Wellesley Choral Society’s Feb. 4 concert inspired by Silver Screen

January 31, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Wellesley Choral Society‘s next concert, “Music from the Silver Screen,” will take place on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 7pm at the Wellesley Hill Congregational Church (Sanctuary), 207 Washington St. in Wellesley.

The music performed will be a mix of movie themes, classical and popular songs, and Broadway show tunes found in film. Selections from such films as Amadeus, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Guys and Dolls, South Pacific, Disney productions, and many more will be presented. The WCS is led by Edward Whalen, music director, and will be accompanied on piano by Hisako Hiratsuka.

The event, while traditionally in a pops/cabaret style with refreshments, will be in concert form with no refreshments served this year due to COVID protocols. There will be a sing-along and silent auction (cash or check only, please). Masks are required for audience and singers.

The Wellesley Hills Congregational Church is accessible and there is ample free parking. Tickets may be purchased online or at the door: general admission $20, seniors and students $15, ages 12 and under are free. The Society has donated a limited number of free tickets to the Council on Aging at the Tolles Parsons Center, 500 Washington, St., Wellesley. Please call 781-235-3961 to see if tickets are still available.

Become a Swellesley supporter

Live music coming to Wellesley’s Lockheart Restaurant

January 26, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

There are numerous unique things about the Lockheart Restaurant, from its southwestern theme to its location next to the Wellesley Square fire station. Now add live acoustic music on Friday nights to that list, with plans to start on Feb. 3, from 8-11pm.

Regular live music at a Wellesley restaurants—now there’s something you don’t hear often. Those seeking live music locally will instead typically head to places like Morse Tavern in Natick or Horse Thieves Tavern in Dedham.

According to the town, Lockheart is the only restaurant with an entertainment license that includes acoustic music. Establishments must include the type of entertainment they are providing or intend to provide throughout the calendar year. The basic license is required for any background music and/or for any televisions, and there have been no recent changes to entertainment license rules in town.

Lockheart, which opened in July and operates its restaurant upstairs and downstairs at 102 Central St., will offer the music downstairs. There’s room for a few dozen patrons in that space.

Among those most excited is resident Patrick Hayden, who promotes performances by Wellesley musicians like himself through Wellesley Rocks! He’s coordinating the Lockheart music lineup with Dr. Shira Doron, a Wellesley resident and musical performer.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Hayden says. He expects live music at Lockheart will bring friends and family to the establishment, expanding the restaurant’s reach. Lockheart owner Derek Brady said in a statement that the music will give diners a chance to extend their evenings at Lockheart, which has a bar downstairs.

Hayden recalls working with J.P. Licks for months about 10 years ago to bring live music to its Central Street venue. Unfortunately, an early open mic event drew too big of a crowd—including the fire marshal—and was shut down shortly after the series began. Since then, Hayden and others have worked hard to expose the public to many local musicians through outdoor concerts in town.

Other examples of restaurants offering live music are few and far between. Bertucci’s got permission a few years back, when it was here, but may never have followed through on it.

(We’ve reached out to a few restaurants in town to ask if they have any plans or have considered live music, and will update this post if we learn anything more worth noting.)

Up first at Lockheart will be Connect 4 and friends.

Wellesley favorite Couch cracks Boston Calling music festival line-up

January 10, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

We’re pleased to see that Couch, a band featuring a couple of Wellesley High alums, has cracked this year’s big Boston Calling music festival line-up slated for Memorial Day Weekend at Harvard University’s athletic complex. Couch will be performing alongside the likes of Paramore, Queens of the Stone Age, and Bleachers.

As we reported last year, Couch is a band on the rise, increasingly showing up on popular festival line-ups. Couch bassist Will Griffin and trumpet player Jeffrey Pinsker-Smith are 2017 Wellesley High School graduates. Couch describes its style as infusing “pop songs with funk, R&B, jazz, and rock influences.”

“BOSTON CALLING!!! Over the moon to be playing alongside this LINEUP on memorial day weekend ” Couch shouted out on its social media.

Wellesley High alum Cam Meekins performed at last year’s Boston Calling.

Boston Calling tickets go on sale this Thursday, Jan. 12.

In Between Days festival

For music festival fans, this is an exciting time of year, as line-ups are revealed.

Also locally, tickets have gone on sale for the In Between Days 2-day festival in Quincy that features Lord Huron, Modest Mouse, Metric, and others, plus a vintage marketplace, vinyl record exchange, retro arcade, and food and drinks. It takes place Aug. 19-20, as a fun summer-ender.

Beach Road Festival

Martha’s Vineyard winds down summer on Aug. 25-27 with its Beach Road Festival. Performers include Leon Bridges, Alvvays, Mumford & Sons, and more.

The Stage @ Suffolk Downs

This new venue at the famed horse racing track in Boston opens in June with a series of 3 shows headlined by Steve Lacy, LCD Soundsystem, and Boy Genius. Ticket info.

Other local festivals, such as Levitate in Marshfield, have yet to announce their line-ups.

Subscribe to Swellesley’s daily email
Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com
If you like what we do and want to help, please consider making a completely non-deductible contribution

Change of plans for Wellesley High concert

November 21, 2022 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

The Wellesley High School Jazz Concert scheduled Tuesday, Nov. 22 at 7pm will no longer feature the New York Voices due to illness within the group. (This post was revised on 11/22/22.)

However, the Jazz Concert will still take place featuring 3 WHS jazz ensembles—the Rice Street Singers, 1:00 Jazz Combo, and 2:00 Jazz Band.

No tickets will be required for this free event.

The school will look to reschedule a concert with the New York Voices for the spring. If you purchased tickets for the concert, they will be honored at the rescheduled event. If you purchased tickets and would like a refund, contact Allison Madden via maddena@wellesleyps.org.

Subscribe to Swellesley’s daily email
Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Wellesley Choral Society opener is Nov. 13th

November 6, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

Wellesley arts news: ‘D Mac’ up for Grammy; ‘Something Rotten!’ on tap; Dana Hall presenting ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’

October 29, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The latest Wellesley, Mass., arts news:

‘D Mac’ up for Grammy

Wellesley High School Director of Choral Programs Dr. Kevin McDonald has been named one of 25 semifinalists for the 2023 Music Educator Award from the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum.

Finalists will be announced in December, and the winner will be recognized in February.

McDonald has been on the Wellesley High School faculty for 19 years. He directs the Rice Street Singers, Keynote Singers, Song Sisters, Brooks Brothers, and Concert Choir, plus oversees and advises the 80–student after-school A Cappella program.

‘Something Rotten!’ on tap

Look for tickets to be available soon for the Wellesley High School fall musical, Something Rotten!

Dana Hall presenting ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”

Dana Hall school will present its Upper School fall play, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” on Friday, Nov. 11, and Saturday, Nov. 12, at 7:30 p.m., in Bardwell Auditorium. Both performances are free and open to the public.

The story concerns a mystery surrounding the death of a neighbor’s dog that is investigated by Christopher Boone, a boy with autism, and his relationships with his parents and school mentor.

Bardwell Auditorium is located on the Dana Hall campus at 37 Cameron Street. Please note that Bardwell is not wheelchair accessible. For more information, please call (781) 235-3010 ext. 2731 or visit www.danahall.org.

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Wellesley school news: Hunnewell groundbreaking; Acatober tix; WHS All-Nationals in choir & band; Dana Hall open houses

October 20, 2022 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

The latest Wellesley, Mass., school news:

Hunnewell Elementary School groundbreaking

Wellesley town and public school officials last week joined the big dig at the new Hunnewell Elementary School site, same as the old school site. The old school building had been there since 1938, and the new one is slated to open in February 2024. The Wellesley HHU website provides regular updates on the project.

The teardown began over the summer.

While Hunnewell is under construction, students and staff are divvied up among other elementary schools in town.

The new two-story building will boast 18 classrooms and is designed for a modern learning environment.

Hunnewell School groundbreaking — Shiny shovels at the ready for the Hunnewell Elementary School groundbreaking ceremony. From left: Michael Tauer, Permanent Building Committee chair; Melissa Martin, School Committee; Tom Ulfelder, Select Board vice chair; Catherine Mirick, School Committee; Ellen Quirk, Hunnewell School principal; David Lussier, superintendent; Sharon Gray, former School Committee member. Photo by The Swellesley Report

Act now for Acatober tickets

There are still limited seats available for Acatober on Fri., Oct. 21, 7pm and Saturday, Oct. 22, 7pm, at Wellesley High School, 50 Rice S.

Acatober will feature the WHS Choral Department, WHS A Cappella Groups, and guest groups Northeastern Pitch Please, featuring WHS Class of 2021 Alumnae Chloe Cohen, and the Harvard Veritones featuring WHS Class of 2022 Alumnae Eleni Livingston.

To order tickets, scan the QR code on the picture.

Wellesley High music students named All-Nationals

Wellesley High School students Frank Mendes and Isabelle Lee have been selected to perform with the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Choir and Band, respectively.

WHS Choir member Mendes has been recognized through participation in the Massachusetts District and All-State festivals. His acceptance
into the Massachusetts All-State Choir qualified him to audition for the All-National Choir. While excited about this opportunity, Mendes says he’s also really looking forward to this weekend’s Acatober, the first WHS concert of the year.

WHS Band member Lee has also been recognized through participation in the Massachusetts District and All-State festivals. Her
acceptance into the Massachusetts All-State Band qualified her to audition for the All-National Band. She thanked her public school teachers and private lesson teacher.

The NAfME All-National Honor Ensembles take place Nov. 3-6 in National Harbor, Md. The ensembles will meet under the leadership of top conductors in the field.

Michael LaCava, K-12 Director of Performing Arts for Wellesley Public Schools, thanked the faculty for their role in supporting these talented young musicians.

Mr. Steve Scott, Isabelle Lee, Frank Mendes, Dr. Kevin McDonald — Music teachers Steve Scott (left) and Kevin McDonald (right) bookend students Isabelle Lee and Frank Mendes

Dana Hall School Open House events

Dana Hall School, a Wellesley-based independent boarding and day school for girls in grades 5-12 (boarding begins grade 9), has put together a few events to help prospective families learn more about academics, athletics and more at Dana.

Upper School open house: Nov. 5, 9-11 a.m.
Middle School open house: Nov. 5, 1-3 p.m.
Athletics open house: Nov. 14, 5:30 p.m.