Apr 25 Thursday
Shannon Bowring will discuss the book The Road to Dalton with host Bill Nemitz on April 25th at 7:00 PM.
Do you love books? Are you interested in hearing from the author and looking behind the curtain at what the author was thinking while writing? Perhaps have the author respond to a question or two that has been on your mind about a particular scene or character. Look no further than the Maine Public Book Club!
Click HERE to join the book club and receive information about book club news & events!
May 02 Thursday
Join in the fun and register your team for a 2024 News & Brews Trivia night!
Team check-in starts at 5:30pm. Trivia starts at 6:00pm!
*Note that we can’t accept teams with more than 5 players.
Click HERE to see the full 2024 News & Brews schedule!
Apr 24 Wednesday
Orkney (Scotland) born fiddler Louise Bichan and Indiana (USA) mandolinist Ethan Setiawan present a collaboration and meeting of their musical worlds in Hildaland. A path steeped in the fiddle traditions of their respective sides of the Atlantic, the journey taken wends through Scottish, oldtime, and Swedish inspired music intertwined with contemporary compositions. Bichan’s fiddle is a melodic foil to Setiawan’s counterpoint and harmonic depth, and the two weave in and out seamlessly.
Setiawan has won such accolades as the 2014 National Mandolin Championship, the 2017 RockyGrass Mandolin Championship and has shared the stage with the likes of Julian Lage, Darrell Scott, Bryan Sutton, Mike Marshall, Tony Trischka, Darol Anger, Casey Driessen, the Steel Wheels, Don Stiernberg, Matt Flinner, and Jacob Jolliff.
Bichan has won awards for her compositions and playing, and has travelled far and wide to perform in various line ups since a young age. She has appeared at the likes of the BBC TV's Hogmanay Live show, Edinburgh Castle, Reading Festival, Cambridge Folk Festival, Lorient Interceltique Festival, Milwaukee Irish Festival and Sligo Live festival. In 2016 she released her first solo album, Out of My Own Light, to great acclaim.
Appalachian and Scottish traditions, intertwined with contemporary compositions.
Two phenomenally talented chamber ensembles, Palaver Strings & Grammy award-winning Attacca Quartet join forces for a unique collaborative performance. Selected musical works explore themes of togetherness and collective vision, in human communities, physical space, and the natural world.
Caroline Shaw’s Plan & Elevation responds to the landscape of Dumbarton Oaks and ideas of space and proportion. Paul Wiancko’s Only Ever Us reflects on human connection, while Under the Sea Wind, co-composed by Dana Lyn and Kyle Sanna for Palaver Strings, explores the interconnectedness of marine ecosystems. The program concludes with Dvorak’s Serenade for Strings, an iconic staple of string chamber repertoire, featuring the combined forces of both ensembles.
PROGRAM:Egos flos Campi a 7: Jacobus Clemens non PapaPlan and Elevation: Caroline ShawUnder the Sea Wind: Dana Lyn/Kyle SannaOnly Ever Us: Paul WianckoSerenade for Strings: Antonin Dvorak
Are you new to Irish Set Dancing? That’s “Set” not “Step”. Big difference! Set dancing is fun & is not the performance style dancing you may have seen on “Riverdance”. It is a social form of folk dancing & a team effort. If you are not yet a dancer, but are curious, join this group for the easiest way to get started! Come to the fun & friendly Casco Bay Irish Set Dancers group in Yarmouth. Group meets at 7:00 pm on Fridays at Yarmouth Community House 179 East Main Street in Yarmouth. No prior dance experience is necessary. No partner required. $3 per class Drop-ins welcome. We recommend comfortable shoes. Bring a water bottle – you will get thirsty!! For more information & to let us know you are coming to the dance, contact the group leader – Mike Gentile 207-847-3038 or mdguscga70@gmail.com cascobaysetdancers.com
Apr 26 Friday
Join us Friday Night for special island themed drinks from the new Bar Lemont and the premiere of Raging Brass, a 7-person Carribean, Dub and Reggae outfit lead by Lemont's music guru Marc Chillemi.
STUDENTS GET IN FREE WITH RSVP!
Walk into a room where Raging Brass is playing their Afro-Caribbean styles mixed with jazz, reggae, ska and West African beats, and you will be transported and filled with histories tether, where language is lost and unnecessary. Curated by Marc Chillemi, trumpeter, bandleader, composer and arranger, the cacophony of sound is a marvel to behold. His selection of some of Portland's finest players allows the music to be what Chillemi calls, "Improvisational by Design". It dips in and out of solos and danceable beats into a curious mix of pure unadulterated joy. You can see it on the player's faces, they are having so much fun. Chillemi moves to the music bouncing between the slides of the trombone as the saxophones create meandering notes down a blue-scaled Caribbean flavor. He's got the chops to own this ensemble but is isn't about just one, it is the mix of all of these musicians playing there might through the throws of life. Hence, the band motto "out of many, one sound".
LA Arts is pleased to host an evening of live music featuring Vision Video, Then Comes Silence, and Cold Creeps on Friday, April 26. The performances will be held at LA Arts, 168 Lisbon Street, Lewiston, ME. Doors open at 6:30pm; music starts at 7pm. Tickets are $17 and the event is open to all ages.
We are thrilled to announce that Rock Around the World is back –– for the first time since 2016! Mark your calendars for 7-11pm on April 26th, for a night of international dancing, music, and cuisine at the city of Portland’s Ocean Gateway terminal. Hosted by the Portland Public Schools’ Multilingual & Multicultural center, our 12th annual Rock Around the World will kick off with a live and silent auction featuring items and experiences generously donated by Southern Maine community members and businesses. With delicious hors d’oeuvres from around the world, dance instruction from 10 sensational performers, a 50/50 raffle, and the dynamic musical stylings of DJ Our Latin Thing, you won’t want to miss out on all of the excitement! All proceeds raised from Rock Around the World will benefit Portland Public Schools students enrolled in the Make It Happen program.
The Make It Happen program, founded in 2007, serves language minority students across Portland’s public middle and high schools, providing enrichment opportunities, college admissions support, and personalized and structured academic coaching. With many graduates of the program being the first in their families to attend an institute of higher education, Make It Happen is crucial to helping students raise and realize their academic aspirations.
Tickets to the event are limited! To reserve your ticket(s) and to learn more about Rock Around the World, please visit www.portlandschools.org/rock! If you would like to support the event remotely, visit our webpage after April 1st to participate in our virtual silent auction or to donate directly to the Foundation for Portland Public Schools.
Choreography by USM Dance Faculty & Guest Artists
To reclaim - one’s space, one’s movements, one’s environment - is a powerful gesture that requires strength and conviction. To reclaim is also to recover, to reuse, to recycle, or to remake what once was, into something new. Using this theme as inspiration, the USM dance faculty and guest artists have created new contemporary dance works for the Russell Hall Stage.
Portland Ballet presents its take on the classical comedic ballet with A Harlequinade. This entertaining tale follows lovestruck Harlequin as he tries to marry his sweetheart, Columbine, while evading her disapproving father, Pantaloon, and his sidekick, Pierrot. Filled with fanciful choreography and charming characters, A Harlequinade will delight and inspire audiences of all ages.
Apr 27 Saturday
Handbell ringers from all over the state of Maine will gather together on Saturday, April 27 at Auburn Middle School for the 2024 Maine Spring Ring. The day will conclude with a concert that is free of charge and open to the public.The concert will be offered at 4:00 pm on April 27 in the Auburn Middle School gymnasium, located at 38 Falcon Drive, Auburn. The audience will be treated to seven massed-rung pieces, along with solo performances by several individual ensembles. A free-will offering will be collected and proceeds will be split 50-50 for two purposes: 1) to cover costs associated with the event, and 2) to support the One Lewiston Resilience Fund, established to help the families and community recover from the October 25, 2023 Mass Shooting Tragedy.Maine Spring Ring is sponsored by Handbell Musicians of America, Inc. (HMA) for the benefit of its members and member ringers. HMA is dedicated to uniting people through the musical art of handbell and handchime ringing. For more information about HMA, visit www.handbellmusicians.org