Calendar of Events

Alcott Toastmasters Invitation for Public Speaking – 7:00-8:45pm – Concord Free Public Library – Get help and feedback about making public speeches – progress at your own pace.  Give it a try!

OPEN KNITTING GROUP– 37 Main Street, downstairs – 6:00pm – 9:00pm. Drop by for an informal and fun knitting experience! Open to anyone who loves to knit, every level is welcome. Come by with your latest projects to work.  Free.

Members Juried I: Painting and Sculpture – 37 Lexington Road – Juror: Nina Neilsen, Owner, Neilsen Gallery, Boston – Opening Reception: Thursday, January 14, 6:-00-8:00pm.

Gene Albright: Refined Rustics - 32 Main Street, downstairs – Gene Albright is an award-winning rustic furniture maker from the Adirondacks.  Meet him at the Artist Reception on Thursday, January 7, from 6:00 – 8:00pm with wine and snacks.  Works by Jack DeMuth and Angelo Urso will also be on display.

A "Behind-the-Scenes" Exhibit:  The Making of “Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women” -399 Lexington Road - Showcasing insightful photographs by acclaimed photographer/filmmaker Liane Brandon.

Town Caucus – 7:30 pm – Alcott School

Food Scientist Visit to Verrill Farm - 11 Wheeler Road – 7:00pm – 9:00pm – Join the Culinary Guild of New England for an evening with food scientist Dr. Guy Crosby, science editor for Cook’s Illustrated magazine and science expert for America’s Test Kitchen, broadcast nationwide on PBS.

2010 Winter Lecture Series: Richard Primack – Trinity Episcopal Church, 81 Elm Street – 8:00pm – Climate Change Comes to Thoreau’s World. Free.

Cookbook Signing Party and Potluck- 98 Commonwealth Avenue, West Concord – 6:00 - 8:00 pm   We'll make the entrees (vegetarian, vegan and carnivore's delights; dairy-free and cheesy, gluten-free and not).  You'll be happy as a clam.  The potluck part?  You bring an appetizer, salad or dessert.  We'll have signup sheets on the bulletin board, but if you forget to sign up and we have 99 salads and 599 desserts, well, we'll all still have a rip-roaring good time.  Come for community, conversation and great food.  And, yes, Debra will be happy to sign a copy of our 3rd cookbook, the Blue Ribbon Edition.

Adult Cooking Class:  Seven Fish from Seven Regions - 11 Wheeler Road – 6:30pm – 8:30pm – Verrill Farm chef Kevin Carey will prepare an all-American line-up of signature fish dishes from across the country, using lobsters from Maine, catfish from Louisiana and five other fish from regions beyond.  $30 per person.  Pre-registration and pre-payment required.

Film:  The Red Violin (Canada-Italy) 1998- Fowler Branch Library, 1322 Main Street, West Concord - Girardi’s epic tale follows the path of an exquisite instrument through three centuries of richly-detailed history. Variously owned by royalty and paupers, the fabled violin has now reached the auction block, where the threads of its past come together. Music, mystery, passion, plot twists—a tour de force! 

Winter Concert: Nature’s Enigma – 51 Walden Street - 8:00pm – Mezzo-soprano Pamela Dellal will perform with the orchestra in Les Nuits d Ete by Hector Berlioz.  Also on the program is Forest Murmurs from Richard Wagner’s opera Siegfried, and the Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar.  Adults: $20; Students, $10.

Weekend Poetry:  Two New England Poets - 129 Main Street – Helena Minton and Kathleen Aguero.  Free.

2010 Winter Lecture Series: William Fowler – Trinity Episcopal Church, 81 Elm Street – 8:00pm – An American Crisis: The Newburgh Address. Free.

Tea and Sweets – Cambridge Turnpike and Lexington Road – 2:00pm - 4:00pm - Tis winter, invite a friend, neighbor or family member to elegant Brooke Hall for a relaxing afternoon of tea and sweets and a visit to the special exhibition, A Dedication to Craft.  Reservations required.  $20 per person; $15 Museum members.

Life in the Balance: Powering the Future, Part 2 – Harvey Wheeler Community Center, 1276 Main Street – 7:00pm – 9:00pm – “Our Community and Tomorrow’s Energy”, a forum and group sessions on community-level solutions to energy challenges.  Confirmed speakers include State Rep. Will Brownsberger, Dr. Warren Leon and Gretchen Brewer. Free.

Preserving History and Community: Wine and Food Tasting - 74 Walden Street – 6:30pm – 9:00pm – sponsored by West Concord Liquors - Main Event: light refreshments, music - $35 tickets.  Special Seminars – 6:45pm – 7:30pm – The Wines of Spain $15; 7:45pm – 8:30pm – Single Malt Scotch $15.

2010 Winter Lecture Series: Brian Donahue – Trinity Episcopal Church, 81 Elm Street – 8:00pm – Battle Road Farms: Connecting History and Sustainable Farming in Minute Man Park.  Free.

Thursday Author Series: Michael Carpenter, The RiskWIse Investor:  How to Better Understand and Manage Risk - 129 Main Street – 7:30pm –Free.

The Man Who Came to Dinner – 51 Walden Street – 8:00pm - An unsuspecting, socially upward Ohio family is comically terrorized by a famous New York radio personality, who is fool enough to slip on a patch of ice in their front yard. He commandeers their home, their telephone, their staff, their liquor, their food and their friends during a protracted and outrageous convalescence. The 1930s comic gem was written by George Kaufman and Moss. Tickets $18.

Philip Hamilton's VOICES – 40 Stow Street – Saturday at 8:00pm; Sunday at 3:00pm -This original a cappella performance piece showcases the voice as a versatile and expressive instrument throughout time and cultures. Inspired by the power of the voice and vocal music's ability to communicate through song and sounds, director Philip Hamilton creates a multi-cultural performance event that fuses global rhythms and influences. Funded in part by the Expeditions program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional support from the six New England state arts agencies and the Argosy Foundation Contemporary Music Fund. Adults $20; Seniors/Students $15. Master Vocal Class, Saturday, Feb 13 from 1-2:30 pm Please call to register for Vocal Class.

Weekend Poetry:  John Hogden - 129 Main Street – Winner of the 2005 Donald Hall Prize in Poetry for the collection, Grace.  Free.

Fireside Stories – Cambridge Turnpike and Lexington Road – 1:00pm and 3:00pm - Round up your favorite child, come in from the cold and nestle around our blazing fireplace for a delightful winter storyhour.  Then together you’ll make a warming cup of cider, fragrant with spices.  Ages 5 and up.  Reservations required.  $5 child, accompanying adult free.

A Visit with Abraham Lincoln – Cambridge Turnpike and Lexington Road – 1:00pm - 2:00pm -  See Steve Wood and his amazing performance as Abraham Lincoln and his first-person interpretation.  Recommended for all ages.  Reservations required.  $10 adult; $5 child; Museum Member adult $7, child $3.

School Vacation

Kids’ School Vacation Cooking Class:  Grades 1 -3 – 11 Wheeler Road – 3:00pm – 4:30pm – Sign up for this popular cooking class for children.  The menu features vegetarian, turkey and beef burger sliders, oven-baked sweet potatoes, steak fries and blue potato chips. $25 per child.  Pre-registration and pre-payment required.

February Family Fun Week: “Welcome to Our Home” Tours -399 Lexington Road – 1:00 – 2:00pm daily -Suitable for all ages!  Ideal for families! - Your visit to Orchard House becomes a trip to the past as you have an interactive tour with an expert, authentically costumed guide portraying an Alcott family member or one of their famous friends.  Hear fascinating anecdotes and learn first-hand about their lives and times; play a 19th-century game and sing period songs in the Parlor; participate in a treasure hunt -- all while learning about this extraordinary New England family! Adults - $12.00; Seniors/ Students - $10.00;  Youths - $8.00; Children) - $4.00 ;   Family Rate  $30.00. (Orchard House Members - Half-price on individual tickets only). Space is limited to 15 participants; reservations & pre-payment strongly suggested.

Kids’ School Vacation Cooking Class:  Grades 4 -6 – 11 Wheeler Road – 3:00pm – 4:30pm – Sign up for this popular cooking class for children.  The menu features vegetarian, turkey and beef burger sliders, oven-baked sweet potatoes, steak fries and blue potato chips. $25 per child.  Pre-registration and pre-payment required.

Film:  Les Comperes (France) 1984- Fowler Branch Library, 1322 Main Street, West Concord - Zany adventures result when two men set off on a wild chase through the French countryside after a runaway son each believes is his own. Nominated for Best Writing and Best Actor (Depardieu), this film is a light-hearted treat.  Rated PG.

Tea for Two: An Adult/Child Tea – Cambridge Turnpike and Lexington Road – 2:00pm – 4:00pm -  Delight your child or grandchild with an afternoon tea just for the two of you!  Sip cocoa and tea in elegant Brooke Hall while enjoying mini cupcakes.  A visit to the Museum’s galleries is included in this special afternoon.  Reservations required.  Space is limited.  $10 child, $15 accompanying adult.

The Man Who Came to Dinner – 51 Walden Street – Fri & Sat. 8:00pm; Sun. 2:00pm - An unsuspecting, socially upward Ohio family is comically terrorized by a famous New York radio personality, who is fool enough to slip on a patch of ice in their front yard. He commandeers their home, their telephone, their staff, their liquor, their food and their friends during a protracted and outrageous convalescence. The 1930s comic gem was written by George Kaufman and Moss. Tickets $18.

2010 Winter Lecture Series: Peter Alden – Trinity Episcopal Church, 81 Elm Street – 8:00pm – Changes in the Plant and Animal Life from the Revolution to Today.  Free.

Film:  Whisky (Uruguay) 2004- Fowler Branch Library, 1322 Main Street, West Concord - One of the few films to come out of Uruguay, this Cannes award-winner’s minimalist style highlights a story of transformation. A sock factory owner disrupts a dreary existence by asking an employee to pose as his wife, with unexpected results.       Not Rated.

The Man Who Came to Dinner – 51 Walden Street – 8:00pm - An unsuspecting, socially upward Ohio family is comically terrorized by a famous New York radio personality, who is fool enough to slip on a patch of ice in their front yard. He commandeers their home, their telephone, their staff, their liquor, their food and their friends during a protracted and outrageous convalescence. The 1930s comic gem was written by George Kaufman and Moss. Tickets $18.

2010 Winter Lecture Series: Matthew McKenzie – Trinity Episcopal Church, 81 Elm Street – 8:00pm – The Ecological Consequences of Revolution in Cape Cod’s Coastal Ecosystem, 1775 to 1818.  Free.

Concord Band Winter: The French Connection – 51 Walden Street – 8:00pm – Dennis Shafer will be featured as saxophone soloist, along with the Back Bay Saxophone Quartet in Bill Holcombe’s Stephen Foster Revisited.  Also included on the program will be Milhaud’s Suite Francaise, Berlioz’ march to the Scaffold, Dukas’ Fanfare La Peri, and  Ives’ Old Home Days.  Adults: $15; Seniors & Students, $5.

Music: Classical guitar virtuoso Eliot Fisk - 129 Main Street – 7:30pm -  Fisk is the last direct pupil of Andrés Segovia. Through his own transcriptions of many great works and through his collaboration with contemporary composers, Fisk has greatly expanded the repertoire for solo guitar. FREE reservations required.

Weekend Poetry:  June Beisch and Ellen Steinbaum  - 129 Main Street - Ellen Steinbaum, a poet and journalist writes a literary column for the Boston Globe and is the author of a one-person play. June Beisch is the winner of the 2004 Cape Cod Literary Press Poetry Prize for “Fatherless Woman.” She is a former journalist and interviewer for WGBH.  Free.

Winter 2010 Film Series: Double Feature – French Hall at the Concord Museum – 1:00pm – 5:00pm - The Inheritance, based on an early novel written by a very young Louisa May Alcott, who was only 17 when she penned this romantic thriller‐mystery. The story is the intriguing tale of a beautiful Italian orphan girl who gets caught up in a hopeless love triangle and struggles with her position in the high‐class society into which she is thrown. Twice Told Tales, horror stories are based on the writings of Nathaniel Hawthorne."Dr. Heidegger's Experiment,” "Rappaccini's Daughter,” and "The House of the Seven Gables ‘. Free.

Film:  Together (China – South Korea) 2002 -- Fowler Branch Library, 1322 Main Street, West Concord - A devoted father’s efforts to support his son’s musical talent uproot the pair from their small village and take them to Beijing, where surprising lessons await. Generosity and the power of relationship are the greatest of these. Outstanding musical score.    Rated PG.

Balkan Folk Music Night – 51 Walden Street – 7:30pm – Concert and dance party.

2010 Winter Lecture Series: Robert Gross – Trinity Episcopal Church, 81 Elm Street – 8:00pm – Concord Goes to War: How a Conservative Colonial Town Became the Starting Point of the Revolutionary War.  Free.

Thursday Author Series: Julie Zelermyer: New Classis American Houses - 129 Main Street – 7:30pm –Free.

Greatest Hits – 51 Walden Street – 8:00pm – Gandolfi’s Greatest Hits, Symphony No. 9 (Great C Major) by Schubert, and a concerto by the winner of the 2010 Young Artist Competition.  Tickets $25, $20 seniors, and $10 for students.

TOWN ELECTION

Film:  After Life (Japan) 1998 -- Fowler Branch Library, 1322 Main Street, West Concord - This compelling film is based on responses of 500 people, who described the most memorable moment of their lives. Fiction and footage from the interviews were blended to create this story of a way-station, where the newly deceased have three days to chose one memory to take with them into eternity. That memory is re-created for them on film. Beautifully done. Not Rated.

Die Fledermaus – 51 Walden Street – Fri. & Sat. 8:00pm; Sun. 2:00pm – A semi-stages production of the Strauss comic opera with the Concord Orchestra, Concord Band and the Concord Players directed by Sarah Telford and conducted by Alan Yost.  Tickets $25; $20 for students and seniors.

Winter 2010 Film Series: Transcendental Sunday -  French Hall at the Concord Museum – 1:00pm – 5:00pm - America’s Founding Thinker, Ralph Waldo Emerson, features interviews with well‐known Emerson scholars. You will never look at Emerson‐or yourself‐quite the same way again;  New England Transcendentalists includes expert interviews, dramatic recreations at Walden Pond, and readings from major works are used to explore the evolution of the American Transcendentalists Movement in the early 19th century;  Henry David Thoreau: Speaking for Nature, walking with Thoreau on an early Spring morning.  Refreshments donated by Dunkin Donuts of Concord. Free.

Singin' in the Rain – 40 Stow Street – 8:00pm - Adapted from one of the most-loved and celebrated film musicals of all time and featuring some of the best-known songs in theater, this joyous show is a charming, up-beat, graceful, and thoroughly enjoyable journey through the days in Hollywood when silent films transitioned to “talkies.” Directed and choreographed by Julia Fiske, the show will feature local amateur and professional talent.* Adults $20; Seniors/Students $15.

Singin' in the Rain – 40 Stow Street – 8:00pm - Adapted from one of the most-loved and celebrated film musicals of all time and featuring some of the best-known songs in theater, this joyous show is a charming, up-beat, graceful, and thoroughly enjoyable journey through the days in Hollywood when silent films transitioned to “talkies.” Directed and choreographed by Julia Fiske, the show will feature local amateur and professional talent.* Adults $20; Seniors/Students $15.

Concord Band Spring Pops – 51 Walden Street – 8:00pm – Featuring jazz vocalist Amanda Carr in works by McMannus, Anderson and Webber.  Friday performance sponsored by the Concord Rotary Club.  Call Joan Hale for tickets at 978-369-1500.  Saturday performance sponsored by the Emerson Hospital Auxiliary.  Call 508-341-8185 for tickets.

Music: Genzinger Quartet – 129 Main Street -  7:30pm – The Quartet will perform pieces by Haydn and Mozart on eighteenth-century period instruments with Evan Johnson and Peggy Spenser on violins; Mark Rike on viola; and Loretta O’Sullivan on cello. Free, reservations required.

Weekend Poetry:  Dan Chiasson - 129 Main Street - Winner of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Whiting Writers Award, and an Academy Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.  Free.

Singin' in the Rain – 40 Stow Street – 8:00pm - Adapted from one of the most-loved and celebrated film musicals of all time and featuring some of the best-known songs in theater, this joyous show is a charming, up-beat, graceful, and thoroughly enjoyable journey through the days in Hollywood when silent films transitioned to “talkies.” Directed and choreographed by Julia Fiske, the show will feature local amateur and professional talent.* Adults $20; Seniors/Students $15.

School Vacation

The Scarlet Pimpernel– 51 Walden Street – Fri. & Sat.8:00pm; Sun. 2:00pm - The setting of The Scarlet Pimpernel, The French Revolution, was a time of passion, as reflected in the show's music, some of the most moving and passionate in the modern Broadway repertoire. It was composed by Frank Wildhorn (Jeckyl & Hyde and Civil War). This, along with Baroness Orczy's captivating tale of a superhero, and Nan Knighton's extremely witty book and lyrics, combine for an evening of action and adventure that will delight you. Tickets $24.

TOWN MEETING – Concord-Carlisle High School – all sessions start at 7:30pm

The Scarlet Pimpernel– 51 Walden Street – Fri & Sat. 8:00pm; Sun. 2:00pm  - The setting of The Scarlet Pimpernel, The French Revolution, was a time of passion, as reflected in the show's music, some of the most moving and passionate in the modern Broadway repertoire. It was composed by Frank Wildhorn (Jeckyl & Hyde and Civil War). This, along with Baroness Orczy's captivating tale of a superhero, and Nan Knighton's extremely witty book and lyrics, combine for an evening of action and adventure that will delight you. Tickets $24.

Music: Geoffrey Burleson – 7:30pm - .Recital by internationally acclaimed pianist Geoffrey Burleson who last appeared at the Library with cellist Matt Haimovitz and now returns in a solo recital devoted to the music of Franz Liszt, who was considered by many to be the greatest piano virtuoso of the nineteenth century.  Free, reservations required.

TOWN MEETING – Concord-Carlisle High School – all sessions start at 7:30pm

The Scarlet Pimpernel– 51 Walden Street –8:00pm- The setting of The Scarlet Pimpernel, The French Revolution, was a time of passion, as reflected in the show's music, some of the most moving and passionate in the modern Broadway repertoire. It was composed by Frank Wildhorn (Jeckyl & Hyde and Civil War). This, along with Baroness Orczy's captivating tale of a superhero, and Nan Knighton's extremely witty book and lyrics, combine for an evening of action and adventure that will delight you. Tickets $24.

“American Women of Note: Gala 50th Anniversary Concert – First Parish in Concord, 20 Lexington Road – 8:00pm – Featuring the world premier of a new work, commissioned to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Concord Women's Chorus, by eminent composer Libby Larsen.  Tickets:  $25 Adults; $20 Students and Seniors; $10 Children 12 and under.

400th Birthday Party and Annual Meeting – Everyone welcome!

The Concord Orchestra POPS – 51 Walden Street – Fri & Sat. 8:00pm; Sun. 2:00pm – Summertime with music by Glinka, Mendelssohn and Mozart.  Sing-along with Karyl Ryczek, door prizes, tables for any number.  Tickets $25/$20/$10.

Art Walk – 10:00am – 5:00pm – various locations

Weekend Poetry:  Wild Apples - 129 Main Street - Poets from the new journal, Wild Apples: A Journal of Nature, Art, and Inquiry. Readings, musical interludes, and conversations with the poets.   Free.

The School of Ballet Arts Spring Showcase -  51 Walden Street – 6:00pm – Demonstration of ballet and modern class skills and select student choreography.  Tickets $15.

Book Sale – on the lawn at 129 Main Street – Rain date: June 12.

Performers Showcase - 40 Stow Street – 8:00pm – An eclectic evening of outrageous talent, with performances from many of Concord’s hidden and not-so-hidden gems.

Book Sale – 129 Main Street – Rain Date is June 12

MA Auto Rally – Concord-Carlisle High School – 9:00am – 2:00pm– The MS Auto Rally is a team fundraising scavenger hunt event in cars that involve strategy and a lot of fun. Participants form teams and have a fundraising minimum of $500 per team. A BBQ lunch awaits all participants after they have completed the auto rally.

May be observed on Monday, July 5