THE WALKER LECTURE FUND
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The Timothy and Abigail B. Walker Lecture Fund Presents

 THE WALKER LECTURES for 2011-2012

This is the 115th season of the Timothy and Abigail B. Walker Lecture Fund.  This unique fund grew from a bequest of $30,000 in the will of Abigail B. Walker, widow of Timothy Walker, in 1892.  The first Walker Lecture programs were presented in 1896, and more than 1,400 performances and lectures have been given since then. 

According to the terms of the trust, we offer “free courses of lectures upon subjects of history, literature, art or science, and free dramatic, musical, literary historical and other cultural events to be given in Concord, the native city of Timothy Walker and lifelong residence of Abigail B. Walker.” 

In accordance with the terms of the trust, all Walker Lecture films and performances are free and open to the public.  No tickets are required and no reservations are taken.  Seating is on a first come-first served basis, and doors open approximately 30 minutes prior to programs.   

With the exception of Handel’s “Messiah” which is held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Park Street, all shows are at the Concord City Auditorium on Prince Street (directly behind City Hall)

For more information, call 603-224-4285 or 603-225-9004. 

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Friday, Sept. 23 & Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011 (Friday at 7:30pm; Saturday at 2:00pm)
Live Musical Revue - A Full House – Three Queens and Two Jacks    
  
             
Betty Thomson and the Community Players of Concord are back! Betty brings you a new musical revue featuring the very talented cast of Candy Azotea, Michael Coppola, Paula Demers, Sue Sartarelli, and Marc Willis. The show covers three generations of songs about love, luck, and laughter, and includes an audience sing-a-long. Don’t miss this one!
 

 
Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011 – 7:30pm
Ten Hours Until Dawn
with Michael Tougias
 

During the height of the blizzard of 1978, the pilot boat Can Do, with five men aboard, set out from Gloucester to assist a Coast Guard boat and an oil tanker that was in a Mayday situation.  Ten Hours Until Dawn tells the story of what happened on that night when the storm was producing monstrous 40-foot waves and the wind was screaming at 100 mph.  Author Michael Tougias takes us through this incredible night when many lives hung in the balance.   
 

Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011 – 7:30pm
Crosscurrents of Change
with the Concord Historical Society
 

The story of Concord’s 20th century history is chronicled in this new book published by the Concord Historical Society.  Illustrated with historic photos, this program will bring alive memories of Concord schools, sports, farms, businesses, healthcare, politics, the heyday of the railroad, and more.  You’ll learn how the book was put together, and have an opportunity to share your own stories of Concord past.   
 
 

Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011 – 7:30pm
The Life & Times of Rev. Timothy Walker
with Martin Carroll
 

Learn about one of the great figures in the history of Concord, Reverend Timothy Walker, the community’s first minister.  Martin Carroll’s research reveals a man of rare quality and character, one who was able to skillfully navigate the potentially volatile waters of religion and politics.  Find out about Rev. Walker’s three trips to England to resolve Concord’s territorial dispute with Bow, and listen to his own words as crafted in sermons at Concord’s North Church (today’s First Congregational Church).
 
 

Wednesday,  Nov. 2, 2011 – 7:30pm
Sahel: A West African Journey
with Sid and Mary Lee Nolan
 

Scholar-filmmakers Sid and Mary Lee Nolan take us on a fascinating journey through the Sahel, the African zone that borders the Sahara Desert and separates it from the humid forestlands to the south.  Start on the Atlantic shore of Senegal and travel overland to Mali and along the Niger River to Mali’s Dogon Country.  This is a truly remarkable and little-visited region of the world, and the Nolans bring alive its people, traditions, art, wildlife and natural beauty.
 
 

Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011 – 7:30pm
Live Performance – A Musical Travelogue
 

The Musicians of Wall Street Chamber Players present a “travelogue” of music from France, Germany and America for woodwind quintet and piano, featuring the Thuille Sextet, a romantic masterwork,  along with music by Roussel and Barber.

The Chamber Players are members of the Concord Community Music School faculty:  Jennifer Yeaton-Parris, flute; Stefani Burk, oboe; Stephanie Ratté, clarinet; Maria Isaak, bassoon; Brian Gardell, French horn; and Gregg Pauley, piano.  
 

An Annual Tradition
SPECIAL HOLIDAY PERFORMANCE
(Please note time and venue!)

Saturday, December 3 – 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – 
Open Rehearsal
Sunday, December 4 – 7:00 p.m. -  
Performance
At St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Park Street, Downtown Concord
 
www.messiah.webatu.com

Handel’s Messiah – 
Live Performance
The Concord Community Chorus under the direction of Benjamin Greene will present the 81st annual performance of Handel’s Messiah on Sunday, December 4 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church on Park Street in downtown Concord. 

There will be an open rehearsal on Saturday, December 3 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. with chorus, soloists and orchestra.  Again this year, the Sunday evening performance features a professional orchestra.

The soloists will be Janet Poisson, Soprano; Emily Jaworski, Alto; Frederic Scheff, Tenor; and Matthew Stansfield, Bass.  The trumpet soloist will be Jay Daly.  

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. There are no tickets, and seating will be limited to 450, so plan to arrive early.  More information available at www.messiah.webatu.com  
 

Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012 – 7:30pm
Pakistan & Afghanistan: Behind the Headlines – From Kabul to the Khyber Pass
with Marlin Darrah
 

What is it like for a non-military traveler to walk around the villages, towns and marketplaces of these two countries that are so much in our news?   Marlin Darrah provides the answer, visiting Kabul, the largest city in Afghanistan, crossing the incredible and historic Khyber Pass, and getting to know the people of Peshwar, Jhanda and Dharra in Pakistan.  Will the traveler find friendliness and hospitality?  Find out in this outstanding film travelogue.  
 
 

Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012 - 7:30pm
Live Performance - The Many Splendors of Love
with Susie Burke, David Surette and Kent Allyn
 

A perennial song topic, love ranges from the tender and passionate to the tragic and broken-hearted.  This program displays the many side of love in song.  Based in the contemporary and folk genre, the diverse backgrounds of Susie, David and Kent also allow for side trips into blues, ballads and classic jazz standards.  Susie’s beautiful, heart-felt singing is supported by guitar, mandolin, piano and bass, making for a rich and varied musical presentation.  Bring your sweetheart on Leap Day!
 
 

Wednesday, March 14, 2012 - 7:30pm
Majestic Montana
with Steve Gonser
 

Montana is our fourth largest state, but cattle outnumber people three to one.  Within its boundaries are two national parks, ten national forests, seven Indian reservations, and several national monuments and historic sites.  Yet Montana’s people define it – they are self-reliant, with personalities so expansive that so few people really do fill the state.  Join Steve Gonser on his journey to explore the majestic qualities that make Montana a special place.  
 
 

Wednesday, March 21, 2012 7:30pm
Around the World – One Man’s Journey
with Doug Jones
 

Doug Jones’ father, Harold, was an engine inspector for Trans World Airlines, and Doug had the chance to travel the world at a young age from his home in Kansas City.  Now, after four decades of travel filmmaking, Doug gives us a retrospective, drawn from over one half million feet of motion picture film, shot on six continents and in over 60 countries.   He uses the film to show how our world has changed, and he exposes the viewer to an amazing assortment of cultures and nations.  
 
 

Wednesday, April 4, 2012 - 7:30pm
Live Performance  - The New England Brass Goes to Broadway
with Jay Daly and the New England Brass
 

Thrill to the outstanding virtuosity of the New England Brass as they return to the Walker Lecture stage.  Their program includes a “Broadway Overture” arranged especially for the New England Brass, selections from Richard Rodgers’ Carousel, popular Broadway trumpet solos featuring the incomparable Jay Daly, a musical “History of Broadway,” written for the group by Pat Hollenbach of the Boston Pops.  Don’t miss the great music!
 
 

Wednesday, April 11, 2012 – 7:30pm
The Heart of San Francisco
with Sandy Mortimer
 

The fascinating anatomy of San Francisco begins with a heart that almost stopped beating on April 18, 1906, the day of the Great 8.6 Earthquake.  Starting with rare film footage of the earthquake’s aftermath, Sandy Mortimer guides us through today’s San Francisco, from Chinatown to the Haight/Ashbury District … through Golden Gate Park and on to the Embarcadero, Fisherman’s Wharf , the Presidio Nob Hill and even Alcatraz.  You may even leave your heart in Sandy’s San Francisco.  
 
 

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 -7:30pm
Live Performance – Save the Day
with Folksinger/composer Kate Campbell
 

“I’ve always written stories about people and everyday living,” says Kate Campbell.  With her compassionate tone and sometimes-quirky approach, Kate has made a musical niche for herself, telling stories exploring the complex topics of race, religion, history and human relationships.  Her musical history runs the gamut from R & B and pop rhythms to gospel, country and folk.  Kate has performed at the legendary Bluebird Café in Nashville and the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, and at folk festivals from Boston to Port Fairy in Australia.  
 
 

For more information: call 225-9004 or 224-4285