Tessa Lark will help open Musical Masterworks’ 35th season in Old Lyme on Oct. 5 and 6. File photo by Richard Bowditch.
OLD LYME–Musical Masterworks will begin its 35th season at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme in a concert weekend featuring Artistic Director and violinist Tessa Lark.
Performances will be held on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 5 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 5, at 3 p.m.
Musical Masterworks in a press release said the weekend’s ensemble features Lark, pianist Inon Barnatan, violist Hsin-Yun Huang, cellist Efe Baltacigil and double bassist Tim Cobb. The program pairs Schubert pieces including the Trout Quintet and the Arpeggione Sonata with Lark’s Appalachian Fantasy, blending the timeless and contemporary.
“This season, I’m drawn to music that feels deeply personal, exploring the sublime worlds of specific composers and sharing the places I love most,” Lark said. “I hope these programs invite our concertgoers to linger, discover, and experience something new and meaningful along the way.”
The season runs from October to April at the church, 4 Lyme Street.
Potted perennials and annuals of many varieties will be on sale this weekend at the OldLymeHistoricalSociety‘s Annual Fall Plant Sale. Photo submitted by the OldLymeHistoricalSociety.
OLD LYME — The OldLymeHistoricalSociety hosts its Annual Fall Plant Sale Saturday, Oct. 4, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 5, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The sale will be held at the Society‘s 55 Lyme Street location
Potted perennials and annuals of all types and sizes will be on sale at competitive prices.
Proceeds will support the mission of the Society, which is to collect, preserve, and interpret the rich history of Old Lyme, Conn. and its environs for the benefit of residents and visitors.
OLD SAYBROOK–The Estuary’s Delivering Hope fundraiser earlier this month raised $35,000 in support of Meals on Wheels and its mission to nourish and connect homebound seniors.
The organization in a press release said a highlight of the Sept. 6 event was a live auction led by professional auctioneer Mike Nuzzo that generated over $17,000. Attendees not only bid on auction items, but also raised their paddles to pledge money for specific needs within the organization.
Guests also had the opportunity to hear testimonials from local Meals on Wheels recipients and their families highlighting the importance of this program.
The Estuary credited event sponsors including platinum sponsors Essex Savings Bank and Gladeview Rehabilitation and Health Care Center.
Heather Milardo, Director of Development for The Estuary, expressed gratitude for the “outpouring of support” from the community.
“From our sponsors and auction donors to each guest who bought a ticket, raised their paddle, or placed a bid—thank you for helping us deliver more than just meals. You’re delivering hope,” she said.
Proceeds from Delivering Hope will directly support the delivery of meals, wellness checks, and caring connections to older adults across the region.
For more information or to support Meals on Wheels, visit www.yourestuary.org.
I finally had a chance to ride the new NextGen Acela and I have to admit, I was wrong: This really is Amtrak’s train of the future.
But here are a few tips for making your next ride frictionless. These tips are mostly about riding Acela, but many hold true for slower Northeast Corridor trains.
WHAT’S A NEXTGEN ACELA? These are the new trains built by Alstom, previously known as Avelia Liberty. They hold 25% more passengers than the existing Acela trains and can, at least for 32 miles with fast, straight track in New Jersey, travel up to 160 mph compared to the old Acela’s 150 mph.
Just a few of the new trains are running so far but 26 are more on the way, replacing the older Acelas, which will be retired.
BOOK EARLY: We booked our Acela tickets about two weeks in advance and scored senior fares (10% discount) of “only” $204 one way from Stamford to Washington DC. Waiting at the station to board I heard the ticket agent startle a younger passenger seeking a ticket to DC by quoting her the same-day walk-up fare of $402 one way. A minute later the helpful agent said she could make the same trip a half-hour later (on the slower train) for half as much.
RESERVED SEATS: Seats on all Acelas are now reserved. But don’t trust the seating chart you’ll see online. When we boarded the train we found our seats faced backwards (not in the direction of travel) and had no window. But a helpful conductor found us better seats right on his phone. Consult a third-party seating chart to make sure you get the seats you want.
If you want the Quiet Car, be aware there’s only one car with 59 seats. Otherwise you’ll be enjoying the “finance bro” across the aisle making deals enroute by phone.
BOARDING ADVICE: The cars on the NextGen Acela are much shorter than the regular trains, so position yourself carefully on the platform to minimize walking once the train arrives. I noticed Amtrak staff at each station helping minimize “dwell time” for the train by getting passengers off and on as quickly as possible.
USE THE RED CAPS: If your train originates at your station, like our return from DC, get priority pre-boarding with the help of the Red Caps. Avoiding the throngs queueing to board is worth a tip, even with reserved seats.
HOW’S THE RIDE?: In a word, spectacular. All the Acelas run no faster than Metro-North in Connecticut, but south of NYC it’s a whole different railroad. True to its promise our train hit 159 mph on the straightaways in New Jersey and the ride overall was very smooth, unlike the 25-year-old Amfleet cars or the 50-year-old Amfleet cars on the slower trains.
SERVICE: Enroute the cabin cleaning staff came around to collect trash and Café Car items were available (credit cards only) from a cart moving between the cars. The Café Car itself looked great with self-serve windows displaying the food items. But there are no tables to sit down, just some counters where you can perch and munch.
The food offerings were “premium” and priced accordingly.
The on-board Wi-Fi was spectacular… truly 5G.
ON-TIME?: Like many Amtrak trains, even the super-Acela tends to run a few minutes late in Connecticut because of Metro-North traffic. We departed about ten minutes late from Stamford but, because the schedule is padded, were on time out of Penn Station NY and arrived early in Washington DC.
IS IT WORTH TRYING?: Yes, at least once. Amtrak has a lot riding on these new trainsets, so try one soon and you’ll see what the future will be like.
Editor’s Notes: i) Jim Cameron is the founder of the Commuter Action Group and advocates for Connecticut rail riders. He writes a weekly column called ‘Talking Transportation,’ which is published by a number of publications in the state. ii) ”Talking Transportation” recently won first place in the general column/commentary category in the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism Contest.
The Wee Faerie Village opens Saturday at the Florence Griswold Museum. This year’s theme is “Gardener’s Grove: a Growing Community.” Photo courtesy of the Florence Griswold Museum.
OLD LYME — The perennially popular Wee Faerie Village and a new exhibition titled, ‘Fall Into Impressionism‘ open today at the Florence Griswold Museum In Old Lyme.
The theme of the Wee Faerie Village this year is Gardener’s Grove: a Growing Community! and it celebrates the growing world with a wee community that is inspired by plants. Each site will be place for a faerie to live, work, play, or shop that is based on a single flora or plant type…flower, vegetable, bush, or tree.
The event will feature at least two dozen faerie installations as well as a roster of special events to compliment the theme.
Since 2009 over 190,000 visitors have immersed themselves in the spirit of imagination and whimsy that comes from visiting at least two dozen pint-sized installations across the Museum’s campus on a perfect autumn day.
Autumn Sunlight (1888) by.Theodore Robinson (1852–1896) is a signature painting of the ‘Fall Into Impressionism’ exhibition opening Saturday at the Florence Griswold Museum..OThe painting is oil on canvas and a gift of the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company. Photo courtesy of the Florence Griswold Museum.
‘Fall Into Impressionism’ features selected artworks from the Museum’s permanent collection, which celebrate the appeal of fall to the Impressionists, whose flecks of paint capture the textures and colors of autumn.
For artists including Fidelia Bridges, Charles Ebert, Frank Vincent DuMond, Breta Longacre, Willard Metcalf, and Theodore Robinson, fall presented the opportunity to contemplate nature in transition. They appreciated both the season’s vibrance and its gradual movement toward much more muted colors.
Many of these painters spent August in cooler climes like Maine, but come Septeber, they flocked back to Connecticut as the weather cooled to paint outside in the drier air, particularly in locales like Old Lyme.
During the fall, leaves dazzled with reds, golds, and a multitude of other colors before falling to the ground. The artists would concentrate on the play of light and shadow in these autumnal months before the weather turned cold and maybe the first snow fell. At that point, they headed back to their studios in the city for the winter.
The Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am-5pm. Special event pricing is in effect at this time as follows: $23 Adults, $22 Seniors (62+), $21 Students (13+). Entry is free to Children 12 and under, and members.
