Music for an Autumn Afternoon
Four area musicians will present “Music for an Autumn Afternoon” at the Newtown Meeting House on Sunday, November 9, at 2:00 p.m.
The purpose of the concert is to raise awareness and revenue for the Newtown Meeting House Handicapped Entry Fund, an effort to make the 18th century building handicapped-accessible. Tickets are $15.00 in advance or $20.00 at the door. Credit cards are welcome for advance reservations only, by calling (203) 270-8293. If guests are unable to attend the concert, donations will also be gratefully accepted by the Heritage Preservation Trust, 38 Walnut Tree Hill Road, Sandy Hook, CT 06482.
Dramatic soprano Gwynne E. Wittmann, lyric soprano Elizabeth Norton, and mezzo soprano Ann Martindale will perform solo and ensemble pieces from Purcell to Poulenc to the cabaret songs of William Bolcom. Also featured will be Bellini’s famous duet “Mira, o Norma” and the final trio from the opera Der Rosenkavalier, by Richard Strauss. All three women are students of soprano Pamela J. Hoffman, of Brookfield.
Internationally acclaimed concert pianist Margarita Nuller will accompany the vocalists and also perform solo works by Scarlatti, Liszt, and Bolcom. Ms. Nuller trained at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia and made her American debut at Carnegie Hall in 2000, as the winner of the Artists’ International Auditions. She teaches piano at the Kent School and privately at her studio in New Fairfield.
Ms. Wittmann is now in her twelfth year as choral director at New Fairfield High School and Middle School. She graduated magna cum laude from Bucknell University with a Bachelor of Music degree in music education and a concentration in vocal performance, and received a Master of Science degree in music education summa cum laude from Western Connecticut State University. She lives with her family in Sandy Hook.
Ms. Norton studied voice for many years in the Washington, DC area, where she sang with the National Cathedral Choral Society, the Potomac Valley Opera Company and Opera Americana. In Connecticut, she has performed as a soloist with the St. John’s Chorale, Washington Depot, and with the St. Rose Festival Chorus in Newtown for a September 11 commemorative concert. She works as a science writer and lives with her family in Woodbury.
Ms. Martindale is a member of and regular soloist with the Saint John’s Chorale and Saint John’s Church choir, both in Washington, CT. This past June, she and Richard Busch, music director at Saint John’s, continued their series of evening salon events
featuring American jazz standards. Ann also recently performed an original composition by Mr. Busch as part of a summer concert series in Wellfleet, MA. This concert marks her second appearance with Ms. Norton and Ms. Wittmann at the Newtown Meeting House. She has been a student of Pamela Hoffman since 2006. Ann is also managing partner of the law firm of Moots, Pellegrini, Mannion, Martindale and Dratch in New Milford. A resident of Warren, she is married to Stephen Jacobs and has two children.
The Newtown Meeting House was built in 1720, in the center of Newtown where the flagpole now stands, and served as the center for all of the town’s religious, social, and civic activities. When the Episcopal Church wished to build on the southeast corner of the intersection, a team of men and horses rolled the building onto logs, hitched horses to the logs and rolled the Meeting House to its present location. In the 1850s, the Congregational Church purchased the building and held services there until 1988, at which time the church sold the Meeting House to the town for $1. Since then, the Heritage Preservation Trust has completely restored and continues to maintain and improve the property, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building’s place in Newtown history is so important that local second graders attending all Newtown’s public elementary schools visit the Meeting House as part of their student Historic Tour.
The Meeting House serves a variety of needs. In the last thirteen years, over 500 couples have been united in marriage at the Meeting House. On Sundays the building is used by a religious group which does not have its own building. Civic and private groups regularly meet there. Christenings, bar/bat mitzvahs, concerts and theatrical presentations regularly take place here. The gleaming Colonial architecture and beautiful acoustics make the Meeting House an especially fine space for recitals and concerts. People come from all over the area to perform in or attend events at the Meeting House. It’s one of the area’s treasures, both architecturally and acoustically.
But with two flights of original stairs, the 18h century structure is not accessible to handicapped persons. Presently, guests using wheelchairs can only enter the building if they are carried up the stairs. Even for those with lesser difficulties, such as balance or vision problems or injuries, gaining access to the main area can pose challenges.
Pamela J. Hoffman, who holds recitals for her students in the Meeting House, voiced her deep sadness when in 2005 the father of one of her students, while building a family tree house, fell and was paralyzed from the chest down. His need for a wheelchair made it difficult to get into the building to hear his son sing. “The horrible accident profoundly changed the lives of this amazing family, as similar accidents have changed the lives of millions in our country,” says Ms. Hoffman, noting that an estimated 1.4 million Americans are wheelchair bound.
Around the same time as this accident, Mary Mitchell, an author and civic-minded Newtown resident, mentioned to Ms. Paisley the many functions and performances she would love to attend but was not able to, due to difficulty negotiating the stairs.
Ms. Mitchell was the honored guest at a concert in June of 2007, at which Ms. Wittmann, Ms. Norton, Ms. Martindale, and Ms. Nuller gave their first performance together. Ms. Mitchell donated has $5,000.00 in seed money for the Handicapped Entry Fund.
“Our hope is for this performance to be one of many concerts and other efforts to raise not only money, but awareness of the need for wheelchair accessibility,” says Ms. Hoffman. “Sherry Paisley was the ideal person to collaborate with, since she and her husband Tom are enthusiastic supporters of community activities.” Ms. Paisley runs other events for the Handicapped Entry Fund, including the annual Newtown Hooked Rug Show held every fall. Other groups regularly utilizing the Meeting House are Winterset Ski Club, Newtown Bridle Lands Association, Newtown Junior Women’s Club, Mom’s Club of Newtown, TOPS, and the Society of Creative Arts of Newtown. SCAN is holding its annual four day art show this year from October 16 through 19.
Ms. Hoffman and Ms. Paisley had previously organized two concerts, in 2002 and 2004 to raise donations for the Yamaha concert grand piano. “Upon raising enough money to purchase the piano, a 2005 concert introduced both the new instrument and a wonderful young pianist, Ryo Yanagitani, to the community. Both were resounding successes,” notes Ms. Paisley.
Ms. Hoffman adds that although the piano has been a wonderful gift to the Meeting House, the handicapped entry fund is a much bigger and more costly undertaking. “Having the Meeting House available to everyone will make a profound difference, not only on a personal level for those who are handicapped, but a timeless gift for generations to come,” says Ms. Hoffman.
The purpose of the concert is to raise awareness and revenue for the Newtown Meeting House Handicapped Entry Fund, an effort to make the 18th century building handicapped-accessible. Tickets are $15.00 in advance or $20.00 at the door. Credit cards are welcome for advance reservations only, by calling (203) 270-8293. If guests are unable to attend the concert, donations will also be gratefully accepted by the Heritage Preservation Trust, 38 Walnut Tree Hill Road, Sandy Hook, CT 06482.
Dramatic soprano Gwynne E. Wittmann, lyric soprano Elizabeth Norton, and mezzo soprano Ann Martindale will perform solo and ensemble pieces from Purcell to Poulenc to the cabaret songs of William Bolcom. Also featured will be Bellini’s famous duet “Mira, o Norma” and the final trio from the opera Der Rosenkavalier, by Richard Strauss. All three women are students of soprano Pamela J. Hoffman, of Brookfield.
Internationally acclaimed concert pianist Margarita Nuller will accompany the vocalists and also perform solo works by Scarlatti, Liszt, and Bolcom. Ms. Nuller trained at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia and made her American debut at Carnegie Hall in 2000, as the winner of the Artists’ International Auditions. She teaches piano at the Kent School and privately at her studio in New Fairfield.
Ms. Wittmann is now in her twelfth year as choral director at New Fairfield High School and Middle School. She graduated magna cum laude from Bucknell University with a Bachelor of Music degree in music education and a concentration in vocal performance, and received a Master of Science degree in music education summa cum laude from Western Connecticut State University. She lives with her family in Sandy Hook.
Ms. Norton studied voice for many years in the Washington, DC area, where she sang with the National Cathedral Choral Society, the Potomac Valley Opera Company and Opera Americana. In Connecticut, she has performed as a soloist with the St. John’s Chorale, Washington Depot, and with the St. Rose Festival Chorus in Newtown for a September 11 commemorative concert. She works as a science writer and lives with her family in Woodbury.
Ms. Martindale is a member of and regular soloist with the Saint John’s Chorale and Saint John’s Church choir, both in Washington, CT. This past June, she and Richard Busch, music director at Saint John’s, continued their series of evening salon events
featuring American jazz standards. Ann also recently performed an original composition by Mr. Busch as part of a summer concert series in Wellfleet, MA. This concert marks her second appearance with Ms. Norton and Ms. Wittmann at the Newtown Meeting House. She has been a student of Pamela Hoffman since 2006. Ann is also managing partner of the law firm of Moots, Pellegrini, Mannion, Martindale and Dratch in New Milford. A resident of Warren, she is married to Stephen Jacobs and has two children.
The Newtown Meeting House was built in 1720, in the center of Newtown where the flagpole now stands, and served as the center for all of the town’s religious, social, and civic activities. When the Episcopal Church wished to build on the southeast corner of the intersection, a team of men and horses rolled the building onto logs, hitched horses to the logs and rolled the Meeting House to its present location. In the 1850s, the Congregational Church purchased the building and held services there until 1988, at which time the church sold the Meeting House to the town for $1. Since then, the Heritage Preservation Trust has completely restored and continues to maintain and improve the property, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building’s place in Newtown history is so important that local second graders attending all Newtown’s public elementary schools visit the Meeting House as part of their student Historic Tour.
The Meeting House serves a variety of needs. In the last thirteen years, over 500 couples have been united in marriage at the Meeting House. On Sundays the building is used by a religious group which does not have its own building. Civic and private groups regularly meet there. Christenings, bar/bat mitzvahs, concerts and theatrical presentations regularly take place here. The gleaming Colonial architecture and beautiful acoustics make the Meeting House an especially fine space for recitals and concerts. People come from all over the area to perform in or attend events at the Meeting House. It’s one of the area’s treasures, both architecturally and acoustically.
But with two flights of original stairs, the 18h century structure is not accessible to handicapped persons. Presently, guests using wheelchairs can only enter the building if they are carried up the stairs. Even for those with lesser difficulties, such as balance or vision problems or injuries, gaining access to the main area can pose challenges.
Pamela J. Hoffman, who holds recitals for her students in the Meeting House, voiced her deep sadness when in 2005 the father of one of her students, while building a family tree house, fell and was paralyzed from the chest down. His need for a wheelchair made it difficult to get into the building to hear his son sing. “The horrible accident profoundly changed the lives of this amazing family, as similar accidents have changed the lives of millions in our country,” says Ms. Hoffman, noting that an estimated 1.4 million Americans are wheelchair bound.
Around the same time as this accident, Mary Mitchell, an author and civic-minded Newtown resident, mentioned to Ms. Paisley the many functions and performances she would love to attend but was not able to, due to difficulty negotiating the stairs.
Ms. Mitchell was the honored guest at a concert in June of 2007, at which Ms. Wittmann, Ms. Norton, Ms. Martindale, and Ms. Nuller gave their first performance together. Ms. Mitchell donated has $5,000.00 in seed money for the Handicapped Entry Fund.
“Our hope is for this performance to be one of many concerts and other efforts to raise not only money, but awareness of the need for wheelchair accessibility,” says Ms. Hoffman. “Sherry Paisley was the ideal person to collaborate with, since she and her husband Tom are enthusiastic supporters of community activities.” Ms. Paisley runs other events for the Handicapped Entry Fund, including the annual Newtown Hooked Rug Show held every fall. Other groups regularly utilizing the Meeting House are Winterset Ski Club, Newtown Bridle Lands Association, Newtown Junior Women’s Club, Mom’s Club of Newtown, TOPS, and the Society of Creative Arts of Newtown. SCAN is holding its annual four day art show this year from October 16 through 19.
Ms. Hoffman and Ms. Paisley had previously organized two concerts, in 2002 and 2004 to raise donations for the Yamaha concert grand piano. “Upon raising enough money to purchase the piano, a 2005 concert introduced both the new instrument and a wonderful young pianist, Ryo Yanagitani, to the community. Both were resounding successes,” notes Ms. Paisley.
Ms. Hoffman adds that although the piano has been a wonderful gift to the Meeting House, the handicapped entry fund is a much bigger and more costly undertaking. “Having the Meeting House available to everyone will make a profound difference, not only on a personal level for those who are handicapped, but a timeless gift for generations to come,” says Ms. Hoffman.
Tickets
Adults: $15 in advance / $20 at the door
Credit cards welcome for advance reservations only
For tickets call 203-270-8293
Adults: $15 in advance / $20 at the door
Credit cards welcome for advance reservations only
For tickets call 203-270-8293
