THE WALKER LECTURE FUND
               upcoming events page
                    hosted by Classical 94.7

The Timothy and Abigail B. Walker Lecture Fund Presents

 THE WALKER LECTURES for 2009-2010

The Walker Lecture Series has been a great Concord tradition since 1896! As set forth in Abigail Walker’s will, “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 the lifelong residence of Abigail B. Walker.” 

All events are free and no tickets are required.  For more information: call 225-9004 or 224-4285

.

Friday, September 25 – 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, September 27 – 2:00 p.m.
Live Musical Revue – “The 1944 Big Band Comedy Canteen”  

Step back in time to 1944 when WWII was raging and patriotism was at an all-time high as you enjoy The Concord Community Players production of Betty Thomson’s show.  Be entertained by an all-star radio show being broadcast to soldiers overseas, featuring the likes of the Andrews Sisters, Al Jolson, Betty Hutton, Eddie Cantor, Groucho Marx, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and Bob Hope.  The finale is a flag-waving, toe-tapping event with Kate Smith singing “God Bless America ” and George M. Cohan’s “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and “Grand Old Flag.”  Don’t miss this great season opener!

Wednesday, October 7 – 7:30 p.m.
Yellowstone – Trails and Tales

Sandy Mortimer’s latest film captures some of the most intimate scenes of otters - as well as the lives of coyotes, wolves, bears, moose, fox, mountain sheep and elk.   They’re all filmed in the wilds of Yellowstone National Park . None of the photography is taken with controlled animals as is frequently done in nature films. We invite you to share the many true, and humorous, experiences in the lives of our friends, the otters, and their neighbors, during all four glorious seasons.  

Wednesday, October 14 – 7:30 p.m.
A Taste of Old Holland

Don and Fran Van Polen bring a new prospective to an old country with their film on the Netherlands . It is delightful to travel to the Netherlands  because the Dutch have a high regard for tradition.  You’ll explore the back roads and byways of old Holland, hear the fascinating stories and traditions, walk through fields and gardens of tulips, visit the ancient mills on Windmill Day and savor the flavor of what the country was like a hundred years ago.

Wednesday, October 28 – 7:30 p.m.
Maine Humorist Tim Sample

Tim Sample is widely regarded as New England ’s premier native humorist.  His books, albums and videos have sold well over a million copies.  For 11 years, he was a regular essayist for CBS News Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood.  Don’t miss Tim’s first Concord appearance for several years, and his side-splitting stories of Moody’s Diner, the Bangor Packet, and many other yarns from the believable to the far-fetched. 

Wednesday, November 4 – 7:30 p.m.
Summer in Alaska’s Western Arctic

After 70 days paddling on the Utukok river which flows west to the Chuckchi Sea and on the Colville River which flows east to the Beaufort Sea in 2008, 3-time N.E. Emmy award-winning filmmaker Richard Khan, of Wilton, NH, returned with interviews with Alaskan native peoples and stunning visions of its wildlife and vast landscapes. The film, and still photos, were shot in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska in a project commissioned by the Alaska Wilderness League. Richard spent three months in northern Alaskan wilderness shooting rare on-the-ground footage of this remote wilderness.

Wednesday, November 11- 7:30 p.m.
Western Canada – Far and Wild

From the wildest coasts of the Queen Charlotte Islands to the ice chocked waters of Hudson Bay ... from the peaks of the Rockies to the canyons of the Nahanni River … experience the wildest parts of Western Canada, the most popular sites in the region and the cities that have lured travelers from around the world.  From Banff and Lake Louise to Victoria and the Butchart Gardens , from beluga whales to grizzly bears, share with John and Denice Wilson the adventures of a lifetime in their latest film.

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

Saturday, December 5 – 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 6 – 7:00 p.m.
at St. Paul ’s Episcopal Church, Park Street , Concord
Handel’s Messiah – Live Performance

The Concord Community Chorus under the direction
of Benjamin Greene will present the 79th annual
performance of Handel’s Messiah on Sunday,
December 6th at 7:00 p.m. at St. Paul ’s Church on
Park Street .

There will be an open rehearsal on Saturday,
December 5th from  2 to 4 p.m. with chorus and orchestra only.
 
Again this year, the Sunday evening performance includes a
professional orchestra.

The soloists will be Peggo Hodes, Soprano; Jennifer
Hanson, Alto; Charles Lindsay, Tenor; and Mark
Andrew Cleveland, Bass.  The trumpet soloist will be
Jay Daly.

Wednesday, March 3- 7:30 p.m.
The New England Brass –
Live Performance

Seven musicians playing more than 20 instruments, led by the incomparable Jay Daly, Bring you “The New England Brass Plays Gershwin (and other musical gems).”  According to the Boston Globe, “they are masterful in presenting a program that offers a refreshing diversity of sound, stylistic versatility, and spell-binding virtuosic showmanship … a thoroughly entertaining and unforgettable evening of tremendous music.  The program concludes with Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, featuring George Lopez on piano. 

Wednesday, March 10 – 7:30 p.m.
Inside Iran Today

While the news media brings us daily doses of news about Iran , Buddy Hatton has gone inside to produce this new film that covers history, tradition and life today in this highly civilized nation.  You’ll visit the 2500 year old ruins of Percepolis and Necropolis, but you’ll also tour modern Tehran , touring the Saad Palace in a Rolls Royce.  Witness an anti-American, anti-Israel protest march in Qom , Iran ’s second holist city.  There’s much more, so don’t miss it.

Wednesday, March 24 – 7:30 p.m.
Rebecca Rule’s Crosscut
Live Performance

Welcome New Hampshire author Rebecca Rule and her newest work, “Crosscut”.  Rebecca recorded the lives of Berlin , New Hampshire lumbermen and their families, the logging and the mills, in stories which cut right across the whole North Country .  Rebecca has adapted her play into a one-person dramatic telling of the stories of the Berlin millworkers.  Originally debuted as part of the Friends of Concord City Auditorium’s “Page to Stage” series in 2008, “Crosscut” is now a staged reading incorporating pictures of the folks Rebecca interviewed and historic photographs from the Beyond Brown Paper project at Plymouth State University .

Wednesday, March 31- 7:30 p.m.
Pianist Paul Dykstra –
Live Performance

A faculty member at the Concord Community Music School , concert pianist Paul Dykstra brings us an all-Beethoven program, featuring three sonatas from  interesting periods of the composer’s life.  These include the famed Moonlight Sonata and the Appassionata Sonata.  Pianist Dykstra will provide discussion and comment on the sonatas along with his outstanding performance.

Wednesday, April 7 – 7:30 p.m.
Barbados – Island in the Sun

Join us as Steve Gonser narrates his film on Barbados , a sophisticated tropical island with a rich history and plenty to capture the attention of visitors.  Seemingly endless white-sand beaches and a rich West Indian tradition are what put Barbados on the map.  The people here reflect the island’s atmosphere.  They are deeply religious, open, generous, friendly and thoughtful.  These people as well as the island’s history, culture, attractions and majestic landscapes repeatedly draw visitors to this Island in the Sun.

Wednesday, April 14 – 7:30 p.m.
“Two Old Friends” –
Live Performance

The 113th season concludes with a return engagement by New England ’s own Two Old Friends, Mac Hale and Emery “Hutch” Hutchins, who performed during the 2006-07 series.  Mac and Emery sing and play songs from Ireland – the mountains and the sea.  These two old friends have played, toured and recorded for decades.  Their program is sure to include some hot picking instrumentals and some great sing-alongs. 

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