The Vermont Italian Opera Intensive is a two week program where singers come to 
study, learn, and sing Italian opera. Modeled after the Ezio Pinza Council for American Singers of Opera (EPCASO) program in Oderzo, Italy (founded by his daughter, Claudia Pinza), this program offers coaching in Italian opera style, Italian vocal technique instruction, and Italian language classes. Vocal coach Mary Jane Austin and opera singer Erik Kroncke, both faculty of EPCASO, run this intensive. They have over twenty years of experience in Italian opera and have worked with some of the greatest conductors, singers, and directors of the Italian opera tradition. All of the participating singers are of advanced study or professional level. The program will culminate with two concerts on July 21st and 23rd. The concert on the 21st will be a house concert in East Montpelier of Italian arias and songs and limited to 20 people. Please call 802 310 9802 for more information and to reserve a place. The concert on the 23rd will be a semi-staged concert of arias and scenes at the Waterbury Congregational Church in Waterbury, Vermont at 4pm. Both concerts are free, with donations gratefully accepted.
Category: Events
Tag Sale
It’s time to start thinking about the tag sale. We have some larger items starting to arrive. We are accepting donations now!
This year, the tag sale will be on Friday and Saturday, July 26th and 27th. We will have a SignUp Genius form here soon. But most important, right now, is to collect items for the event. You may bring in your gently used, no longer wanted stuff and start filling the basement, from back to front please!
We have some simple, basic rules. Remember, please to:
- Mark your items with a suggested price.
- Signup to help at the actual sale. A signup sheet will be available during worship and coffee time this Sunday.
- Did I mention we need your gently used stuff?! (Although we cannot sell used old computer equipment or televisions, personal hygiene items and VHS tapes. Also we do not accept clothing.)
The church will be open for drop-off everyday this week from 8 am – 7 pm.
We’d love to have your help on Friday and Saturday too — just hit the signup button and find a slot that works for you.
Combined Worship Service
Once again this summer, the Rev. Sam Newton of the Wesley United Methodist Church and I are planning a combined worship service at our church on Sunday, July 9. The purpose of this joint worship is quite simply to remind ourselves that we share a common heritage, that our differences, while real, and in some cases profound, do not keep us from singing and praying together to the God without whom, we together equally confess, we would be as nothing.
I hope you’ll be able to join us!
44th Annual Strawberry Festival
Art talk, workshop 5/5 and 5/6
We have been hosting a show of beautiful paintings (and one large sculpture) by Thetford artist Carolyn Enz Hack (carolynenzhack.com). On Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6, Carolyn will be offering a talk in the sanctuary about her work and a workshop in the dining room about creativity.
On Friday, May 5th at 6:30 PM, she will be offering a free art talk about the new work she has on display — how she has been exploring ways to add a fourth dimension (time) to her 2-dimensional landscape paintings. It’s a great chance to hear about how artists develop and pursue new ideas, how they make connections between different bodies of work (in this case, her sculpture and her paintings), and how they find their unique voices.
On Saturday, May 6th, Carolyn will offer a two-hour workshop about expanding the boundaries of creative practice and developing one’s own artistic voice from 10AM to noon. This could be an exciting conversation for students/artists who are beginning to explore their own directions in their work, or those who could use a nudge to take a leap in this direction. Anyone interested in boosting their creative capacity will enjoy participating in this friendly discussion about methods, materials and practice. Cost is $15 (although I bet she would be happy to waive the cost for students if it’s a struggle in any way to cover this… Please contact the artist directly to find out more and to sign up: cenzhack)
Carolyn’s exhibit, “Town by Town,” will be up through May 7th. The show is sponsored by Meeting House Arts, a collaborative project whose goal is to provide more opportunities for local artists to show their work, and for local residents to enjoy more art.