St. Kieran Arts Presents: Classical Guitarist Matthew Lister

A classical guitarist from Dover, NH, with over a decade of professional experience, Matthew Lister performs regularly at public venues as well as at weddings and other private functions. Matthew studied classical guitar at the University of New Hampshire under the guidance of Professor Chris Kane, where he was a member of the University of New Hampshire Classical Guitar Ensemble. He was a regular performer at The Red Onion in Durham, and also performed at various University and charity events, both solo and as a duo with a variety of other student musicians. He graduated summa cum laude from UNH in May of 2001 with a Bachelor’s degree in Musical Performance.

Born in Pisa, Italy, Matthew moved to New England when he was two. He began playing violin and guitar while still quite young, and gravitated towards classical guitar in his early teens. His early influences included English folk master John Renbourn, American violinist Mark O’Connor, and Spanish flamenco master Sabicas.

 

St. Kieran Arts Center Presents: Gould Academy Chamber Ensemble

The Chamber Ensemble from Gould Academy in Bethel, Maine, will present an evening of classical music with a taste of the season!

The Chamber Ensemble, directed by Gould’s very own Edison Quinatoa, is coached by Thomas Mesa through the distance learning partnership between Gould and the Manhattan School of Music. The ensemble, which includes violins, flutes, bassoon and piano, will be performing works from Beethoven, Chopin, Mozart, Eduard Grieg and Piazzolla.

Non-member tickets for the event cost $5 for all seats.

St. Kieran’s Presents: The Turning of the Year — A Holiday Celebration!

Seven times  All-Ireland accordion champion John Whelan teams up with American Roots band Low Lily and Scottish-style fiddler Katie McNally for a spectacular holiday mini-fest at St. Kieran’s! Featuring traditional and original music from Ireland, Scotland, and America, this diverse and energetic show will help usher in the holiday season with a bang. This exclusive show brings the generations together for a fresh new take on roots music from both sides of the pond.

The show is much more than a triple bill— the artists perform separately, all together, and everything-in-between. From the sweet sound of the accordion with lush guitar textures behind it, to a blast of reels with everyone playing together, to an American song sung in three-part harmony, this show is dynamic and full of life. If you enjoy Irish and Scottish music, modern American string band music and harmonious vocals, you will love the Turning of the Year!

Tickets cost $ 15 for adults and $10 for those under 18 and are available on line (for a small additional fee), at the door on the evening of the show or at the art center’s office at 155 Emery Street, Berlin. Info: (603) 752-1028.

St. Kieran Art Center Presents: The Nutcracker Ballet

The Robinson Ballet Company will present this seasonal favorite at the Berlin High School Auditorium.

There will be no online sales for this event — please call (603) 752-1028 to reserve tickets. Advance ticket prices are $25, $20 and $15. All seats purchased on the day of the show are $25 (as available; this show sells out quickly).

Shop Small in Downtown Berlin

On Small Business Saturday head to downtown Berlin’s Main Street for fun and great deals and support local merchants.

Free horse-drawn wagon rides. Visit with Santa at Badger Realty. Shop local for great service & gift ideas.

Parade of Lights in Berlin

Berlin’s Parade of Lights down Main Street is an annual tradition that delights every member of the family with sparkling floats and dozens of displays, topped off, of course, by a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.

This year’s theme is Cartoon Christmas, and prizes will be awarded for the best floats: 1st, $500; 2nd, $250; and 3rd, $125.

Call (603) 752-6246 for more information.

Berlin’s 11th Annual Auction & Penny Sale

Save on your Christmas shopping while supporting the Androscoggin Valley Chamber of Commerce and its member businesses at its 11th Annual Auction & Penny Sale.

The event takes place at Service Credit Union Heritage Park, with FREE admission, a Children’s Toy Table and a 50/50 drawing.

Penny Sale: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m & Silent Auction: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

 

Over There — The Songs That Won The War (WWI)

Benjamin Sears & Bradford Conner will present the songs of World War I in a delightful concert at St. Kieran Arts Center.

They have been performing together since 1989. They are among those rare performers who combine entertaining performances with outstanding historical research and who can claim Irving Berlin and George & Ira Gershwin premieres. In 1997 they made music history with Oh Kay, Oh George, a first-time concert pairing of songs and music by romantic and musical colleagues Kay Swift and George Gershwin, featuring many rarely heard Swift songs along with premieres of two unpublished George & Ira Gershwin songs. Their reputation as Gershwin performers was honored by the selection of their recordings to be part of the Interactive Kiosk at the new George & Ira Gershwin Room at the Library of Congress.

Sears and Conner are the first cabaret act to be featured at Boston’s Emerson Majestic Theatre, and at Boston’s Wang Centre for the Performing Arts they revived a show-biz tradition by presenting a pre-show concert of Irving Berlin songs for a showing of Berlin’s classic film, White Christmas.

Sears and Conner are Producing Directors of American Classics and are founding members of the Boston Association of Cabaret Artists (BACA), an organization promoting awareness and performance of cabaret in the Boston area. They are known for their research in the music and lyrics of Tin Pan Alley, Broadway and Hollywood. In 1996 they rediscovered a long-lost Irving Berlin song from 1916, “Santa Claus: A Syncopated Christmas Song,” which they subsequently gave its modern premiere and first recording.

Le Vent du Nord at St. Kieran Arts Center

New to the arts center — and part of the Francofest ’17 weekend celebration — is the highly acclaimed quintet, Le Vent du Nord. The group’s vast repertoire draws from both traditional sources and original compositions, while enhancing its hard-driving soulful music (rooted in the Celtic diaspora) with a broad range of global influences.

Featuring button accordion, bouzouki, guitar and fiddle, the band’s sound is defined by the hurdy-gurdy, which adds an earthy, rough-hewn flavor to even the most buoyant dance tunes.” — Boston Herald

Since its inception in August 2002, Le Vent du Nord has enjoyed meteoric success, performing well over 1,600 concerts over 5 continents and racking up several prestigious awards, including a Grand Prix du Disque Charles Cros, two Junos (Canada’s Grammys), a Félix at ADISQ, a Canadian Folk Music Award, and “Artist of the Year” at the North American Folk Alliance Annual Gala.

The group exhibits great finesse and flexibility, appearing regularly on Canadian, American, French, and UK television and radio, and participating in a wide variety of special musical projects. They’ve collaborated and performed with a diverse range of artists including: Harry Manx, Väsen, Dervish, The Chieftains, Breton musical pioneer Yann-Fañch Kemener, Québecois roots legend and master storyteller Michel Faubert, the Scottish folk band Breabach, singer Julie Fowlis, and the trans-Mediterranean ensemble Constantinople.

Not content with standard approaches to tradition, Le Vent du Nord has also created a symphonic concert that, according to Voir Montreal, “puts all traditional folk naysayers to shame.”

On stage these five friends create intense, joyful and dynamic live performances that expand the bounds of tradition in striking global directions. This is the modern sound of tradition, a music of the here and now.

 

Francofest ’17 Dinner at St. Kieran Arts Center

Come join us for a taste of homemade French cuisine on Saturday, November 4. The dinner, which includes tourtieres, baked beans, chicken pie, coleslaw, dinner roll, a beverage and a number of sweet culinary delights, will be served in the community room of the arts center starting at 4:30 p.m. Wine will be available for purchase with proper identification. Tickets for the dinner are $12 per plate and are  available at the arts center office and on line at www.stkieranarts.org via the performing art series link. Tickets at the door are $15. Seating for the dinner is in half hour increments. Please indicate which seating you would prefer when purchasing your tickets.

Limited seating on the half hour:
Group 1: 4:30 to 5:00
Group 2: 5:00 to 5:30
Group 3: 5:30 to 6:00
Group 4: 6:00 to 6:30

Tickets: $12 each