Category Archives: Arts

Old Lyme Church Invites Community to Sacred Jazz Worship Service, Sunday Morning

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Dr. Michael White and His New Orleans Jazz Ensemble Return to Old Lyme 

OLD LYME – During the weekend of Nov. 5 and 6, the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme  (FCCOL) will hold a free  “Rhythm of the Saints” Concert on Saturday night followed by a Sacred Jazz Worship  Service on Sunday morning – with both events featuring the return of Dr. Michael White and his New Orleans Jazz Ensemble.  


On Sunday morning, Dr. Michael White and his New Orleans Jazz Ensemble will play during a Sacred Jazz Worship Service at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme.

The concert will take place on Saturday, Nov. 5, at 5 p.m., and the worship service on  Sunday, Nov. 6, at 10 a.m. Both events will take place in the Meetinghouse, are free and open to all area residents. Seating is available on a first come, first served basis.  

In announcing the special events, Senior Minister Rev. Steve Jungkeit said, “During the final days of October and into the first week of November, Christian churches mark All Saint’s Day, or All Soul’s Day. It is a time in which we honor the lives of those who have died during the past year, but it’s also a time to recognize the  wisdom of those who have come before us.”

He continued, “In similar fashion, African and Indigenous  traditions use that time to honor their own wisdom keepers of the past, in celebrations  that often last for several days. It’s a cultural practice that we in Old Lyme do well to emulate and uphold.’  

Jungkeit added, “Once again this year, Dr. Michael White and his New Orleans Jazz Ensemble return to Old Lyme to help us all to recognize and affirm the ancestral voices that have guided us individually and collectively along our life journeys.”  

He elaborated, “With a sound that reaches back to the earliest days of jazz – one that is, in truth, older than jazz, and older than the country itself – Michael White’s music calls to the  ancestors, even as it raises the tired and flagging spirits of those privileged to hear these ancient/modern songs.”

Jungkeit concluded, “The jazz ensemble’s songs establish a rhythm for the saints, both the living and dead, for both the past and present.”

Third Robbie Collomore Concert Presents Noree Chamber Soloists Playing Schubert, Mozart, Dvořák in Chester, Sunday

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CHESTER — The third Robbie Collomore Concert will be held Sunday, Nov. 6, at 5 p.m. at the Chester Meeting House. The Noree Chamber Soloists will present a concert of Schubert, Mozart, and Dvořák.

The first piece on the program is Franz Schubert’s String Quartet No. 10 in E-flat Major. Schubert was only 16 when he composed this quartet. It was first performed by family members in their home, with Franz Schubert on the viola, and has thus been nicknamed the Household Quartet.

When Schubert was growing up, the most common form of instrumental music performed in the home was the string quartet, so he began composing quartets for his family at the age of 14. He wrote six for home performances while still at school at the Imperial City Seminary in 1813 – this is the only one of those six still performed regularly.

Schubert studied with Antonio Salieri while at school, who guided him to a more mature expression of his compositional thoughts. The work is in four movements, three of which are in sonata form. Schubert’s gift for melody is apparent throughout the work, and the finale is a rambunctious Allegro, with recaps from the first movement. It’s an altogether delightful and listenable quartet.

Enjoy a wonderful concert of chamber music presented by very talented young musicians.

The Noree Chamber Soloists feature some of the best young chamber musicians in the greater New York area. The performers are Francesca DePasquale and Elizabeth Frayette, violins; Bethany Hargreaves-Lewis, viola; Yi Qun Xu, cello; and Yoon Lee, piano.

Visit http://collomoreconcerts.org/ to order tickets or for more information about upcoming concerts, or call 203-488-8403.

The Movie Man: My Top 10 Favorite Scary Movies

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It’s that spooky time of year … Photo by Sergiu Baica on Unsplash.

Kevin Ganey is ‘The Movie Man.’

Well, it’s that time of year, to which we refer — in a cringey, cliched manner — as “Spooky Season.”

Not only do the decorations come up, but we seek out that which scares us in all mediums. And so I think it’s only appropriate if I share my favorite scary movies with the readers of LymeLine.

I’ve decided to present them in a Top 10 List in the manner of David Letterman. Whether I’m as witty or humorous as him is for the reader to decide …

And so here we go.
10. Aliens
This is, no question, one of my favorite action movies of all time. And there could be no more frightening a monster than the Xenomorphs from the Alien franchise (a creature that bleeds acid). While the first movie certainly keeps you on the edge of your seat, we’re not dealing with one of these monsters this time, but an entire planet.
9. Jaws
Name any other movie that has made people afraid to go into the water. I’ll wait. (Not exactly an autumn movie … maybe Labor Day at best?)
The malfunctioning mechanical shark led Spielberg to jump on the innovative idea popularized by filmmaker Val Lewton that it’s not what we see that scares us, but what we don’tsee; hence shooting the scenes from the shark’s point of view in the first half.
I personally think the scariest scene doesn’t involve the shark, but Quint recounting his survival story on the USS Indianapolis.
8. The Innocents
The creepiness begins right off the bat with a child singing a lament that chills you to the bone. There’s something about children and ghost stories that perverts the very nature of the latter …
An adaptation of Henry James’ novella The Turn of the Screw (with a script co-authored by Truman Capote), this film depicts a governess in Victorian-era England caring for two small children, one of whom may be possessed by the ghost of the estate’s former groundskeeper.
7. The Changeling
I discovered this little known film starring George C. Scott when I saw it was included in Martin Scorsese’s Top 11 Horror Films. Simply put, it was the first movie to scare me in years. I would describe it as the perfect ghost story film, with the spirit of a child reaching out to the living from beyond the grave for overdue justice.
6. The Exorcist
Modern audiences will not be scared by this film, but that is only because filmmakers have built layer upon layer of this groundbreaking piece. Initially, what scared me most about this movie was the make-up/mask worn by Linda Blair as the possessed Regan McNeil.
But what scared me following that was learning about the concept of demonic possession — an aspect of my life (faith) that I had not been introduced to before. It was the equivalent of learning that your neighbor was a mafia hitman.
What was most terrifying was the technical accuracy of the process in which the Catholic Church investigates and gives the green light for exorcisms. The vulgarity and obscenity scandalized many (and was actually encouraged by the clergy, based on alleged cases of possession), so much so that many towns refused to show it in their local theatres, which led to bus trips to the nearest possible town for viewing parties.
During its initial release, viewers were prone to faint and ushers were trained to awaken said viewers with smelling salts.
5. The Silence of the Lambs
If you are not won over by the fact that this is one of only three movies ever to have won the “Big Five” at the Oscars (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay) since, let’s face it, the Oscars are not the right metric for good movies, perhaps I can simply quote a couple of the many chilling lines from the movie.
How about, “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti,” or, “It rubs the lotion on its skin, or else it gets the hose again.”
Jodie Foster recalled that, because of the way the film was shot with face-fronting angles, she and Anthony Hopkins rarely had a scene together. Later on she shared how terrified she was of his performance as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, while he separately shared that he was scared of her.
Also consider that Hopkins, while appearing for less than 30 minutes on screen, qualified for the category of Best LeadingActor (talk about having an impact.)
4. The Omen
The theology revolving around the Anti-Christ and eschatology is absolute c–p, but we cannot deny the eeriness.
The movie rips Bible verses out of context to create an ominous, prophetic feel about world events revolving around the American ambassador Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck), who swapped his stillborn baby for another, whose mother died while giving birth at the same moment … and this child turns out to be the spawn of Satan.
There’s a mystery feel to it, as Thorn investigates why spooky occurrences have been happening since the fifth birthday party for his “son”, Damien. Add Jerry Goldsmith’s Academy Award-winning score, and it can’t get much better than that.
The scene in which Thorn visits the ruins of an ancient Etruscan cemetery to find the truth about Damien’s “mother” still creeps me out to this day.
3. The Birds
No joke, the day after I saw this, a flock of birds flew by me and I shuddered. I was suddenly afraid of simple, little creatures that I saw every day. I think that’s all I need to say to summarize the power of this movie.
2. Psycho
Similar to The Exorcist, this film does not give us the jumps that it gave upon its initial release in 1960 (as many filmmakers have built upon its innovations in the years since), but we cannot deny that Norman Bates is, almost without question, probably the most disturbing character in all of cinema.
What terrifies me the most is not the iconic shower scene, but the finale in which the psychiatrist explains why Norman is the way he is.
And the number one pick for favorite scary movie of all time goes to…
1. The Shining
There is no question that this is a masterpiece of cinema. Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s 1977 bestseller was not well-received upon its initial release in 1980, but it has since aged like an exceptional fine wine.
With top-notch performances by Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall, accompanied by musical pieces by Krzysztof Penderecki, one cannot deny this terror-infused tour-de-force.
As I said in my introduction, in this season we will start seeking out what scares us. Some will go for decorations, costumes, and some will seek out theme parks (I’m anxiously trying to get to Six Flags for Freight Fest this year). But again, you can’t go wrong with a movie, a medium that combines all forms of art and is accessible, in the words of Shakira, “Whenever, Wherever …”
About the Author: Though no longer a resident of Lyme, Kevin knows he can never sever his roots to the tree of his identity. When not attending to his job in Boston, he is committed to ensuring a better grasp of current (and past) releases of cinema to his home community as he strives to leave his own mark in the same field that has always been his guide to understanding life. If you enjoy his published reviews here on LymeLine.com, follow him on his website at ‘The City of Cinema‘ and read more of his unique insights into entertainment.

Musical Masterworks Kicks Off 32nd Season With New Artistic Director Tessa Lark, Saturday; Tickets on Sale Now

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Violinist Tessa Lark takes over as Artistic Director of Musical Masterworks for its 32nd season.

OLD LYME — Musical Masterworks opens its 32nd season at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme with concerts on Saturday, Oct. 22 and Sunday, Oct. 23. 

This will be violinist Tessa Lark’s inaugural season as Artistic Director and she has planned an exciting program for all the concerts.

“I have found there has always been a beautiful mixture of new faces amongst the Masterworks veterans, who graced the stage each season — and you’ll notice the same this year,” explains Lark.

She adds, “For our first three concert weekends, we’ll come straight out of the gate with artists that are brand new to the series, though they are already legends in their own right.”

Joining Lark for the open performances in October will be pianist Inon Barnatan, violist Ayane Kozasa, and cellist Gabriel Cabezas.

The concerts will feature Brahms, Strauss, Gershwin, Wiancko and an original composition by Lark.

Musical Masterworks 32nd season runs from October 2022 – April 2023 at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme at 4 Lyme Street. 

To purchase subscriptions ($175 each), mini-subscriptions ($115 each), individual tickets ($45 each), or student tickets ($5 each), visit Musical Masterworks at www.musicalmasterworks.org or email admin@musicalmasterworks.org. 

Lyme Resident, Acclaimed Artist Judy Cotton Presents Debut Book at Lyme Academy

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OLD LYME — On Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 4 p.m., Lyme Academy of Fine Arts invites community members to a Tea & Talk with Judy Cotton as she shares her first book Swimming Home: A Memoir. 

This free event will take place at de Gerenday’s Fine Art Materials and Curiosities located on the campus of the Academy at 84 Lyme St. (South Entrance) in Old Lyme.

Cotton will read excerpts from her book, and a discussion with the internationally-recognized artist and author will follow.

Copies of Cotton’s debut publication will be available for purchase for $25.99 along with a book signing that will take place after the event.

The author explains, ”This memoir is an effort to understand my mother and the country I loved and left behind for a life in the arts in America. But my complicated feeling for her and the country, Australia, stayed with me.”

Cotton explains that she likes to use words in the same way that she paints. She illustrates that concept with this excerpt: “Morning light in Sydney has a quality of powdered gold, spilt celestial talcum. It gets up the nose … Fragrance sheets the air. Walking through it is like wading through a tidal river in bursts of warm and cold … it was September, the wattle was flowering, and it smelt like napalm.”

Chris Gordon’s review of Swimming Home describes the book as, “… watertight; it immediately conjures up images of tidal currents and the fearsome mystery of deep water, alongside hopeful shallow rifts.

Washington Post Art Critic Sebastian Smee describes Cotton as “… an enthusiastic observer of the natural world, both in the wilds of America and in her native Australia.” He adds, “Cotton has long been drawn to life in flux. And this memoir is just that — a moving feast of observation and obligation, of wit and internal struggle, and of a portrait of a family told with great pathos.”

Born in Australia in 1941, Cotton has lived and worked in the U.S. since 1971. She is a visual artist with work held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Lyman Allyn Art Museum, the Florence Griswold Museum, the National Gallery of Australia and numerous private collections.

From 1974 to 1993, Cotton was the New York contributing editor for Vogue Australia.

In 2008, she began to live in Lyme full time alongside the Connecticut river, which has influenced and informed her work.

For more information about the event, call Cameron Paynter at 860-434-8725.

To learn more about events, lectures, workshops and programs offered at the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts, visit www.lymeacademy.edu.

Editor’s Note: The mission of the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts is to teach the foundational skills of drawing, painting, and sculpture in the figurative tradition. By its commitment to training students in these skills and an engagement with contemporary discourse, the Academy will empower a new generation of artists. Through its programs and related ventures, including the opening of de Gerenday’s Fine Art Materials and Curiosities on its historic campus, the Academy is committed to enriching the cultural life of the community. 

Learn more by visiting www.lymeacademy.edu.