rehearsals were moved to Trinity Lutheran Church in Centerbrook for the 2021-2022 season.

“We were so pleased to be coming back to JWMS for our rehearsals,” said Carol Cherry, President of Cappella Cantorum.“ Returning to John Winthrop is one step closer to normal for all of us.”

Cappella Cantorum is the premiere, non-auditioned, community choral group of the Connecticut Shoreline and Lower Connecticut River Valley. Its primary purpose is to give singers of all ages the opportunity to learn, perform, share, and enjoy great choral music. In addition to twice yearly concerts, the group promotes music education and appreciation through summer singing programs, vocal training workshops, Messiah Sing & Listen events, and other events open to the public.

Cappella Cantorum has no audition requirement and welcomes people of all ages who like to sing and want to expand their music knowledge and skills. This opportunity renews again on Monday, Jan 9, 2023, when you can register and join Cappella for their first rehearsal as the singers and administration prepare for their spring concert scheduled for Sunday, April 4, 2023, 3pm, at JWMS. Rehearsals are generally held at 7 p.m. on Monday nights in JWMS.

For more information, visit cappellacantorum.org or call 860-532-0454.

OLD LYME / OLD SAYBROOK — The Old Lyme Town Band (OLTB) under the direction of Richard Chiappetta, gives two holiday concerts this season. The first was on Sunday, Dec.11, and the second is on Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 7 p.m., when the band will perform at The Kate, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook. Tickets for this concert are $8 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under, and can be purchased online at this link or at the door. Numbers for the performance at ‘The Kate’ include Farandole by Georges Bizet, which is not a seasonal piece but rather an exciting work that builds in speed and volume in all sections until the end and Lo, How A Rose E’r Blooming, a Christmas carol and Marian hymn of German origin, which is hauntingly beautiful. Those who have attended OLTB concerts in the past may remember the festive sounds of Hanukkah, a festive medley. A Very Merry (Minor) Christmas was written by the OLTB Director based on the tune of O come O come Emmanuel, but in a minor key. And who doesn’t love the OLTB’s closing number, Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride … and by the way, we hear they do a great whip-crack! The band welcomes new members of all ages, from talented middle-school students to seniors, without audition when rehearsals begin again in January. The band rehearses at Christ the King Church in Old Lyme on Mondays from 7 to 9 p.m. Visit the band’s website at http://www.oldlymetownband.com or speak to any band member to add your name to the band’s mailing list.

OLD LYME — On Saturday, March 4, Lyme Academy of Fine Arts hosts a lecture by Jerry Saltz, Pulitzer Prize winner and senior art critic at New York Magazine, who will speak as part of the Lyme Academy’s ongoing lecture series. This program was created to welcome creative leaders and influencers in the world of art to speak on their craft. Saltz will share his inspiring insight, experience and story with Lyme Academy students and the public. Saltz is the senior art critic at New York Magazine and its entertainment site, Vulture. He was an art critic for The Village Voice from 1998 until 2007, when he joined New York Magazine, and was nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize during his tenure there. He is the winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize in Criticism and the 2019 National Magazine Award. A frequent guest lecturer, Saltz has spoken at the Guggenheim, the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, the Rhode Island School of Design and the Art Institute of Chicago, among others. “We are thrilled that Jerry Saltz will be coming to speak at the Lyme Academy in the midst of his national book tour to sold out crowds around the country”, says Melissa Barbieri, artist and trustee at Lyme Academy. “As an artist, I can tell you that no one speaks more compellingly or with more heart about artists and the art world than Jerry Saltz. What an honor to have him join us.” Saltz wrote the New York Times bestseller “How To Be An Artist” brimming with inspiration, rules, prompts and practical tips for emerging artists and creatives.  He recently published his book, “Life is Art” (Nov. 2022), which will be offered for sale ($30 SRP) before or after the lecture at de Gerenday’s Fine Art Materials and Curiosities on the campus of Lyme Academy, South entrance, or online at degerendays.com. Registration for seating at the 2 p.m. free lecture will be available through the Lyme Academy website at https://lymeacademy.edu/lectures/. The full schedule of events is as follows:  1-2pm – Pre-Event “Bagels and Coffee” with Jerry Saltz in the Chauncey-Stillman Gallery. The pre-event is free and open to students, staff, faculty, and board members. Anyone who purchases Saltz’s book from de Gerenday’s can show their receipt of purchase and attend this event. This includes couples who purchase one copy. 2-3pm – Jerry Saltz presentation in the Cole Studio (South Entrance). This portion of the event is free and open to the public. 3-4pm – Book signing by Jerry Saltz in de Gerenday’s Fine Art Materials and Curiosities (South Entrance). Free and open to the public. Lyme Academy of Fine Arts is located at 84 Lyme St. in Old Lyme, CT.  Free parking is available at both the north and south entrances. Follow signs to the lecture. Editor’s Note: The mission of the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts is to teach the foundational skills of drawing, painting, and s sculpture in the figurative tradition. By its commitment to training students in these skills and an engagement with contemporary discourse, the Academy will empower a new generation of artists. Through its programs and related ventures, including the opening of de Gerenday’s Fine Art Materials and Curiosities on its historic campus, the Academy is committed to enriching the cultural life of the community. Learn more about classes and programs offered at Lyme Academy of Fine Arts by visiting www.lymeacademy.edu.

On Friday, March 10, Lyme Academy of Fine Arts hosts a presentation from 5 to 6:30 p.m. by author and artist Patricia Watwood on the themes of her first book, The Path of Drawing, followed by a book signing with the author.