On Sat. Nov. 7 at 7pm St. Mary’s Church, Lakeville CT, will present a screening of De Mille’s 1927 silent film, The King of Kings (155 minutes), as part of the church’s 140th anniversary celebration. All are invited, and admission is free.This is a truly extraordinary film. Great pains were taken to ensure that it met with the approval of many of the intertitles are quotes from Scripture, with chapter and verse. De Mille gave his share of earnings to charity It was shown somewhere in the world each day for decades after its release.The movie broke records for audience attendance, and free showings around the world brought the estimated audience to over a billion. In Egypt, Christians and Moslems came up to the screen on their knees to kiss the place where Jesus walked. When the Mexican government closed churches, displaced worshippers knelt and prayed in theaters showing the film.(source: https://www.cecilbdemille.com/king.html )De Mille’s film depicts the last weeks of the Christ, from his work as a carpenter to the events of the Gospels. H. B. Warner stars as Jesus in a warm, understated performance. Other cast members of note include Joseph Schildkraut and Ernest Torrence. Extras included Sally Rand, and (no relation) Ayn Rand (!) who met her future husband, Frank O’Connor, on the set. A large gate in this film was reused for King Kong and torched in the burning of Atlanta in Gone With the Wind.King of Kings, like our trees these days, also has splashes of color, in the opening scene with Mary Magdalene (don’t miss the zebras), and the stunning Resurrection scene. Two-stripTechnicolor was rare but not impossible in the 20’s–Wikipedia lists no fewer than 50 films with at least some real color before this one. Parenthetically, I will be playing a program of some breathtakingly beautiful short color films at MoMA on Nov. 22. https://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/film_screenings/25362Here are some clips from the film with my recorded score: https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/438030/The-King-of-Kings/videos.html The music is symphonic in scope and feel. The themes date from 1985, when I scored a 12-hour dramatized reading of the entire New Testament, recorded on audio cassettes. The background music accompanied everything in the Gospels except for the Epistles, which were done by another composer. If you can’t make it to the November screening, the entire film can be seen here, from the Criterion Collection DVD release. singers in the area who are interested in participating in the brief choral sections in the performance, please reply to this email and put “Silent film singer” in the subject.Donald Sosin is one of the world’s foremost silent film musicians, performing on piano, organ, and synthesizer at major film festivals—New York, Telluride, San Francisco, Seattle, Houston, TriBeCa, Denver, Virginia, and Newport—and at MoMA, BAM, the Berlin Filmmuseum, Moscow’s prestigious Lumière Gallery, and the Jecheon International Music and Film Festival in South Korea. He and his wife, singer Joanna Seaton, are favorite guest artists at the National Gallery and at Italy’s annual silent film retrospectives in Bologna and Pordenone. They have appeared at Lincoln Center, Mass MoCA, Boston’s MFA, the Wadsworth Atheneum, the Tarrytown Music Hall, at Yale, Harvard, Brown and Emory Universities—and created scores for over 50 silent film DVDs on the Kino, Criterion, Milestone and other labels.Donald grew up in Rye NY and Munich, studied composition at Michigan and Columbia, and played on Broadway for many years. His music has been heard on PBS, TCM, as background for soaps on the major networks, and in many contemporary films. Donald was Minister of Music at the First Church of Christ, Congregational in Sharon CT for ten years, and has played at many other area churches and synagogues. He is currently organist and choir director at St. Mary’s. Donald and Joanna live in Lakeville and have two musical children.
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Marsala is eager to go home with you.
Tiffany Lemelin, shelter manager, brushing Marsala upon arrival.Provided
The Little Guild is an animal shelter at 285 Sharon-Goshen Turnpike in West Cornwall. Founded in 1957, the organization rescues animals from local surrenders and under-resourced shelters. When a rescue animal arrives at The Little Guild, staff begins a careful intake and transition process to ensure the animal is safe, healthy and ready for adoption.
New arrivals are quarantined in-house. Vaccinations are verified as up to date, and staff assesses each animal’s medical, behavioral and placement needs. Rescues receive medical care, daily support and behavioral training to ease shelter stress. Once a dog has finished quarantine and is ready for a home, its profile is published at littleguild.org.
Michael DeBarba, certified dog trainer working with Marsala.Jennifer Almquist
Prospective adopters fill out an online application with information about their household and veterinary and personal references.
The next step is for the prospective adopter and family members to meet the dog. If there is already a dog in the household, a meet-and-greet is scheduled so the dogs can get acquainted.
The animal care staff offers guidance based on its knowledge of each animal’s personality, needs and quirks to help families find the best fit.
Marsala wins a heart.Jennifer Almquist
Once a match is made, the adoption contract outlines aftercare. Adopters agree to return the animal to The Little Guild if the adoption doesn’t work out. The organization’s commitment continues after adoption, with six months of free training and follow-up from staff to answer questions or address concerns.
“Please don’t pass Marsala by,” Lemelin said. “He loves people and other dogs. He’s a lap dog who lives for snuggles, cuddles and face kisses. Marsala deserves a family, a soft bed and a lifetime of being chosen.”
To find out about Marsala and other rescue dogs and cats, visit littleguild.org
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Sampson, a playful and independent blind hound mix, explores the rescue’s large yard.
Though she takes in dogs of all ages, including some with disabilities — and one resident cat — the rescue’s motto is “Giving old dogs new lives.”
Sadie, center, a Carolina dog, plays with her friend Negra, a terrier mix. Bella Linda, the small poodle, has since been adopted.L. Tomaino
Sadie, a sweet Carolina dog, was the first to greet visitors.
“She could really use a home,” Meade said.
Then came Bonnie and Clyde, rat terriers; Negra, a small terrier mix; Sampson, a blind hound mix; and Jay Z, a terrier mix who was emaciated when Meade took him in and has since filled out, with fur regrowing over previously bald patches. Wesley, a young, shaggy mix whom Meade calls “a very good boy,” is also in need of a home.
Wesley, a young, exuberant mix, is looking for an active home.L. Tomaino
Meade began rescuing dogs after going to Waterbury to adopt one and learning that, by the end of the three-day weekend, the dogs she was looking at would be euthanized to make room for others.
She went home and started her rescue in New Preston, Connecticut. After five years there, she moved to California, where she rescued dogs from overcrowded pounds for 13 years.
Meade, a busload of dogs and her cat moved back to the Northeast a little more than a year ago.
Ninety-nine percent of the dogs at the rescue come from pounds, both locally and in California and New York City.
“We are more than happy to place dogs with older people, and we are also willing to give support after the adoption,” Meade said, noting that some rescues will not adopt to people over 60.
Bonnie and Clyde, an affectionate terrier pair.L. Tomaino
For those who cannot adopt, the rescue needs donations of old blankets, dog and cat food, cleaning supplies, puppy pads and dog treats. Monetary donations are also welcome and can be made through the rescue’s website. Meade also welcomes volunteers to help with the dogs.
Contact Meade at 805-239-4004, 860-866-7986 or 4dots@att.net to arrange a visit or drop off donations. For available dogs and more information, visit meadecaninerescue.org.
Newtown Veterinary Specialists
For Berkshire County residents, VCA All Caring Animal Hospital, 440 Stockbridge Road in Great Barrington, can be a nearby first call. The full-service hospital offers diagnostics and hospitalization and asks clients with an emergency or a pet requiring immediate attention to call rather than use its online contact form. It is not a 24-hour emergency hospital, however. Current hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. It is closed Sunday. Call 413-528-8020.
Poughkeepsie also has several options for urgent care. Creature Comforts Animal Hospital, 64 Pine St., is a full-service veterinary hospital offering emergency and critical care during regular business hours. The hospital treats dogs and cats as well as birds, reptiles and other exotic pets. Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. It is closed Sunday. For after-hours emergencies involving dogs and cats, the hospital refers patients to regional emergency facilities. Call 845-625-2474.
Community Animal Care, 269 Titusville Road, offers urgent and emergency care during operating hours and asks pet owners to call ahead. Regular hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Urgent care is available daily by calling ahead, with extended hours until 9 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. The practice also offers after-hours veterinary triage by video to help owners determine whether a pet can safely wait or should be taken to a 24-hour facility. Call 845-471-7459.
When an animal needs care in the middle of the night, on a holiday or for a potentially life-threatening condition, the options become more limited.
Guardian Veterinary Specialists, 4 Hardscrabble Heights in Brewster, is a 24-hour emergency and specialty hospital, open seven days a week, 365 days a year. Its emergency department is staffed around the clock, with on-site imaging and laboratory services. No appointment is necessary for an emergency, although calling ahead is encouraged when possible. Call 914-704-3400.
Provided
Newtown Veterinary Specialists, 52 Church Hill Road in Newtown, Connecticut, also provides emergency care 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays. No appointment is required for emergency care, although the hospital recommends calling ahead when possible. Call 203-270-8387.
Pet owners should remember that emergency veterinary hospitals operate much like human emergency rooms in that patients are triaged according to the severity of their condition, so animals with less critical problems may have to wait.
The best preparation is simple. Keep the number of your regular veterinarian and at least one 24-hour emergency hospital in your phone, and know roughly how long it will take to get there. If circumstances allow, call before leaving home to confirm where your pet should be seen.
When something goes wrong at 10 p.m. on a Sunday, knowing where you’re headed can make a frightening situation a little less overwhelming.
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