Culture

Culture story sections

BCTV Video Calendar: 10/31/13 – Brattleboro Film Festival, Hospice Auction, Windham Orchestra

by BrattleboroTV | Media

BCTV’s November edition of the video calendar includes plenty from the Brattleboro Film Festival as they prepare to launch two straight weeks of screenings, events, and more, Brattleboro Area Hospice and their Cherished Goods Auction, and Windham Orchestra Maestro Hugh Keelan talking about his collaboration with students from Kurn Hattin Homes for Children entitled Resounding Hills: A Transformative Musical Collaboration.

David Macaulay: Life in the Studio

by Brooks Memorial Library | Books

Save the date! David Macaulay, award-winning author and illustrator of Castle, Cathedral, and The Way We Work, will discuss current projects in a talk, “Life in the Studio,” at the Library on Wednesday, November 6, at 7 PM, in the Main Room. The talk is part of the Vermont Humanities Council First Wednesday Lecture series

Macaulay is an award-winning author and illustrator whose books have sold millions of copies in the United States alone, and his work has been translated into a dozen languages. Macaulay has garnered numerous awards including the Caldecott Medal and Honor Awards, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, the Christopher Award, an American Institute of Architects Medal, and the Washington Post–Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award.

Town School Board Budget Meetings

by Lise | Education

The Brattleboro Town School Board has three budget meetings scheduled for Wednesday, October 30, 2013.

First meeting 10/30/13 – 8:30 a.m.

Wednesday, October 30th: 8:30 a.m. The Brattleboro Town School Board’s Energy Committee will meet at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 30 in the WSESU Central Office Conference Room, 53 Green Street. 

Intro to Music Theory For All Instrumentalists & Vocalists – Starting Soon!

by Pam Lierle | Music

Theory & Musicianship I, an introduction to music theory for all instrumentalists & vocalists, will provide the fundamental skills related to music theory, analysis, and general musicianship. Designed for instrumental and vocal students, members of this course will use their primary instrument to help review basics of key, interval, and diatonic chord motions. Basic actions of harmony and voice leading will be discussed, providing students with insight into how a melodic line implies or demands certain chord movement. Discussion of melodic content, phrase, and motive will lead to an introduction of basic analytical techniques.

BCTV Channel 8 & 10 Schedules for the Week of 10/28/13

by BCTVProg | Media

BCTV Ch.8 Schedule for the week of 10-28-13

                   Monday October 28                  

12:00 am      Lost, Found and Remixed – A Filmaker Panel Discussion

1:30 am       Organic Politics: Restore Our Communities

2:00 am       FSTV Overnight

4:00 am       Archival Filmmaking in the Age of Mass Production

5:00 am       Targeting Obesity in Vermont

5:35 am       Red Grooms & Stephen Hannock- 9/28/13 at BMAC

Brooks Memorial Library Looking for Trustees For Upcoming Vacancies in 2014

by Brooks Memorial Library | Books

The Board of Library Trustees of Brooks Memorial Library seeks enthusiastic and dedicated library lovers to fill three upcoming vacancies on the Board. One candidate will be elected at the March 2014 representative town meeting to complete one year of an unexpired term. Two others will be elected at town meeting to fill three-year terms.

New Books at Brooks Library

by Brooks Memorial Library | Books

Be the first to know what new titles are coming into the Brooks Library collection.

Click on this link to see the current online edition of Brooks Memorial Library New Book Alerts. 

Sign up for   

150 Years Ago (1863 10/28)

by BusyMom | History

Brattleboro, Oct. 28th, 1863

Mr. Cole, Sir:

My opportunity for writing is not very good, but I will take my pencil and make the best of it. With regard to that house I wish you and my wife to do what you think is best. I do not know how cold it is up there and I do not know the cost of moving the house and should think that it was too late to undertake moving and digging a new cellar. We shall probably be mustered for pay next Saturday and shall be paid next week or week after.

Vermont Jazz Center Presents Kavita Shah Quintet, Emerging Artist Series on Sat, Nov 2nd at 8pm

by jfindlay22 | Music

Vocalist and Composer, Kavita Shah to appear in VJC’s Emerging Artist Series, November 2nd, 2013 at 8:00 PM

The Vermont Jazz Center launches its new Emerging Artist season with a choice that perfectly fits their concept.  The goal of the series is to present young musicians who deserve to be heard, individuals who are on the cutting edge, performing original, fresh, high quality music; artists with unfamiliar names whose personal statements are moving the music forward.  Kavita Shah is all of the above and more.  A talented singer, she is a tireless organizer with a vision and a body of work that challenges the definition of jazz while at the same time paying deep respect to its lineage. 

SPARKS: A Nov. 2 Publication Party & Musical Premiere

by fomag | Arts

Guilford, Vt. — The life and works of Jean Stewart McLean will be celebrated on Saturday, November 2, at Guilford Community Church. The date marks the publication of the author’s collected writing in book form, edited by her son, Don McLean, of Guilford. The 7:30 pm program combines a publication party with performances of her work, presented by Friends of Music at Guilford.

“Sparks” is the title of the new book, the evening’s program, and a musical setting of eleven of the author’s poems, set to music by Don McLean, to be premiered by mezzo-soprano Evelyn McLean.

Weekend Concert: REM, 1985.

by paulgardner | Music

Here’s a band that seems largely forgotten now.

Back in ’85 when this concert was recorded, REM was becoming one of the biggest bands in America – even if nobody could understand Michael Stipe’s mumbled lyrics.

From Germany, REM, in 1985.

Spoken Word and Theater Workshops Lead By Visiting Artist Lenelle Moïse

by SandglassTheater | Culture

Powerhouse poet, theatre artist and dynamic speaker Lenelle Moise will be in residence in Putney the week of Oct 27- Nov 3.   Lenelle is nationally renowned and celebrated for her writings, performances, and workshops on  race, class, feminism, LGBTQ identities, new theater aesthetics, immigration and Haitian-American culture.  She has taught and performed at colleges, theaters and conferences across the United States.

As part of her time here in Putney, Lenelle Moïse will conduct two workshops open to the community, at Next Stage Arts Project, 15 Kimball Hill in Putney.

Windham Orchestra and Kurn Hattin Homes for Children Present Collaborative Works

by Not Signed In | Music

As part of the opening of the Windham Orchestra’s 44th season, Maestro Hugh Keelan and the Windham Orchestra, along with musicians and singers present Resounding Hills: A Transformative Musical Collaboration. This concert takes place at 7:30 PM November 1 at Kurn Hattin Homes’ Higbie auditorium and is open to the public. Admission is by donation at the door.

150 Years Ago (1863 10/24)

by BusyMom | History

Brattleboro, Oct. 24th, 1863

Dear wife –

I received your most welcome letter last night, and night before last I received Mr. Martin’s letter. It is strange that letters are so much delayed on the way. I have not much time tonight, but I will improve the time I have in writing to you. I do not mean to let you get the start of me. I am on guard tomorrow. I shall come off Sunday morning at nine o’clock and shall then try and get a pass to go over and see Susan and Mary Ann. I had a letter from Mary Ann tonight. Susan’s youngest child is very sick with the dysentery. I will enclose Mary Ann’s letter and let her tell her own story. I guess that she is homesick, she felt very well when I was over there.

Weekend Spanish Immersion Course in Brattleboro November 9th-10th

by Not Signed In | Education

Escuelita Spanish School is offering a weekend Spanish Immersion Course November 9th-10th at Hilltop Montessori School in Brattleboro. These courses make learning Spanish feel effortless, fun, and truly effective. Many of us have had frustrating experiences learning a second language. The way we were taught in school might have taught us the rules of the language but, in most cases, we did not learn how to speak the language.

Escuelita’s approach is based on brain and language acquisition research and it gets students understanding and speaking the language quickly and with a lot of laughter and fun along the way. After our weekend immersion course last June, one of our students wrote:

Free Brattleboro Film Festival Daytime Screenings and Discussion at Brooks Memorial Library

by Brooks Memorial Library | Arts

This year, the Brattleboro Film Festival has chosen two examples of film-noir that explore greed and the psychology of dependency in abusive relationships for free daytime screenings and discussions presented in collaboration with and at Brooks Memorial Library: 
On Monday, November 4, beginning at 3 PM, “The Strange Love of Martha Ivers” (US, 1946, 116 minutes) directed by Lewis Milestone will be screened.

Green Mountain Mummers Perform In Their 39th Year

by noe-hays | Entertainment

The Green Mountain Mummers, Windham County’s men’s sword dance troupe, will be performing on Halloween weekend for the 39th consecutive year! On Saturday, October 26 and Sunday, October 27, the group will present its symbolic death-and-resurrection “street theater” rain or shine in seven locations in Windham County, Vermont (see full schedule below).

The group of 12 men (mostly Windham County residents) is the oldest continuing sword dance and mumming troupe in the United States. Founded in 1975 and with only one of the original members still performing, the group has added many younger members over the last several years. However, it still operates in the manner of the traditional English morris and sword dancers from which the dances were originally collected: they meet to practice and perform only once a year. A favorite every year at election season is the group’s mummers play which has been characterized as a “live political cartoon,” drawing on current events and providing social commentary through humor.

Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem at Next Stage on Saturday, October 26

by Not Signed In | Music

Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present roots music quartet Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem at Next Stage on Saturday, October 26 at 7:30 pm.

One of “America’s most inventive string bands” (The Boston Herald), Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem mix traditional, original and contemporary sounds on fiddle, guitar, bass and recycled percussion, and top that with joyous harmonies from four skilled lead singers. Hailed as “one of the most song- and arrangement-oriented bands in a field overgrown with pyrotechnic, jam- and solo-conscious virtuosos” (San Francisco Guardian), the band tackles the human condition with playfulness, courage and heart.

School Board Gets An Earful From Teachers, Parents

by Lise | Education

Over 30 people crammed into a tiny conference room at the Brattleboro Food Co-op Tuesday night with another 25 or so out in the hall outside to participate in a School Board planning session for future “public outreach” meetings that the board plans to hold. The meeting began with an hour long open session during which people were allowed to speak for two minutes each.

A number of parents and teachers spoke with criticism of the schools including over-reliance on data and standardized tests, changes in teaching methods and management style, treatment of experienced teachers, and other issues.

Sandglass Theater’s Voices of Community Presents Lenelle Moïse, Nov 2-3

by SandglassTheater | Entertainment

Lenelle Moïse in Womb-Words, Thirsting

November 2-3, 7:30pm

$16 General, $13 students and seniors

For reservations email info@sandglasstheater.org or call (802)387-4051

Sandglass Theater’s Voices of Community Series kicks off on Saturday, November 2nd and Sunday, November 3rd, with poet/theater artist Lenelle Moïse and her one-woman show Womb-Words, Thirsting at Sandglass Theater in Putney, VT.