LINCOLN/SUDBURY: On Sunday, June 11 at 2:30pm, the Lincoln-Sudbury Civic Orchestra (LSCO) celebrates its 50th season with their spring concert, “50 Years of Music Making” at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. The concert will feature Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland, two world premier pieces by William Nicholson, Jr., and Dvorak’s Symphony #6 led by Pip Moss, Conductor Emeritus. The LSCO also welcomes back Emil Altschuler (pictured), acclaimed violin soloist with a selection of pieces with pianist Siu Yan Luk.

In his first year leading the orchestra, Alfonso Piacentini, a charismatic, young conductor and percussionist who also serves under Benjamin Zander as an Assistant Conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and its youth orchestra, shares his excitement as the group prepares for this ambitious program, “I'm overjoyed to be working with this group on some challenging, iconic pieces as well as premiering two works by our own managing director and in-house composer, Nick [William Nicholson, Jr.]. Embracing the new can challenge all of us in good ways and it’s been incredibly fun and rewarding to see it happen! We would love nothing more than to share our Simple Gifts with you.”

The LSCO was founded in 1972 as a way for Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School students to experience the rigors and joys of performing great orchestral music alongside seasoned adult musicians. Now 50 years later, LSCO draws adult and student members from all over MetroWest. Former Lincoln music educator Pip Moss led the LSCO for 26 years prior to his retirement in 2013. Many of the musicians in today’s orchestra were members of the group under Pip, some when they were high school students. Reflecting on the opportunity to return to conduct at this milestone concert Pip shared, “I wouldn’t have missed it! Coming back and seeing so many familiar faces has been wonderful and I’m looking forward to the concert. I always enjoyed working with this group, people coming together with different backgrounds, from multiple towns and levels of experience to make music together. It’s heartwarming to see the group continue to thrive.”

Violinist Emil Altschuler, also back for this milestone concert, first appeared with LSCO in January 2019, along with his collaborator, Boston’s well know harpist Charles Overton. Altschuler is known internationally as a soloist, chamber music collaborator, and music educator, and directs the Altschuler Summer Music Institute in Rimini, Italy.

“As Managing Director of LSCO for the past 11 years, I’m excited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this unique, talented group,” said William Nicholson. “This concert celebrates the orchestra, its members and leaders past and present, and soloists over the years. The music is varied, capturing a sampling of the works this group has played over the years. I hope many will join us to celebrate on June 11.”

The full program planned for the June 11 concert includes A Mighty Fortress – Brass Octet, by William Nicholson, Jr., Academic Festival Overture, by Brahms, Appalachian Spring, by Copland, Variations on Row-Row-Row Your Boat, by Nicholson, Adoration, by Price, Symphony #6, by Dvorak, and Violin and Piano Selections featuring Emil Altschuler with piano accompaniment by Siu Yan Luk.

Admission to the June 11 concert at 2:30pm is a suggested donation of $20 per adult. Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School is located at 390 Lincoln Rd in Sudbury. The concert will also be livestreamed on SudburyTV. Go to sudburytv.org, Scroll down on the Main page to the Live Stream section and click on Watch Now for the Educational Channel.

SUDBURY: Celebrate spring with songs of “Love and Nature,” being performed in an Opera Scenes Showcase concert as part of First Parish of Sudbury's Meetinghouse Concert Series on May 21 at 3:30pm. Don’t miss this chance to experience a delightful concert of arias and opera scenes that will feature Boston area opera singers Laura McHugh, soprano; Roselin Osser, mezzo-soprano; Giovanni Formisano, tenor; and Carlo Bunyi, baritone. Noriko Yasuda, principal coach at Longy Opera Production and Opera North (NH), will accompany the ensemble.

This concert will feature songs on love and nature by beloved composers Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, Floyd, and Puccini. The singers will draw you in with engaging scene-setting narratives to enhance your enjoyment! Come and enjoy these beautiful and rich voices accompanied by our newly restored 1922 Model B Steinway in the wonderful Sudbury Meetinghouse venue! Tickets are $25 and may be purchased in advance or at the door. CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS.

Free parking is available at First Parish (327 Concord Road) and behind Sudbury Town Hall (322 Concord Road).
Please contact (978) 443-2043 or  office@fpsudbury.org for further information or CLICK HERE.

HUDSON: The Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson (UCMH) will hold its annual Blessing of the Animals IN PERSON in the beautiful, historic sanctuary at 80 Main Street in Downtown Hudson. This multi-generational worship service will be led by Rev. Alice Anacheka-Nasemann on May 21 at 10:30am.

“Our animal companions are often cherished members of our families, bringing us deep love and connection as well as laughter and joy,” said Rev. Alice. “This service will feature a blessing of the animals as we honor their importance in our lives.”

Well behaved animals of all varieties are welcome to join on leashes or in appropriate enclosures. There will be a slide show presentation of pets who prefer to be left at home, so they can be included in a distance blessing. Please contact the church office via email at administrator@ucmh.org for information on how to send your picture for inclusion. Additionally, all are invited to bring pictures or other mementos to honor pets on the Altar of Memory.

Everyone is welcome to participate regardless of faith, religion, or spiritual affiliation, including atheists. Additional information, including links to services, is available at www.ucmh.org.             

NORTHBOROUGH: Delight your senses in this special Northborough Garden Club presentation of Chocolate and Vanilla featuring medical aromatherapist Nancy Engel.  Engel will share photos of an organic farm in Costa Rica which grows vanilla beans, cinnamon, peppercorns, cacao for chocolate and more. Learn about the growing and drying process, and enjoy tastings of different types of high- quality chocolate.

WESTBOROUGH: Turn off the devices and turn on the wonder! Join the Westborough Community Land Trust on a family-friendly afternoon in nature on April 30, 1:30-3:30pm. Spend some family time looking for and learning about the plants, trees, insects, birds, and animals right in our own back yard. The event will take place on the Gilmore Pond All-Persons Trail, so strollers and individuals of all ages and abilities are welcome! Presented as part of Westborough Unplugs week. 
Free, no reservation needed. Short, level crushed stone trail with integrated boardwalks.  Meet at the Gilmore Pond Trail Entrance, GPS address approximately 19 Quick Farm Road. Park along one side of Quick Farm Road. WCLT is a non-profit, all-volunteer land protection organization, and is not affiliated with the government of the Town of Westborough. For questions, contact events@westboroughlandtrust.org.

Map:  https://westboroughcharm.org/guide/maps/upperjackstraw_trail_map.pdf

SUDBURY: Join Ed Kreutz and the Sudbury Historical Society April 27 for an entertaining evening learning about Revolutionary War firearms. Ed is a gunsmith and builder of reproduction 18th-century flintlock weapons. He is also a historical researcher and re-enactor specializing in the Revolutionary War for over 45 years. During his talk he will show examples of the weapons and accoutrements used by the combative nations as well as civilian firearms of the time.  Please note that the articles being presented are replicas and do not contain live ammunition. Free for SHS Members, $5 for non-members. Tickets available at Eventbrite.

SUDBURY: Join First Parish of Sudbury in dancing around the Maypole, on May 7 at 11:30am on the Sudbury Town Common, across from First Parish, 327 Concord Road. All are invited to join Brad Saylor in learning Maypole dances and Tom Kruskal and the Hopbrook Morris dancers! There is no fee to attend this program. Free parking is available behind Sudbury Town Hall, 322 Concord Road. 

First Parish of Sudbury has been dancing around the Maypole for over 30 years—and we'd like to invite the community to join us in this joyful tradition— the coming of summer! Maypole dancing is a centuries-old tradition celebrated on May Day. It is believed to have started in Roman Britain around 2,000 years ago, when soldiers celebrated the arrival of spring by dancing around decorated trees, thanking their goddess Flora. These days, dancers weave ribbons around a pole rather than a tree, celebrating the arrival of spring. For more information, call (978) 443-2043, email office@fpsudbury.org, or visit https://fpsudbury.org/mayday23.

MARLBOROUGH: Members of St. Stephen Lutheran Church, Marlboro, packaged 22 kitchen-themed welcome bags for clients of Fresh Start Furniture Bank, filled with cutting boards, measuring cups, strainers, mixing bowls, cooking utensils and more, and delivered them this week, along with specialty items, ranging from baking pans and cookie sheets to toaster ovens and wire whisks. Extra and additional items filled another half-dozen bags, and boxes with small appliances topped off a rolling cart as volunteers transferred them from the church to a vehicle for delivery to the Hudson-based Fresh Start.

The project was made possible by donations from those who attended the recent jazz concert presented by The Rebecca Pagano Quartet as part of St. Stephen Presents, a quarterly musical program. Music lovers were asked to bring kitchen gadgets or small appliances as their admission fee to the well-attended event. Many also made cash contributions. More than $500 was donated. Another $500 from Thrivent Financial was used to purchase additional items people who are setting up new households might need. (Thrivent is a Fortune 500 financial services company that sponsors generosity programs; Thrivent members from St. Stephen applied for the funding for the Fresh Start kitchen kits.)

“We were delighted to partner with an organization as exciting as Fresh Start Furniture Bank,” said Martha Domke, who along with Melanie Whapham spearheaded the project through the church’s Social Ministry team. “Fresh Start has been very supportive of our efforts and we feel confident that the kits will go to deserving individuals and families. We look forward to working with them again in the future. All of the volunteers at FSFB are happy, encouraging folks,” Melanie added. “It is hard not to catch their enthusiasm.”

St. Stephen Lutheran Church has supported Fresh Start in a variety of projects over the years, she noted. A collection of small furniture pieces is a potential future endeavor. For more information about the church, visit www.saintstephenlutheran.com or the church’s Facebook page.

MARLBOROUGH: Assabet Valley Mastersingers will present A Latin American Celebration on May 13 at the Whitcomb School, 25 Union Street at 7:30pm. Dr. Robert P. Eaton, Artistic Director and Founder will conduct the chorus, guest Latin musicians will perform with cultural instruments, and groups will combine to perform the "Misa Criolla."

This choral tribute to the music of Latin American neighbors will feature Colombian tenor David Rivera Bozon, Andean woodwind specialist and flutist Gonzalo Cortes, and Alturo Duro, who are specialists in South American music, performing guitar, charango and percussion. They will join the Assabet Valley Mastersingers in performing the popular "Misa Criolla" by Argentinian composer Ariel Ramirez. The program will also include shorter choral arrangements of folk music from Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela. Composers Carlos Guastavino and Hietor Villa-Lobos will be represented as well as folk songs such as “Alma Llanera” and “Moreno Faceira”.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.AVMsingers.org or at the venue the
afternoon of the concert. The price is $25; $20 for seniors and students. Proof of vaccination is not required and wearing of masks is strongly encouraged but not required. There will be a reserved mask only section for those who prefer that environment.  For further information, reference www.AVMsingers.org.

AVM programs are supported in part by grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Cultural Councils of Ashland, Boylston, Grafton, Marlborough, Northborough, Shrewsbury, Southborough, West Boylston, and Westborough. AVM is also supported in part by grants from the Avidia Charitable Foundation and from Southborough Community Fund, a fund of the Foundation for MetroWest.

NORTHBOROUGH: Algonquin comes alive with style when the Inclusive DECA Program presents a fashion show on March 30 at 6pm at Algonquin High School, 79 Bartlett Street. Experience a runway show of eclectic outfits individually chosen by Inclusive DECA students to showcase their personal style with support from club advisor Zbysia Giegucz, their peers, and members of the Algonquin Fashion Club. There will also be a concession table with light refreshments. Admission is $8 at the door. Proceeds support the continuation of Inclusive DECA, a self-funded program. Attendees are also encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to support community food banks.

"Every year we set up a different type of business for the kids to be involved in from start to finish," said Ms. Giegucz. "In past years we have created a business model to make and sell items, but this year I wanted to do something different with them. A fashion show event lets them showcase what they have been learning about, such as appropriate dress for job interviews and other events. Over the years, it has been exciting to see how working on these business projects and events brings out the potential in each student and helps them figure out what skills they are good at. And most of all, they have fun!" 

Inclusive DECA is a business club for students with and without intellectual disabilities. Students learn the basics of business processes such as interview skills, marketing, inventory control, working in groups, money management, and so much more with hands-on activities to create products and plan events. The ultimate goal is for students to learn lifelong business skills that they will carry over to future jobs after they leave Algonquin.

SUDBURY: Chris Brainard takes on the role of Concertmaster of the Lincoln Sudbury Civic Orchestra, a community orchestra resident at the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School now celebrating its 50th year.

Brainard, a resident of Maynard, has extensive performance experience, performing in symphony orchestras, musical theater/pit orchestras, and chamber groups across New England. When she is not performing, Brainard teaches elementary and middle school strings in the Lexington Public Schools, where she's been inspiring young musicians since 2010. At eight years old, Brainard began studying the violin with Laurie Kennedy, principal violist of the Portland Symphony, in a public school music program in central Maine. After six months in the program, she came home and announced that she wanted to be a violinist when she grew up. She worked towards that goal throughout her formative years in Maine and then earned a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Boston University, where she studied violin with Yuri Mazurkevich, and received a Master of Music in Music Education from the University of Connecticut. She began her tenure with the Lincoln Sudbury Civic Orchestra as a substitute player in the viola section in 2017 and was excited about moving into this role. “Being given a leadership opportunity was appealing,” said Chris Brainard. “I do a lot of section playing yet only a small number of people can sit in the front row. So this is a different experience and, as a music educator, it’s important to sit on the other side of the baton. I’m enjoying applying my leadership skills to this position.”

Managing Director William Nicholson is excited to have Brainard in this role. “I recognized the strong values and skills Chris has in her string playing along with her leadership skills and confidence. I am happy to have her valuable voice and expertise as Concertmaster and part of the orchestra’s leadership team.”

When she is not teaching or performing, Brainard is an avid hiker and backpacker, having completed the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails, and is making plans to finish the Continental Divide Trail in 2023.

The LSCO will celebrate its 50th anniversary in a gala concert on June 11 at 3pm at the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, 390 Lincoln Road. Music Director Alfonso Piacentini will lead the orchestra, and guest conductors Pip Moss and Luca Antonucci, both former conductors of the orchestra will also be featured. Admission is a suggested donation of $20.

Founded in 1973 as a community orchestra for high school musicians to work with adult musicians of Lincoln and Sudbury, LSCO begins its 50th year in operation. The group is always looking for new players. Interested amateur musicians are welcome and encouraged to contact the orchestra leadership by email at lscivicorchestra@gmail.com. Visit LSCO  at https://lscivicorchestra.org.

AMHERST, NH: Plans are coming together for another fabulous fundraiser for Kitty Angels, Inc., so mark your calendars! This year’s event will take place on May 6 & 7, from 9am-5pm at Treasures Antiques and Collectables, 106 Ponemah Road (Route 122). Yes, pets are always welcome! The kitties and vendors have taken the necessary precautions and are excited to have you get out of the house and come visit with them for some fabulous finds, great “free” entertainment and most important of all, to help Kitty Angels!

Look for all your favorite vendors, including artist Eric Nickola, dba WolfpacStudios, Artist Lori-Ellen Budenas of Respect the Wood, Monica Gesualdo of Trading Faces, Food Vendor B’s Grumman Grub, Heart’s Design Jewelry. Forever Clean Soaps, Gabe’s Creations, LAB House, Shire Enduring Creations, Dubz Dyes, Morel Woodworking, Baby Snuggz, SoGo Metal Art, Happy Cat Creations, Vinyl Revival, Dusty Finds, Blueberry Cove Creations, Damsel In Defense, Willey’s Whirleys, Baboosic Lake Gourds, Anthony Acres, Color Street, Paws & Spas, Lynda’s Felted Critters, Custom Care Designs, Fiber Art by Eve Huston, Cam’s Shop, Amherst Animal Hospital and so many more. The bands and soloists for the event, consist of keyboardist/band member Joey Peavey, Side Effects, Jensing, North Sound Duo, Jeff Damon, Sunset Rhythm and Wildwood.

Featured throughout the fundraising weekend and into the month of June, is an electrifying raffle of numerous and diverse prizes, all generously donated by local and national businesses, professional sports teams, private individuals and some of the awesome on-site vendors.

Kitty Angels, Inc. is the sole beneficiary of this event. They are a no-kill cat shelter and are made up of all unpaid volunteers, dedicated to rescuing stray and abandoned cats and kittens, furnishing them with treatment for injuries or other health issues and then placing them into new forever homes with compatible owners. They are a non-profit, 501(C)3 charitable corporation where all donations are fully tax-deductible and every penny of every donation is used in the caring of cats. Consider adopting a new life-long forever-friend!

Interested in becoming a vendor at the event? Contact Sherry or Rick Tobin, at (603) 672-2535.