NORFOLK — On Thursday, Feb. 1 a small group gathered in the Great Hall of The Norfolk Library to attend a workshop led by Eileen Fitzgibbons and Bina Thomson.
The group gathered in a semi-circle in front of a cozy fire, the hearth bearing the library’s Latin motto “Inter Folia-Fructus” which translates to “fruit amongst the leaves” referring to the pleasure from knowledge that can be found in books. Topping the mantle, the owl of wisdom looked down upon the group.
Fitzgibbons and Thomson spoke about Imbolc, an Irish holiday with deep pagan roots that marks the first day of spring and celebrates St. Brigid’s Day, the patron saint of Ireland as well as the moment between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox.
“In Ireland there’s a national holiday dedicated to Brigid. In many ways, she represents all women, and recognizes the equality of the feminine and masculine in society. While too early to plant, it was a time to start thinking of what you wanted and needed to plant and harvest. It celebrates a time to reaffirm life and is a commitment to rejuvenation. ” Fitzgibbons said.
Brigid was the Celtic fire and fertility goddess. Elements such as water symbolize healing, while fire represents alchemy. Christianity adopted Brigid as the patron saint of Irish nuns, newborns, midwives, dairy maids, and cattle, while smiths, poets, artists, and others who create stories are also celebrated.
“St. Brigid and the goddess are very similar. She’s a mother earth figure,” Fitzgibbons said.
She also explained to the group how the Celts made dolls from oat or wheat, which young girls would offer door to door as gifts.
“People took quiet walks, lit bonfires and celebrated with feasts. Fires symbolized the returning light; candles symbolized the growing sun,” she said.
In addition, traditional baked goods, winter vegetables, butter, cheese, and lamb were typically on offer. In this spirit, Fitzgibbons laid out her own delicious, home baked Irish Soda bread and a selection of tasty cheeses for the group to enjoy.
Attendees were invited to share poems and stories about how they celebrate this point of the year when spring is on the horizon.
Fitzgibbons also demonstrated how jars of honey, candles, yarrow, spruce, basil, and laurel and other elements such as antlers can be used to create an altar. And attendees were given brown paper bags to gather these elements and encouraged to create their own altars at home.
“Altars can be made in any corner in the house, on a window sill or a tabletop. They are created to be a place for beauty, intentions or meditations,” Fitzgibbons said.
Feeling satiated and informed, the group left enlightened, anticipating spring and brighter days ahead.
Eileen Fitzgibbons shared her knowledge of Imbolc on Feb. 1.Mike Cobb
“It’s an invitation for people who may never have thought that they might be included in an art exhibit,” said Lefferts about the show that includes 34 works created by a dozen artists. Lefferts added that visitors will see a range of abilities and individual expression.
“I like to draw out innate expression,” Lefferts said. Lefferts said there were 34 pieces as he had hung them all the day before.
Several works on display were inspired by local subjects. For example, Kathleen Kulig’s “Grand Dame of the Orchard” depicts an actual old apple tree found at a friend’s home.
“I’ve actually picked apples from that tree,” Kulig said.
Kathleen Kulig with her “Grand Dame of the Orchard” painting.Leila Hawken
Artist Cathleen Halloran’s acrylic on paper painting titled “Eleven Eleven” is a loving remembrance of her dog, Maddie, whose death was imminent as Halloran created the painting, an expression of her subject’s magnificent spirit.
Variety is evident in artists’ ages, mediums, experience and subject matter.
“It’s always a pleasure to see how the artists grow every year, a fascinating variety,” said Historical Society President Chris Robinson as he dished out the wine and other beverages in the reception area.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit the historical society, although not all works are for sale. The exhibit will be open until Friday, May 9, during historical society hours. For additional information, go to www.sharonhist.org.
Coinciding with the gallery show, the Sharon Historical Society’s current exhibit is worth a visit. Titled “Family Collections,” the exhibit shows collective Sharon memories found in the artifacts left by ancestors, remembered now in part by what they left behind. Each is a clue to the town’s historic past, spanning two centuries.
Tess Marks as Little Sally and Jackson Olson as Officer Lockstock in the Housatonic Musical Theatre Society production of "Urinetown."
The difference was so noticeable that director Christiane Olson thanked the taxpayers of Region One for supporting the recent school improvements project in brief remarks before the start of the matinee performance Saturday, March 15.
Katelin Lopes and Andy Delgado were powerful as the star-crossed lovers Hope Cladwell and Bobby Strong.
Jackson Olson got a lot of laughs with his deadpan take on Officer Lockstock, often in tandem with Tess Marks’ wide-eyed Little Sally.
The entire cast hit all the right buttons, not the easiest thing to do with a show that contains multiple layers of satire.
The orchestra, led by Tom Krupa, was rock solid.
And Amber Cameron’s choreography was seamless. The cast looked like they’d been dancing together all their lives.
Tom Brown
Andy Delgado as Bobby (center) has a run-in with the police (Jackson Olson, left, as Officer Lockstock and Alex Wilbur, right, as Officer Barrel).
Race Brook Lodge
This magical vision springs from the mind of David Rothstein, who purchased the property in pieces between 1990 and 2000, a continuation of his idea to create a place where like-minded people can congregate to enjoy cultural happenings in an idyllic setting.
Before acquiring the Race Brook Lodge, Rothstein, now 90, managed The Music Inn in Lenox, Massachusetts, the premier outdoor music venue in the Berkshires during the 1970s, which he purchased with his former wife, Nancy Fitzpatrick, whose family owned the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge.
In its heyday from 1970 to 1979, The Music Inn featured a who’s who of iconic performers of the era like Ike & Tina Turner, B.B. King, James Taylor, Muddy Waters, The Byrds, Ravi Shankar, Joan Baez, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Marley, The Eagles, Lou Reed, Bonnie Raitt, Fats Domino, Bo Diddley, Jimmy Cliff, Toots & The Maytals and The Allman Brothers.
“Music Inn was the last outpost of the counterculture, which had evolved as a result of the groundbreaking evolution of jazz as the first integrated music genre that ultimately paved the way for Rock ‘n Roll,” Rothstein said.
Race Brook barn at nightLety Marcos
This history goes even deeper. Prior to the Music Inn, the buildings were known as the Berkshire Music Barn, and featured performers like Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, Mahalia Jackson, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck, Thelonious Monk and the Modern Jazz Quartet. The property also featured The Lenox School of Jazz, The Lenox Arts Center, Toad Hall Moviehouse, and The Great Riot Alley Memorial.
As a student of modernist architect Louis Khan, Rothstein absorbed Khan’s ideas of “open frame” or a space without barriers. It’s a concept he used at the Music Inn that carries on at Race Brook.
Race Brook’s music programmer, Alex Harvey recalls how he came to do a retreat with Qi Gong master Thomas Drodge and noticed a Louis Khan poster on the wall. He spent a morning and afternoon talking with Rothstein about art, performance and community in a way he’d been dreaming about for a long time.
“When I saw the poster, I asked David about it. He told me that he was one of Khan’s assistants, and he actually drafted some of the buildings I’d studied. So, before I knew he had the Music Inn, he was a superstar to me,” Harvey said.
Harvey also met the current proprietor Casey Fitzpatrick — David and Nancy’s son — and the two hit it off, realizing they shared a common interest in global music. Armed with a deep Rolodex, thanks to his many years as a performer and ethnomusicologist, Harvey soon began programming shows at Race Brook.
When booking, Harvey looks for artists who can offer something beyond the typical performance.
“We had Alash, who are one of the more renowned Tuvan throat singing ensembles,” Harvey said. “With their energy, they change the weather of the room. It’s a participatory feeling. I loved reading the reactions online; was it a concert or a ritual? That’s what we’re interested in.”
“We have Beausoleil coming up on April 5. When they start playing, you feel transported to a hooch house in Eunice, Louisiana. They create a sense of place, and that’s what really excites me,” he added.
Sunder Ashni singing at Dia de los Muertos.Lety Marcos
There are regularly scheduled programs, like Jazz brunches every Sunday, and at times Race Brook Lodge is open to other groups who book shows like the recent “Almost Spring Weekender” a DJ’d house party produced by Edo Moore.
Ideally, Harvey books fully immersive weekends with music, workshops, and enjoyment of the spaces, whether hiking nearby trails or inside the barns.
“One of my favorites is the Dia de los Muertos weekend which has an open mic to the dead,” Harvey said. “It’s art as a form of medicine and healing. It’s kind of like Brooklyn Academy of Music meets Esselin.”
For elevated musical and wellness experiences in an idyllic Berkshire setting, Race Brook Lodge offers something for everyone. See their site for information on all that they offer: rblodge.com
