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Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra performs at Plymouth Church

The Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra performed to a full house at the Plymouth  Church of the Pilgrims on March 27. The program was a delightful mix of both traditional and “off-beat” selections.

The evening began with Laideronnette, Empress of the Pagodas, the third movement of Maurice Ravel’s “Ma Mere L’Oye.” A wonderfully experimental work on the pentatonic scale, this airy, oceanic composition is modern yet traditional. It was followed by Serge Prokofiev’s infinitely complex “First Violin Concerto.” After a brief intermission, the evening concluded with Tchaikovsky’s complete “Fifth Symphony.”

For this writer, the highlight of the evening was Prokofiev’s First Violin Concerto. Soloist Masha Lankovsky makes her violin speak flawlessly on many emotional levels. Her two curtain calls were well deserved. Continue Reading →

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P.S. 8 Does The Bard or These Little Shadows Are Too Cute to Offend

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No one is ever too young for Shakespeare, and PS 8′s third and fourth graders are about to prove this with their upcoming performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The performance is part of the drama program started by Noel Gentile three years ago.  Until recently, the productions mounted by the students were original pieces tackling issues such as the culture divide, racism, and the environment. However, because the new dates for New York State standardized tests left little time to develop the student’s original pieces, Gentile opted for a production of the Bard’s most famous comedy.

But how well can an eight-year-old understand texts that scholars spend a lifetime poring over?

“We started with simplified versions of Midsummer, so the kids could get a basic idea of the plot. Then we moved on to individual scene study so the cast could fully understand what was going on,” Gentile said while supervising children who, fresh from a rehearsal, were waiting to be picked up by their parents.

Gentile edited the five-act play, which generally has a running time of 3 hours, to a 40- minute show.  However the text has not been simplified. With 31 actors, 12 dancers, and props, costumes and scenery all created by the students, this production will certainly be a formidable accomplishment for these youngsters.

“They have far surpassed out expectations,”  Gentile said proudly.

Midsummer Night’s Dream will be performed on February 5th and 6th at 6pm.  There is a $5 suggested donation.

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The Boat May be Rockin’ but Inside it’s All Swing


The Mark Soskin Trio is one of the many accomplished music groups you will find performing year round at Bargemusic.

At first glance this floating white barge seems an unlikely place for a night of Jazz.  But make no mistake, Bargemusic is a great place to hear some very talented musicians here in Brooklyn Heights.

Founded by Olga Bloom in 1976.  Bargemusic is committed to enhancing New York’s cultural life with year round chamber music performances. Thursdays are Jazz night down at Bargemusic, now in it’s thirty-second year.

Formerly a transport for coffee beans in 1899, bought by Bloom and turned into a floating concert hall.  The interior of the barge was made by salvaged wood from the scrapyards of the Staten Island Ferry.  The wooden interior is a perfect choice, the acoustics of this ‘floating concert hall’ are amazing.

the-trioPaul Nidenberg, a longtime fan of the Mark Soskin Trio calls Bargemusic an “incredibly underutilized resource”.  As we talk in between sets he mentions the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development project saying “as this water front is finally getting used, maybe these guys [Bargemusic] will get some more exsposure.”

The Mark Soskin Trio consisting of the former on piano, Jay Anderson on upright bass, and Adam Nussbaum on drums, has been playing together on and off for the last five years.  They have released a new album ‘The Man Behind the Curtain’ with Kind of Blue Records which is available on their website www.marksoskin.com.

The band playing at the front of the barge, the Manhattan skyline bobbing up and down behind them.  This writer can think of many reasons to check out this and future seasons of Bargemusic, but certainly no excuses to miss it.

Bargemusic schedule available at The Brooklyn Bugle

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The Brooklyn Youth Chorus to Present Holiday Harmonies at Local Church

The Grammy Award-winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus will present a selection of songs for the holiday season tonight at 7:30 p.m.  and tomorrow (12/19)  at noon and 7:30 at Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral at 113 Remsen Street.  ”The selections for the evening will be songs of the season and choral masterpieces old and new,” says Valerie Lewis, Brooklyn Youth Chorus executive director.

Under the baton of Artistic Director Dianne Berkun, the Brooklyn Youth Chorus has been performing since 1992. Members of this ethnically and culturally diverse chorus hail from over 125 high schools in over fifty zip codes.

Lewis is confident the concert will be a big success. She told The Brooklyn Heights Blog, “From Mariah Cary’s ‘Hero’ to ‘Frosty the Snowman,’ all five chorus divisions promise to bring joy to Brooklyn Heights.”

For tickets and more info, check out brooklynyouthchorus.tix.com or call 1-800-595-4849

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The Sirens of Brooklyn Holiday Benefit Concert

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Check out the Sirens of Brooklyn performing their annual holiday benefit tonight at 8pm at the First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Brooklyn, 50 Monroe Place to raise money for Women for Women International.  The organization provides female survivors of war, civil strife and other conflicts with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency.

Think indie rockers in white singing holiday songs in an old Gothic Church.  Tickets are available for pre-sale at www.ticketweb.com for $15, or you can pay $20 at the door.

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New Neighbor: Charlie-n-Diamond

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Your next piece of jewelry can be made by a local Brooklynite whose work is featured at Charlie-n-Diamond at 105 Atlantic Avenue.

Anna Man and Elizabeth Lind make jewelry as “Darby and Darby,” in the space formerly occupied by Man’s Unisex salon Boy Luv Girl, which moved up the street and left 105 Atlantic Avenue empty. They saw the perfect location for their new boutique Charlie-n-Diamond. The boutique will offer not only Darby and Darby jewelry, but also the work of other local artists.

“We really have fun doing this, we really love it. We like to do things locally, to support artists in our community,” says Lind. Her excitement is quite contagious as she shows new customers around the store.

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