Rotary Club of Marblehead Harbor

It will, indeed, be “the most wonderful time of the year” when baritone Colin Levin and radio personality Ray Brown take the stage with The Hillyer Festival Orchestra in a musical program that sparkles with wonder and enchantment for this year’s Holiday Pops on Saturday, December 10 at Abbot Hall in Marblehead.

Levin’s rich baritone voice will fill Abbot Hall with the grandeur of “O Holy Night” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” as well as special selections from Rodgers and Hammerstein. 

For the children and the child-within-us-all, Ray Brown, whose voice is well-known by classical radio listeners, will narrate the iconic story, “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” accompanied by full orchestra.

Dirk Hillyer and The Hillyer Festival Orchestra will treat us to lush arrangements of Victor Herbert’s “March of the Toys,” a selection from Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite,” and holiday classics and delights.

Those arriving when the doors open at 7 p.m. for the pre-concert Dessert Reception will be greeted with caroling by The Marblehead Veterans Middle School Select Chorus and The Ovations directed by Robert Tirelli.

Maestro Hillyer will lift his baton at 8 p.m. and the concert will begin. 

During intermission, Bette Hunt’s signature Holiday Pops art, “A View From Prospect Alley,” will be raffled off.

And during the second act of the concert, Ed Bell will auction off the baton and the right to conduct The Hillyer Festival Orchestra in “Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer.”

Levin has appeared as a soloist with the Caramoor Music Festival, Opera New Jersey, Opera Boston, Winter Opera St. Louis, St. Petersburg Opera (FL), the Sugarcreek Symphony and Song (IL), Illinois Opera Theater, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Performed opera roles include Figaro in both Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Le Nozze di Figaro, Mercutio in Romeo et Juliette, Sam in Trouble in Tahiti, Sid in Albert Herring, Dandini in La Cenerentola, The Forrester in Janacek's The Cunning Little Vixen, Morales in Carmen, Mr. Lindquist in A Little Night Music, Baron Douphol in La Traviata, Starveling in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Tobias Mill in Rossini's La Cambiale di Matrimonio, Top (cover) in Copland's The Tenderland, and the cover to the title role in Hindemith's Cardillac.

Concert appearances include the baritone soloist in Ein Deutsches Requiem, the Faure Requiem, Vaughan-Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem, the Mozart Requiem, and Messiah.

Levin earned a Bachelor of Music from The Oberlin Conservatory of Music. 

Brown is a music host on WGBH’s 99.5 All Classical radio in Boston, and the narrator for Simon & Schuster’s Pimsleur Language Programs.  He is also the creator and host of the Talkin’ Birds radio show, heard on eight stations around New England and on podcasts via iTunes and Talkinbirds.com. 

Among his broadcast achievements, Brown’s been a Top 5 national finalist in

Air Personality of the Year competitions from Billboard Magazine and the

National Association of Broadcasters; his “Back Seat Governor” radio promotion

was featured in a Time Magazine photo story; he’s received a National

Association of Auto Dealers “Chassie” Award for radio commercial performance; and his novelty record “Get Preppy (the Preppy Song)” was played on radio stations in major markets including Boston, Cleveland, St. Louis, and Detroit.

As a commercial narrator, Ray has voiced presentations for Colgate-Palmolive, Hasbro Toys, McDonald’s, and the U.S. Coast Guard, and serves as a regular off-camera voice on Boston’s WBZ-TV. He has performed on stage as narrator in live performances with the Boston Pops, the Boston Classical Orchestra, the Boston Ballet Orchestra, and the Boston Landmarks Orchestra.

Ray’s other interests include kayaking, birdwatching, politics, and football. He lives in Boston.

• The Reception to Honor Bette Hunt - Holiday Pops Artist - at Abbot Library
• Tickets for December 10 Holiday Pops Concert Go On Sale

Ticket Order Form

Marblehead, Mass. -- Thursday, November 10 is a big day for Holiday Pops fans: concert tickets go on sale and a reception to honor 2011 Holiday Pops artist Bette Hunt and premiere her  “A View of Abbot Hall from Prospect Alley,” will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Abbot Library, 235 Pleasant Street in Marblehead.

The artist’s reception is free and open to the public and includes light refreshments catered by Linda Bassett.
In addition, balcony tickets for $35 each, raffle tickets for Hunt’s original art for $5 each or 3 for $10, giclee prints of the art for $50 each, and notecards featuring Hunt’s art in packets of 10 cards for $10 will all be available for sale at the reception.

While most people know Bette Hunt best as Marblehead’s official town historian and the high-energy guide who conducts witty and wonderful walking tours of the downtown, Hunt is also a trained artist. 

The one tradition of the Holiday Pops art is that it includes Abbot Hall, a subject Hunt knows extremely well.  In fact, in the many years she has created original art for the holiday cards she and husband Jack send to their closest friends, Hunt says she has probably only twice ever featured anything other than the iconic town hall. 

Hunt’s Holiday Pops painting is worked in pen-and-ink and watercolor, demonstrating her artist’s eye for fine detail and nuance. 

The Holiday Pops signature art has become an important tradition in promoting the annual concert, now in its 14th year, benefiting the work of The Rotary Club of Marblehead Harbor and VNA Care Network and Hospice.  As a side note, Hunt was a charter member of The Rotary Club of Marblehead Harbor.

Following the artist reception, the artwork will be on display at Arnould Gallery & Framery (November 11-19), National Grand Bank (November 21-25), Marblehead Bank (November 28-December 1) and Marblehead Historical Society & Museum (December 2-4), and The Sea Gull (December 5-9) in the weeks leading up to the concert.

Tickets go on sale November 10. Floor seats are $50 each and balcony seats are $35 each.

Tickets for balcony seats will be available in person in Marblehead at Arnould Gallery and Framery, 111 Washington Street; Marblehead Bank, 21 Atlantic Avenue; National Grand Bank, 91 Pleasant Street; and, Spirit of ’76 Bookstore, 107 Pleasant Street. They are also available in Danvers at VNA Care Network & Hospice at 5 Federal Street in Danvers.

The Holiday Pops concert will be Saturday, December 10 at Abbot Hall featuring Dirk Hillyer and The Hillyer Festival Orchestra.  Concert night will begin at 7 p.m. with a Dessert Reception; the concert will begin promptly at 8 p.m.  The raffle for Bette Hunt’s original painting will be held the night of the concert during the intermission.

Floor tickets can be purchased exclusively by mail using the order form in the November 10 issue of The Marblehead Reporter and at www.rcomh.org and www.vnacarenetwork.org.

In addition, order forms for logo art note cards, art prints, and raffle tickets for the original art will also be available on-line at www.rcomh.org and at www.vnacarenetwork.org on November 10.

For more information, contact Jodi Vigneron at 781-631-1900, ext. 1363 or at jvigneron@vnacarenetwork.org or Jessica Barnett at 781-639-0624 or at jdharbar@comcast.net. 

Kim Carrigan from FOX 25 Morning News to MC  “Cheap and Chic” on the Harbor

Marblehead Harbor Rotary Scholarship fundraiser at the Eastern Yacht Club

Save the Date – Thursday, September 15, 2011        Cheap and Chic Tickets!

Mablehead, MA - Kim Carrigan, FOX 25 Morning News co-host will be the guest celebrity host for the Marblehead Harbor Rotary Club’s “Cheap & Chic” fashion show on Thursday, September 15.  The event, which is a fundraiser for the Marblehead Harbor Club’s scholarship programs, will take place on the picturesque terrace of the Eastern Yacht Club.  

“We are absolutely delighted that Kim Carrigan, one of the North Shore’s most popular news anchors and the epitome of chic, has again graciously agreed to help us with our fundraising event” said Cheap & Chic co-chair Vicki Staveacre.  “The show will feature a  selection of stylish and affordable clothes and accessories provided by fashion stores Madam Had’Em and DS Designs.   We have seven gorgeous models, most of whom run businesses in town and they will have hair styled by Moore & Moore, and make up by Euphoria Esthetics”.   
 
The event, now in it’s third year, will again be held at Eastern Yacht Club and music will be provided by local DJ and musician MichaelAngelo.  
The local residents who will be models for this year’s fashion show are Liz Garthe, Madam Had’em regular and healthcare and crash data analyst;  Jodi Gildea, co-owner of the Con$ignments furniture and home goods store on Atlantic Avenue; Lauren Comer, owner of Scuppers children’s store; Grooveback girls Molly Brown and Melissa Sherwood; Taj Tillah, owner of Taj Pilates; non profit consultant Linda Fairbanks Atkins and Marblehead High School freshman Holly Zmetrovich.

Cheap & Chic will start at 6 00 p.m. with hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar and conclude with a bucket raffle for prizes donated by club members and  local area businesses.  Tickets for the event priced at $40 each or $75 for two are available from DS Designs,  Madam Had’Em and Moore & Moore  or online at Cheap and Chic Tickets!

 

Marblehead Harbor Rotary Scholarship fundraiser at the Eastern Yacht Club

Save the Date – Thursday, September 15, 2011        Cheap and Chic Tickets!

The third annual "Cheap & Chic" fashion show of gorgeous and affordable clothes and accessories will be held on Thursday, September 15, from 6 to 8:30 p.m.  The event, which is a fundraiser for the Marblehead Harbor Rotary Club’s scholarship programs, will take place on the picturesque terrace of the Eastern Yacht Club overlooking Marblehead Harbor.
 
“Marblehead fashion stores DS Designs and Madam Had’em have again agreed to provide a selection of stylish and affordable clothes and accessories while Moore & Moore will provide hair styling and Euphoria Esthetics in Swampscott will provide make-up styling to ensure our glamorous models look their best,” said Becky Linhart, Marblehead Harbor Rotarian and co-chair of the event.  "We are also most grateful to the Eastern Yacht Club for providing us with a very stylish waterfront venue.  With the combination of gorgeous clothes and accessories and a venue with breathtaking views of the sunset over the harbor, we are again expecting a sell out event.”
 
Last year’s Cheap & Chic fundraiser raised almost $6,000 for the Marblehead Harbor Rotary Club's scholarship programs.  Every year for the past 10 years the club has awarded six $1,000 scholarships to graduating Marblehead High School seniors and the club’s long term goal is to raise enough money to make the scholarship offerings permanently sustainable.

The Cheap & Chic show will start at 6 p.m. with hors d'oeuvres, a cash bar and a bucket raffle for prizes donated by club members and local area businesses.  The fashion show is slated to start at 6:45 p.m.  Tickets for the event are $40 for a single and $75 for two and are available On-Line Here or from DS Designs, Madam Had'Em and Moore & Moore in Marblehead. 

GateHouse News Service
Posted Nov 27, 2010 @ 08:16 AM

Marblehead —  The long-awaited DVDs of the MHTV show on Marblehead history are now available at retail outlets throughout the town.

Entitled “20th Century Marbleheaders: Their Memories, Wisdom & Wit,” the documentary was a joint production with the Rotary Club of Marblehead Harbor, whose members acted as field producers, videographers, scriptwriters and narrators. Media veteran Ed Bell, who is a RCoMH member and was executive producer of the show, said, “This is probably one of the biggest productions of its kind that MHTV has done.”

The show had its origins when Bell was appointed to the MHTV Board of Directors, and it was suggested that an oral history of the town would be a good project for MHTV. Rather than take a purely historical perspective, Bell decided to capture the flavor of the century through interviews with ordinary Marbleheaders, whose names were suggested by his fellow Rotarians.

As a result, the film weaves a colorful story of Marblehead in the 20th century, relating the time when access to the Neck was by ferryboat and the train still came into town. A total of 20 local residents take part, including 98-year-old Doris Bartlett, who tells of her early days working in the Adams House restaurant and then opening her own restaurant, the Bide A Wee. Eastern Yacht Club Commodore Robbie Doyle and lobster fisherman Ray Bates talk about the decline in sailing and fishing over the course of the century, while former selectman Bill Conly recounts some of the big storms that hit town.

Read entire article on line at Wiked Local Marblehead

2010 Holiday Pops Ticket Order Form

Soprano Jean Danton, The Hillyer Festival Orchestra, the Marblehead Veterans Middle School Select Chorus and The Ovations

13th Annual Holiday Pops to feature Soprano Jean Danton, The Hillyer Festival Orchestra and Marblehead Veterans Middle School Select Chorus and The Ovations on Saturday, December 11 Balcony tickets and new concert gift baskets are available!

Marblehead, MA – The 2010 Holiday Pops promises to be an evening during which music will accompany this year’s patrons every step of the way…literally!
 
From the moment the doors of stately Abbot Hall open at 7 p.m. on Saturday, December 11, for the Holiday Pops dessert reception, Marblehead Veterans Middle School Select Chorus and The Ovations under the direction of Robert Tirelli will welcome guests with melodious caroling from the steps of the historic building.
 
At 8 p.m. when Maestro Dirk Hillyer raises his baton, the audience will be treated to glorious holiday music by Strauss, Cerulli, Berlin, Tchaiskovsky, Copland and others performed by The Hillyer Festival Orchestra. Soloist and actress Jean Danton’s soprano voice will delight the audience with an array of selections and then she will invite the audience to join her to sing-along to cherished holiday favorites.

Danton has performed throughout the United States and Europe in opera, oratorio, recitals and with symphony orchestras. 

She has been a soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra with Keith Lockhart and Bruce Hangen, Handel and Haydn Society under Christopher Hogwood and John Finney, Oregon Bach Festival with Helmuth Rilling, and Boston Baroque with Martin Pearlman. 

The Associazione Culturale - Storici Organi del Piemonte in Italy has invited her back for her third series of baroque concerts in the 2011 season. 

Ms. Danton made her Carnegie Hall debut with the Masterwork Chorus and her Lincoln Center debut at Avery Fisher Hall with the National Chorale, in both instances performing Handel’s Messiah.

Ms. Danton’s operatic performances include roles with Boston Baroque, Greater Buffalo Opera, Cambridge Opera, Brown Bag Opera and Cambridge Community Chorus.  She has appeared with Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Opera Theatre and the Boston Early Music Festival.

She is often a soloist for Pops concerts and musical theatre appearing with the Boston Pops Orchestra, North Shore Music Theatre, American Classics, Hillyer
Festival Orchestra and New England Light Opera. 

Her versatility also extends to jazz and she is a passionate advocate of contemporary music.  An acclaimed recitalist, she has performed on the N.Y. Trinity Church Concert Series in N.Y.C. and the Twentieth Century Music Series at the N.Y. Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.  She has performed at the Rockport Chamber Music Festival, Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Festival, Yale Center for British Art, and the Meeting House Chamber Music Festival on Cape Cod.

Danton has several solo recordings on Albany Records and Newport Classic. She can also be heard as Jeanette MacDonald on the newly released CD of New England Light Opera’s world premiere production of Yes, Yes Jeanette! Her television credits include the PBS documentaries The Nobel Legacy, Apollo 13-To the Edge and Back, American Experiences: Stephen Foster and Mary Magdalen for Lifetime.  For more information about her schedule and her recordings, please visit www.jeandanton.com.

The Holiday Pops evening includes a pre-concert reception at Abbot Hall beginning at 7 p.m.

Floor tickets have sold out. Balcony seats are $35 each and are available in person in Marblehead at Arnould Gallery and Framery, 111 Washington Street; The Garden Collection, 155 Washington Street; and at National Grand Bank, 91 Pleasant Street.  They are also available at VNA Care Network & Hospice at 5 Federal Street in Danvers.

Remaining tickets, subject to availability, can be purchased the night of the concert at Abbot Hall.  Notecards and giclees featuring the 2010 logo art “Dusting of Snow” by Joan Colt Hooper as well as raffle tickets for the original painting are available through the downloadable form on-line at www.rcomh.org and at www.vnacarenetwork.org.  

As a new feature this year, four dinner-and-a-show gift baskets are available and packaged for gift giving.  The basket begins with a $50 gift certificate for dinner at either Jack Tar Restaurant in Marblehead, 5 Corners Kitchen in Marblehead, Caffe Italia in Marblehead or a $30 gift certificate to The Grapevine Restaurant in Salem. The show part of the gift includes two balcony tickets to the Holiday Pops concert at Abbot Hall, a paper fine art giclee print of “Dusting of Snow,” the 2010 Holiday Pops Logo art, this year painted by Marblehead’s own Joan Colt Hooper, a package of note cards featuring the 2010 artwork and 6 raffle ticket chances to win the original artwork.  Baskets have an estimated value of $225 but are being sold for $125.  The supply is limited to the four baskets.  If you are interested, please contact Jodi Vigneron at 781-631-1900, ext 1363 or Jessica Barnett at 781-639-0624. 

Proceeds from this gala event will benefit the philanthropic projects of the Rotary Club of Marblehead Harbor and Rotary International and the local patient care services of VNA Network & Hospice. 

For more information, contact Jodi Vigneron at 781-631-1900, ext. 1363 or at jvigneron@vnacarenetwork.org or Jessica Barnett at 781-639-0624 or at jdharbar@comcast.net.

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