This Weekend: Jazz Times Three on Saturday, See Cuba from Belmont

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Photo: Cuba From a Different Angle

• The John Arcaro Trio will be part of the Music on Saturday concert on Saturday, April 18, at 3 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. Playing classic American jazz, John Arcaro is an internationally known pianist, recording artist, and clinician. Music on Saturday concerts are free to all thanks to the sponsorship of the Friends of the Belmont Public Library.

• The Belmont Gallery of Art explores the intimate lives of the Cuban people as well as the country’s architecture and geography with “Cuba From a Different Angle” by photographer and Harvard lecturer  Jonathan Hansen. The gallery – located on the third floor of the Homer Municipal Building, 219 Moore St., in the Town Hall complex – is open on Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

This Weekend: Some Big Easy Music Saturday, Powers Piano Festival

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Photo: Sam Dechenne of Sammy D and the Late Risers.

• “Sammy D and the Late Risers” bring New Orleans, Dixieland jazz, and Mardi Gras to Belmont on Saturday, April 11 at 3 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room.

Formed in the summer of 2009, “Sammy D and the Late Risers” is made up of some of the finest musicians in the area – Sam Dechenne (trumpet), Jonathan Polit (clarinet), Eric Royer (banjo), and Josiah Reibstein (tuba) – playing classic Dixieland and New Orleans repertoire. When not playing concerts you can see them strolling around Downtown Crossing in Boston playing for the suited community. Music on Saturday is free to all thanks to the sponsorship of the Friends of the Belmont Public Library.

• Celebrating its 51st year, the 2015 Mildred Freiberg Piano Festival is a weekend-long celebration consists of multiple concerts and performances by students from all over the region.  This festival has become a tradition for students in grades K-12. Over the years, the festival concerts have celebrated both a student’s first performance and the exciting accomplishments of more mature artists. 

Saturday, April 11, All Saints’ Church, 17 Clark St.
Brewster Hall Concerts at 1:30, 3:00, 4:30, 6:00, and 7:30 p.m.
Sanctuary Concerts at 4:30. 6:00. and 7:30 pm

Sunday, April 12, Payson Park Church, 365 Belmont St.

Gardner Hall Concerts at 1:30, 3:00, 4:30, 6:00, and 7:30 pm

Sanctuary Concerts at 4:30. 6:00. and 7:30 pm

Note: Concerts are primarily grouped according to age with the evening concerts reserved for high school students. 

 

This Weekend: AP Art Showcase, Broadway in Belmont, Teens ‘Tempest’ for Teens, Lacrosse Begins

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Photo: Art that will be at the AP Arts show.

• The talented students who participate in Belmont High School’s AP Art class are hosting an arts show on Saturday, March 28 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Beth El Temple Center, 2 Concord Ave. The show will give a chance for residents can see and understand what the student do. It’s free and there will be food and music at this kids friendly event. 
• The Great White Way comes to Belmont as a group of graduate students from the Boston Conservatory’s Theater Division present “Broadway Magic: from the Golden Age to the Hits of Today” in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library on Saturday, March 28, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Music on Saturday concerts are free to all thanks to the sponsorship of the Friends of the Belmont Public Library.
• The Belmont High School spring sports season gets underway – in the snow if the forecast is correct – with Belmont High Boys’ Lacrosse taking on the Newton South High School Lions at Harris Field on Saturday, March 28 at 9 a.m. That’s right, 9 a.m.
• The Belmont High School Performing Arts Company finishes its run of the Cole Porter musical “Anything Goes” with two shows on Saturday, March 28, a 1:30 p.m. matinee and at 7 p.m. Tickets: Adults: $15 in advance/$18 at the door; Students: $10; Chenery 8th Grade Students: $5. 
• Teens performing The Bard as the Boston Theatre Company’s Teen Touring Troupe will perform Shakespeare’s The Tempest on Sunday, March 29, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. Don’t miss this amazing theatrical performance for teens, by teens.

This Weekend: Hoop Shoot-Out, Puppet Band, Belmont World Film Begins

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• Malaria is preventable yet claims a life every 60 seconds in Sub-Sahara Africa. On Saturday, March 21 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., you can help stem the disease’s tide by participating in the annual Imagine No Malaria’s Hoop Shoot-Out at Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church at 421 Common St. Anyone eight-years-years and older can join in on the fun: come ready to shot as many foul shots you can make in two minutes pledging any amount of money per made basket.

The funds raised will buy bed netting which will protect a family of four from infected mosquitoes. All shooters and sponsors are welcome. No registration is needed; make your own pledge sheet and just show up. Enter through the rear doors off the parking lot. 

• Toe Jam Puppet Band will be performing at the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room on Saturday, March 21, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

• The 14th annual Belmont World Film International Film Series, “Secrets and Lies,” begins Sunday, March 22 at 7 p.m. in a new location – the West Newton Cinema at 1296 Washington St. – with the New England premiere of Ghadi, a good natured satire about bigotry and redemption that was the 2015 Oscar entry from Lebanon for Best Foreign Film. Get in contact with BFW at 617-484-3980 or egitelman@belmontworldfilm.org

The screening is preceded by a reception at 5:45 p.m. at the theater featuring Lebanese cuisine (a separate $15 admission) and is co-presented by American Friends of SESOBEL, which helps improve the quality of life and supports the families of children with mental and physical disabilities in Lebanon.

 

This Weekend: Wellington Winter Carnival, Gospel Concert, Garden Fair and ‘The Art of Tea’

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• There is an answer for the late-winter blues: Come down to Belmont High School’s Wenner Field House on Saturday, March 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the Wellington School Winter Carnival! There will be lots of fun things to do for elementary and preschool kids with a clown making balloon animals, bounce houses and slides, games, crafts, face painting, pizza, bake sale and a book sale! Take a break from the cold and come down. The cost for the activities is between two-to-four tickets; 10 tickets for $5, 20 for $20.

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• The Joyful Voices of Inspiration returns to Belmont to gave a soul stirring, spirit moving, heartwarming gospel concert at the Belmont-Watertown Methodist Church, 421 Common St. on Saturday, March 7 at 3 p.m. The concert is a fundraiser benefiting the Belmont, Watertown and St. Patrick’s food pantries. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and students, free for children under 12. There is a $30 family maximum.
• “Kaleidoscope – the Art of Tea,” the art installation by Christiane Corcelle at the Belmont Gallery of Art, is currently featured in the March issue of Art New England with a review by editor-in-chief Deb Hagan. Come see why Hagan gave the work such praise by seeing the work that features art made with repurposed tea bags and their components – including labels, strings and boxes – together with other found objects which, not only makes for a truly unique show, but also shows gallery visitors and other artists the possibilities of creating art with recycled and collected objects. The gallery is located on the third floor of the Homer Municipal Building in the Town Hall complex. It is open on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
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• A Healthy Yards and Gardens Fair, sponsored by Belmont Food Collaborative and Sustainable Belmont, will be holding forth in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library on Saturday, March 6 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

This Weekend: Oscar Auction at First Church; ‘Charlotte’s Web’ at Town Hall

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• An Evening at the Oscars!, a live auction along with a dinner and music will take place on Saturday, Feb. 7, from 5:45 p.m. to 10 p.m. at The First Church, Belmont, 404 Concord Ave. Auction items range from vacation getaways to donated items guaranteed to delight and surprise to raise money to support all of the church’s important committee, youth and adult education work. Tickets are $50 which includes a cocktail reception, live auction, dinner and live entertainment. The silent auction continues until Feb. 14.

• The Menotomy Musical Theater presents “Charlotte’s Web” Friday, Feb. 6 through Sunday, Feb. 8 at Belmont Town Hall auditorium, 145 Concord Ave. Adapted from the classic E. B. White novel, Charlotte’s Web tells the memorable story of Wilbur, a little pig who becomes famous with the help of his clever friend, a spider named Charlotte, and their chatty animal neighbors.

Performances: 

  • Friday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, Feb. 7 at 2 p.m.
  • Saturday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, Feb. 8 at 2p.m.

Price: $15 on-line or $20 at the door.

Information and Tickets available at www.menotomymusicaltheater.com

This Weekend: 15th Judith Record Concert Saturday, Sing-a-long Saturday Morning

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Photo: The Record Players.

• The Record Players will celebrate their fifteenth year of tribute to The Judith K. Record Memorial Conservation Fund with a night of chamber music on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m. at The First Church, Belmont, 404 Concord Ave.

This concert is a collaboration between the Players and the Judith K. Record Memorial Conservation Fund, bringing together people who find inspiration and beauty through music and nature. The concert, which is open to the public free of charge, serves as our annual appeal and is supported by pre-concert private and corporate sponsorships.

Contributions are accepted at the door. All proceeds from the concert go to the fund’s endowment managed by Mass Audubon.

The original core of musicians – Flutist and Founder, Andrea M. Nolin; Colin Davis, violin and Sarah Freiberg, cello – will be joined by clarinetist Ray Jackendoff and pianist Leslie Amper, who has captivated audiences with her “stupendous” performances throughout the Boston area, the United States and Europe.

The program includes:

  • Stamitz’s Trio in G, Op.14.
  • Beethoven’s Clarinet Trio, Op. 11.
  • Martinu’s “Promenades” for flute, violin and piano.
  • Brahms’ Clarinet Trio, in A minor, Op. 114.
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Vanessa Trien. Photo by Neale Eckstein.

• Join singer-songwriter Vanessa Trien, local rock star to the young (and young at heart) on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 10:30 a.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room for a morning of singing and dancing. This event is part of the Children’s Room’s Saturday Sing-Along Series.

• Head over to the “Skip” (the ‘Skip’ Vigiloro Skating Rink on Concord Avenue adjacent to Harris Field) on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 1 p.m. to see the Belmont High School Boys’ Ice Hockey Marauders take on the Rockets of Reading Memorial High School in Middlesex League play.

This Weekend: Belmont World Film’s Family Film Festival, Giraffes in the Library, Photos and Book Sale

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• You know that “Giraffes Can’t Dance!” This Saturday, Jan. 17 at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., you’ll learn why when you and your children join Belmont’s Powers Music School faculty members – Vanessa Schukis, narration; Kathy Rosenbach, piano; Ellery Klein, violin; Erica Klein, cello; Todd Brunel, clarinet – at the Belmont Public Library for this free original musical story performance that feature live music and age-appropriate stories for children. These interactive programs are specifically developed for children ages 3 and up, but all ages are welcome to attend.

• This holiday weekend, the Belmont World Film is holding its 12th annual Family Film Festival for children and young teens. The festivities start Friday, Jan. 16 and runs to Monday, Jan. 19 at Arlington’s Regent Theatre, (7 Medford St., Arlington) and Jan. 17 and 18 at the West Newton Cinema, (1296 Washington St., West Newton.)

In honor of the event’s 12th year, the festival will feature and premiere a dozen animated and live action film programs from Australia, Canada, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland as well as a tribute to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Martin Luther King Day, Monday, Jan. 19.

Opening night, Friday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. at the Regent Theatre will be the East Coast premiere of “Captain Sabertooth and the Lama Rama Treasure,” a thrilling yet funny live action film set in the 18th century that features a band of clever pirates — both male and female — led by Captain Sabertooth, as well as a group of children who demonstrate courage, shrewdness and vigor (recommended for age 6-15). Prizes will be awarded for attendees with the best pirate costumes.

Individual tickets are $5 for programs that are 60 minutes or less and $8 for programs that are longer. Full festival passes are $40, and day passes are $20. Tickets are available in advance online at belmontworldfilm.org or in person at the box office on the day of show. For full film descriptions and more information, visit belmontworldfilm.org or call 617-484-3980.

• Come to the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer run library, on Saturday, Jan. 17 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., for the library’s monthly book sale. The books are gently used and reasonably priced. All proceeds benefit the Benton. Browse the regular collection. The Library, which is open the third Saturday afternoon of every month, is located at 75 Oakley Rd.

• The exhibit “Photovoice: A Lens into our Lives,” continues at the Belmont Gallery of Art this weekend and through Jan. 29.  The exhibit showcases more than 30 photographic and text-based works made by individuals enrolled in photography and creative writing workshops at Waverley Place, the Community Program of McLean Hospital. The gallery will be open on Fri., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Belmont Gallery of Art on the third floor of the Homer Building in the Town Hall complex.

This Weekend: Chamber Music, Snapshots and Flying Nelsons

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• The Powers Music School is holding the 2015 Stein Chamber Music Festival on Saturday, Jan. 10, at 5 p.m., at All Saints’ Church, 17 Clark St.  The festival is a musical celebration that gives area musicians an opportunity to perform and enjoy chamber music. The festival includes music of all genres performed by musicians of all ages, ranging in abilities from beginning students to amateurs and professionals.

• The 14th annual Brendan Grant Wrestling Tournament is taking place on Saturday Jan. 10 from noon to 6 p.m. at Belmont High School’a Wenner Field House.  Last year thirteen high school wrestling teams competed in this all day tournament.  Previously referred to as the Belmont Invitational Wrestling Tournament, for the last 34 years this event has become one of the classic High School Wrestling gatherings of its kind in the Northeast region with approximately 600 attendees throughout the day.

• The Belmont Gallery of Art is presenting for its latest exhibit, “Photovoice: A Lens into Our Lives,” on Sunday, Jan. 11 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The gallery is located on the third floor of the Homer Building in the Town Hall complex at 19 Moore St.

This Weekend: ‘Touch The Wall’ with BATs, Farmers Market Meeting Sunday

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• BATs can swim, at least in Belmont. And this Sunday, Jan. 4 at 1:30 p.m., the Belmont Aquatic Team is having its very own day at the movies holding a fundraiser screening the just-released documentary, “Touch the Wall,” at the West Newton Cinema.

The documentary highlights 17-year-old swimming phenom and 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist Missy Franklin who was destined for greatness at an early age, but it wasn’t until the arrival of three time Olympic veteran Kara Lynn Joyce did those sky-high expectations began to take shape. As training partners, competitors, and friends, Missy and Kara redefine what it means to win.

Due to some facilities problems, the first venue for the movie, the Belmont Studio Cinema, was unable to show the film. The West Newton Cinema is located at 1296 Washington St. in Newton (617-964-8074.)

Tickets are $10 and you can obtain them online here.

• Belmont Food Collaborative/Belmont Farmers Market is meeting Sunday, Jan. 4 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.