Night & Day

By Wendy Killeen, 12/2/2001

Hospice holds tree lighting ceremony

You can shine a light in honor or memory of a loved one - and support Hospice of the North Shore - at its annual Tree of Lights ceremony in Danvers Square Wednesday, beginning at 5 p.m.

People donating to the hospice can designate white, green, or blue lights as tributes to friends and family members. The names of the honorees are also inscribed in the Tree of Lights Honor Roll Book that is on display during a donor reception following the tree lighting.

Diane Stringer, president of Hospice of the North Shore, said this year's tree lighting holds special significance in the wake of Sept. 11 and the ongoing war on terrorism.

The Tree of Lights ''has long been an opportunity for local residents to remember someone dear to them,'' she said. ''With all that has been happening in our world, we are finding that many more people are looking for an opportunity to remember and honor loved ones. We are all mindful of the importance of community, as well as family and friends. This event has been a celebration of that spirit.''

Chaplain Jane A. Korins, director of pastoral care for the North Shore Medical Center, delivers the invocation. The St. John's Prep String Quartet provides seasonal music at the reception.

The event is hosted by the Danvers Savings Bank. The hospice provides care and support for terminally ill patients and their families.

For more information or to sponsor a light, call the hospice at 978-774-7566.

Attacks compared at Northern Essex

On Friday, the 60th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, four World War II veterans will share their war experiences and thoughts on the recent attack on the United States at Northern Essex Community College in Haverhill.

The program, ''December 7/September 11: Two Dates That Will Not Be Forgotten,'' is open to the public and free. It begins at 1 p.m. in the conference area of the college's library.

The mood of the country 60 years ago and today will be examined, and the audience ''will hear some stories of bravery and courage,'' said Robert Hatem, assistant to the president at Northern Essex, who serves as program moderator.

Featured veterans include Gerald Clohecy, a Haverhill native now living in Barrington, N.H., who was stationed in Pearl Harbor at the time of the attack; Albert Farrah, formerly of Methuen and now of Kittery Point, Maine, who was a prisoner of war in Germany; Barney Gallagher of Haverhill, who served as a photographer and journalist in the Pacific; and Bruce Wright, formerly of Rowley and now living in Kennebunk, Maine, who was a mail censor stationed in Newfoundland.

The event is sponsored by the Liberal Arts Revitalization Committee at Northern Essex, a group of faculty and staff promoting the benefits of a liberal arts education.

Call 978-556-3862.

Artisans display, talk in Newburyport

Nineteen nationally recognized artisans present their wares in the creative atmosphere of a local working studio during the ninth annual NOBO (North of Boston) Show in Newburyport Friday through next Sunday.

Host of the event is the Fox Brothers Furniture Studio on Liberty Street, where Henry Fox creates unique fine furniture.

The show focuses on three-dimensional arts and crafts. Visitors have the opportunity to meet and talk with the artists, buy pieces on display, and commission work.

This year, the show includes presentations by four artists about their work. The discussions are open to the public and take place Saturday, 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., and next Sunday, noon and 12:30 p.m.

Featured artisans include Robin Bergman, hand-loomed knitwear; Pam Bracci, hand-painted silk; Lindley Briggs, small sculptures; Roger Creamer, stoneware and raku pottery; Holly Hamilton, contemporary jewelry; Fox Brothers, custom design furniture; Hansard Welsh Design, felt creations; Reg Logan, metal jewelry; John May, turned wood; Claudia Mills, rag rugs and bags; Iris Minc, stoneware pottery; Rob Napier, ship models; Priscilla Turner Spada, metal and glass jewelry; Wendy Thaxter, paper art; Aasta Torsen and Urich Koch, hand-woven furnishings; Mark Weiner, blown glass; and Ellen Wieske, metal work.

The Women's Crisis Center of Greater Newburyport receives 5 percent of total sales.

The show opens with a reception Friday, 6-10 p.m., and runs Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and next Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., at 39 Liberty St. Call 978-462-7726.

Christmas house tours in Salem

Historic Salem Inc. presents its annual ''Christmas in Salem'' walking tour of stately Colonial and Victorian homes decorated for the season Saturday and next Sunday.

This year the tour focuses on the McIntire Historic District of Essex and Chestnut streets.

Eight private homes are open, some including the second floor. One highlight is the Cabot-Endicott House, which dates back to 1748 and at one time was owned by the Parkers of Parker Brothers games.

The homes are not handicapped accessible.

The tour also includes the First Church of Salem, which was the first Protestant Church in the United States. Among its well-known members was author Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Tickets are $18 in advance, $23 the day of the tour. They can be ordered on line at www.historicsalem.org; by writing Historic Salem, PO Box 865, Salem, MA 01970; or by calling 978-745-0799.

Youth orchestra performs in Ipswich

The Northshore Youth Symphony Orchestra performs next Sunday, 3 p.m., at the Ipswich Performing Arts Center at Ipswich High School.

The group includes more than 160 young musicians from communities north of Boston and the Merrimack Valley. It consists of two orchestras and two flute choirs.

The concert features the Senior Orchestra premiering a piece by composer Robert Bradshaw called ''Gloucester Suite.'' The three-movement composition celebrates events in Gloucester's history. As the orchestra plays, images of the city, residents, and the historic schooner Adventure are shown on a 40-foot screen.

Admission is free. The orchestra holds auditions for its spring season of concerts in January. Call 978-685-7844 or visit www.nysorchestra.org.

Prize-winning play at Salem State

`The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds'' is presented at Salem State College Wednesday through Saturday, 8 p.m., in the Callan Studio Theatre.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Paul Zindel is ''a hopeful drama of the human spirit that takes us inside a deeply moving family thrown by alcoholism,'' said director Celena Sky April, of the Salem State theater department. ''It's an inspiration to anyone who has struggled to better their lives.''

Tickets are $15; $10 for students and senior citizens. Advance purchase is recommended. Call 978-542-6290.

Revels concerts in Exeter, Portsmouth

The Portsmouth Women's Chorus presents its ''Medieval and Renaissance Revels'' Friday in Exeter, N.H., and next Sunday in Portsmouth, N.H.

The 40-voice chorus sings carols from the Middle Ages and European Renaissance periods in Latin and Middle English. Dancers perform an Old English sword dance.

David Coffin, longtime master of ceremonies at the Christmas Revels in Cambridge, and his band provide accompaniment on period instruments such as recorder, whistle, percussion, and viol.

Kathy Fink, executive director of the Bell Center for Music and the Arts in Dover, N.H., adds virtuoso keyboard accompaniment.

The audience is invited to participate in a traditional carol sing at the end of the concert.

Friday's concert is at 8 p.m. at Christ Church, 43 Pine St., Exeter. Next Sunday's concert is at 4 p.m. in the Unitarian Universalist Church, 292 State St., Portsmouth.

Advance tickets are $10, $8 for senior citizens and students. Tickets at the door are $12 and $8. Call 603-868-6724.

Christmas story presented in song

`Out Under the Sky,'' the Christmas story told through song, is presented by Suzanne McDermott at the Lynn Public Library tomorrow, 7:30 p.m.

McDermott, who has recorded three albums, also sings traditional Christmas carols from Europe and America and discusses their sources, symbolism, and historic context.

The performance is for all ages. Admission is free and refreshments will be served. Preregistration is suggested. Call 781-595-0567.

Childsplay fiddlers perform in Ipswich

Years ago, Bob Childs of Cambridge, a craftsman who makes fiddles, decided to invite the musicians who play his handmade instruments to perform in concert.

Childsplay was born.

Over the years, it has evolved into a large family of musicians that reunites once a year. The fiddlers play all at once, resulting in a synergy of classical, folk, and waltz music.

The 30 fiddlers of Childsplay take the stage at the Ipswich Performing Arts Center at Ipswich High School Friday, 8 p.m.

Tickets to Friday's concert are $20; $15 for students and senior citizens. Call 978-356-1949 or visit www.ipswicharts.org.

This story ran on page 13 of the Boston Globe's North Weekly section on 12/2/2001.
© Copyright 2001 Globe Newspaper Company.