Crystal Ball Real Estate

All Beethoven

What a great program at the Unitarian Church this afternoon! An all Beethoven chamber music program - Bernice Silk, piano, Rosalyn Clarke, cello and Mayuki Fukuhara, violin playing  2 Sonatas and a trio - music that was written over 200 years ago - and here we are still enjoying it - Music and art are the long standing arts that survive - The Claring Chamber Players, starting their 35th season are terrific. The setting was beautiful ( the Craftsman styled church with newly renovated benches and lighting is a natural setting for the music.) And even with a Giants game, a Marathon, 30 condos open for viewing, the space was filled. For their schedule - http://www.claringchamberplayers.org and for more information on the Unitarian Univsalist Congregation at Montclair  http://www.uumontclair.org

85th Season of Montclair Operetta Club and they need Money!

M.O.C. musical theatre - with its studio at 494 Valley Road needs major repair projects to be completed ( started too) - stucco, heating system etc. As a not-for- profit, 501 (c) 3, a donor is eligible for tax deductions. If one were to donate  $ 40,000 that name would be added to the building - a___________Donor Studio or some such.  For a $10,000 contribution - you'd get a plaque in the lobby along with others being recognized. Actually I'm sure any amount would be recognized and much needed, The programs this year include ' Ragtime' in October and  "Rent' in May - for more details and how to participate go to: http://www.mocmusicals.org  If you recall, for years the productions were held at Mt. Hebron School on Bellevue -then I think that became expensive and productions were held at Montclair State. I don't know where performances are scheduled now - but they are always great and a marvelous for all, especially children to become acquainted with the performing arts locally and at reasonable costs.

www.MerkinConcertHall.org

Dr. Inez Bull and Philip field, played duo piano at a concert Sunday at Merkin Concert Hall - as part of the 56th Anniversary of the Ole Bull Music Festival Winners -DR Bull, a Julliard graduate,with a Masters and Doctorate degrees from NYU, a Fulbright Scholar and recipient of the St. Olav Medal from King Harald V of Norway in 1999 - is the founder of the Ole Bull School of Music, Festival and the Ole Bull Museum in Pennsylvania - now named a national Historic Site. A Montclair resident, she has recently written a history of Glenmont, the home of Thomas A. Edison, in Llewellyn Park in West Orange. Good concert  - heard a young Jessie Smith, with the cello, that I'm sure we'll hear again.

Montclair Operetta Club - 84th year!

Continuing in its music tradition, the Operetta club did 'The Mikado" a silly Gilbert and Sullivan operetta with great co ordinated dancing - fans and steps - good music and some marvelous voices. Laura Farmer as Yum-Yum and Autumn Jan Tilson as Pitti-Sing just a few - men's' chorus and ladies dancers - all in the Westminster Art Center ( Bloomfield College, on Franklin Street in Bloomfield.) http://www.mocmusicals.orgfor next years programs, 'Ragtime' and' 'Rent' This performance has a few more evenings - 973 744 3133 for tickets; and the Mel-o-chords have a program June 6 at Caldwell College - There were 2 buses of residents from Cranes Mills too - a good evening!

Cosmopolitan Club - Alain Escudero

Season  starts with a pot luck and a very good music program by Alain Escudero - playing, Padre Antnio Soler, Fandango:  WA Mozart, 6 Tedeschi,  and Felix Maximo Lobez ,another Fandango ... what marvelous music.  Part of the program was with soprano,Sibylle Sanger, and songs from poems by Bertolt Brecht and msic by Kurt Weill.(all in German, which I did not understand at all. ) Very cultural evening and good to see all the old faces again and a few new - 2nd Saturday of the month   - are the meeting times. Don Warner playing good dance music after the program!

Music and Movie

New web sites from Claring Chamber Players and UNICO Montclair -

http://www.claringchamberplayers.org - hear the music and see the schedule and learn the history of this great musical ensemble-go to site for tickets. Bio of Nancy Clarke, founder - and Dorthy Priesing.

http://www.unicomontclair.org - featuring a film, Ciao  - in Italian, at the Montclair Art Museum October 25 - $25 - see site for tickets. UNICO is a newly formed chapter in Montclair - Service and cultural organization

Evening Band Concert

Lovely evening for the Montclair Community Band concert in the amphitheatre of the High School campus - clear - cool night and still light til about 9 pm - The Friends of Barnet arrived with their banner and chairs - little kids made bouquets of the tall grasses and the DeCamp busses and Newark Airport flights all went by  - it was like a John Cage concert  - with all the sounds of life around.

Cosmopolitan Club Music Program

Music from Broadway, and with a romantic twist ( Valentine's day is just over) by Joan Streit - piano and vocal enertainment- was the program this evening. Songs by: Irving Berlin, Moss Hart, the Gershwins, Cole Porter,Jule Stein,Richard Rogers and Hammerstein and, even Montclair's one-song writer, of 'As time Goes by" - written in the house across the street from  our office. Herman, I t hink Hufnagel - Good program and i knew the words to most of those tunes - written between 1919 - 1950's and played while I was growing up ...Now - that was music!

Winterreboot party

Party given by 4 couples at the Comomwealth Club with music and buttons - and a lively activity - all those young people! A pleasure to see. We came home early - still on Hawaii time - and going to bed!

Musical Weekend

The Mel-o-Chords, a unit of the Montclair Operetta Club - and thr fund raising vehicle gave a great choral concert for the Montclair Cosmopolitan club Saturday evening at its regular meeting - they could use a few tenors and a bass - so anyone interested should contact them. www.melochords.org or call to book for an engagement or join - 201 933 5629.

and this afternoon at the Alesander Kasser Theater at Montclair State University, the World Premier of 'A Star Across the Ocean' by Scott Devenport Richards - with the MSU Symphony, Paul Hostetter , music director and conductor - Kimberly Jajuan, soprano: Julia Murney, Mezzo soprano, Darius de Haas, Super tenor and Chuck Cooper, sub Baritone. It was great! and also free - a grant from the Beatrice Crawford Memorial Celebration - supported by the Keating Crawford Foundation - Scott teaches at MSU and is busy writing more - looking forward to more terrific productions.   Parking in the deck is a challenge - always a line to get  your ticket stamped and change sent off - there must be a better system to accomodate crowds.

Several concerts by choirs and  choruses this week and next provide great entertainment of top caliber voices and musicians.  If you dont live in this area - that's one thing I can help you with - MOVE!