Richard Morse Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 Hello and welcome all to the second annual NCW to be held here in Western Massachusetts on Saturday April 8th. This year we'll be having 20 classes for players of Anglo, English and duet concertinas taught by David Cornell, Frank Edgley, Paul Groff, Rachel Hall, Wendy Morrison, Richard Morse, John Roberts, and Bob Snope. For more information including class details, teacher biographies, event listings and local maps and lodging suggestions, please see our Northeast Concertina Workshop page. Beyond the day-long workshops and evening concert, there are events planned for the day before and after which will give us lots of social time as well. Questions, comments? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animaterra Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 (edited) I've got my registration form all printed out but I'm having a really hard time deciding on workshops, since most of the ones I want most to go to are in the afternoon session! I'm all set for the first session. The second session has two I want to go to And the third session has three! Yikes!!! But it'll be fun to be with a bunch of other Squeezers! Allison Edited February 23, 2006 by Animaterra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Edgley Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Whoever said that multiple personalities was a bad thing? Just as long as it goes with the bodies required to get the job(s) done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhomylly Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Allison, if it were me I'd park myself in front of John Roberts all day! His song accompaniment style being the one I most want to emulate, of course... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellowbelle Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 Okay, okay...well, I'll probably get there, this year. Last year, just the evening concert (which was fun). But, I've printed out the registration today and I'll get busy choosing workshops. I hope there are still some openings! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenferry Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 (edited) Already called in and signed up. If John Roberts is there, I'm hoping to take his singing with concertina workshop. I wish we could "visit" some of the ones we don't get to take. Can't take all of them! Am also anxious to lust over the Morse cherry-wood baritone once again, and maybe this time, or at NEFFA, I'll put a deposit down for one. I've been thinking about it for months. I hope Rich has some baritones there. Hoping to meet Bellowbelle, and it would be cool if she could bring along her handmade crochet thingy to show us all what she keeps her concertina in! The photo of it is intriguing. Perhaps Mark will get to go this year, if he isn't giving another lecture on Opera! Rich -- what are some of the "events planned for the day before and the day after" -- I heard about the gathering at The Button Box for Friday evening, but is there something else in the works? Should we plan to spend the weekend in Amherst? Anybody there have places for tina peeps to crash? Edited for typos (as usual) Edited March 12, 2006 by greenferry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Evans Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 Perhaps Mark will get to go this year, if he isn't giving another lecture on Opera! Edited for typos (as usual) That is just what's going to be happening to me...again. It's either Carmen, La Traviata or [/i]Tosca, I don't remember which and am skunked over the whole business. Hopefully I will see some of you folks at NEFFA . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Besser Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 -- I heard about the gathering at The Button Box for Friday evening, but is there something else in the works? Should we plan to spend the weekend in Amherst? Anybody there have places for tina peeps to crash? Last year we stayed at a gorgeous B and B just down the street from the workshop venue: the Amherst Inn. Wonderful restored rooms, a 5 minute walk to the main drag. Can't come this year, have a gig. Jim Besser http://members.cox.net/jdbesser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenferry Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 (edited) Last year we stayed at a gorgeous B and B just down the street from the workshop venue: the Amherst Inn. Wonderful restored rooms, a 5 minute walk to the main drag. The Amherst Inn 257 Main Street (along with The Allen House Victorian Inn 599 Main Street) information is here. The Amherst Inn does look suitably quaint: "Overlooking the Emily Dickinson Homestead and the Evergreens Museum, the Amherst Inn is an easy walk to Amherst Town Center." Even more inviting seems to be the Allen House Inn: "Dozens of bed and breakfast inns fall under the general terms of country-style or Victorian -- a few have good antiques and interesting decor. But inns that are restored with historic precision and attention to every last detail are rare indeed: The Allen House, honored with the Historic Preservation Award in 1991, is one of them." Fodors - America's Best Bed & Breakfasts." Details: "The interior was restored with historic precision down to every last detail to reflect the Aesthetic Movement, the Victorian subculture that emphasized art in the interior decor. Aesthetic Movement decor, period art, fine antiques, and art wall coverings of period designers Charles Eastlake, Walter Crane, and William Morris are historically and artistically featured. The original hand-carved cherry wood fireplace mantels are catalogued by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City." More details: "14 rooms . . . Full 5-course breakfast . . . Well-behaved children over 10 are welcome." Edited March 12, 2006 by greenferry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animaterra Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 Interesting, but probably too expensive for my budget. Of course, the Red Roof Inn is too expensive for my budget these days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Besser Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 "Overlooking the Emily Dickinson Homestead and the Evergreens Museum, the Amherst Inn is an easy walk to Amherst Town Center." Our room was on the northwest corner, overlooking Emily's house. One of the nicest B and Bs we've ever visited. And the workshops are around the corner from one of the best coffee places in the country -- Rao's Coffee. Michael Reid, the C.netter who went to school in Amherst, told me about it and I was skeptical -- until I tried it. Unbelievable coffee. I showed up at the workshop with enough caffeine to fuel a small city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenferry Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 And the workshops are around the corner from one of the best coffee places in the country -- Rao's Coffee. Michael Reid, the C.netter who went to school in Amherst, told me about it and I was skeptical -- until I tried it. Unbelievable coffee. I showed up at the workshop with enough caffeine to fuel a small city. Good coffee is necessary in the morning. There is also the ubiquitous Starbucks right there in town center. Does Rao's have latte? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Besser Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 Good coffee is necessary in the morning. There is also the ubiquitous Starbucks right there in town center. Does Rao's have latte? Yes, latte, expresso, all the other necessities of modern life, and one offering I've never seen before: an entire pot of french press coffee delivered to your table. Great, unhealthy pastries. Much better coffee than Starbucks. I'm a coffee fanatic, and Rao's may be the best I've encountered in a decades-long quest for the perfect cup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellowbelle Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 ................................................................................................................. ..............Hoping to meet Bellowbelle, and it would be cool if she could bring along her handmade crochet thingy to show us all what she keeps her concertina in! The photo of it is intriguing................... Yeah, that'll be great to meet you, greenferry! I will mostly likely have my concertina in one of the crocheted holders, because it really is the best way for me to carry the thing around. Probably it'll be the one shown here in the forums. I haven't been crocheting a whole lot, and not even playing my concertina a whole lot. I get sore fingers. But, I decided to just hope my fingers will be in working order on April 8th, and go ahead to the event. I don't know yet if I'll be there on the Friday night, but, at least early on Saturday I'll be there. Sunday...doubt I'd be there, if there is anything. Places I like in Amherst....well, I highly recommend the food at Amherst Chinese. I am partial to their homemade lo mein noodles, but, really, the whole menu is great. I don't drink alcohol and so I've never sampled any pubs/bars there, but I really like the sandwiches at Bart's and .... they have really good ice cream and....they did have Dean's Beans coffee, but, I'm not sure that they still have that. (I'm sure Rao's is great, but...Dean's Beans got to me first, I guess!) There IS a Dunkin' Donuts in Amherst, you must drive out of town on route 9 heading east just a bit. I think the drive-up window is 24-hour, not sure. Oh....very yummy food at the Route 9 Diner. Head out of Amherst on route 9 going west. It's a diner just off the highway, kind of in a shopping plaza that has a grocery store and etc.. It's open quite late, if not all night. Usually, I'm just looking for what's open, since I seem to be always looking during the 'off' hours! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Morse Posted March 12, 2006 Author Share Posted March 12, 2006 Rich -- what are some of the "events planned for the day before and the day after" -- I heard about the gathering at The Button Box for Friday evening, but is there something else in the works? Should we plan to spend the weekend in Amherst?There's nothing definite for Sunday, just some ideas. And for that matter the pub we had planned for jamming at after the concert fell though (they just told us that they had a previously booked band for that evening and can get out of it only if we paid off the band!). So we're looking for another place to hang out afterwards. Back to Sunday. So far the idea which *I* like best is that interested folk can meet at some restaurant for brunch and repair back to the Button Box for socializing, jamming, and the checking out of wares and sales. And from there it's an easy hop onto I-91 and off folks go. The problems with that is that there aren't any restaurants in Sunderland that serve brunch, and that I'm having a hard time finding BBox staff to man the store (they all have families and lives/plans which include things other than keeping the store open more that 6 days/week). Yes, I'll be there but I've been out of the sales loop for so long I don't know the sales procedure (plus the credit card system is "down" on Sundays), and don't know the histories of all the boxes we sell or amn't familiar with all the books and recordings. So.... options we're considering include everyone dealing with breakfast as they can, or maybe gather at someone's house for brunch, or at an Amherst restaurant (about 7 miles from the BBox.... And then to the BBox and I somehow work out the sales thing or we don't do sales (which would be a drag as several people have already asked if we'd be open for sales). Suggestions? Support for this or that? Anybody there have places for tina peeps to crash?Unfortunately my house is already pretty full. Even the floor space is bespoken for! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Morse Posted March 12, 2006 Author Share Posted March 12, 2006 (edited) ... the workshops are around the corner from one of the best coffee places in the country -- Rao's Coffee. Michael Reid, the C.netter who went to school in Amherst, told me about it and I was skeptical -- until I tried it. Unbelievable coffee.This year the workshops will be held in North Amherst, about 2.5 miles away from Rao's. While I can't vouch for Rao's coffees and pastries (I've never been a coffee drinker), everyone seems to consider Rao's to be THE place. Last year we got the coffee we served at the NCW "Welcome Session" from *Rao's* and pastries from Henion's (considered the best bakery in town by many). We plan more of the same for this year. Of course we only had a nice regular and decaf, but anyone wanting a treat should do Rao's. The choices are staggering. I'm glad someone else was the one to choose the ones we got. I really don't understand coffee at all. Edited March 12, 2006 by Richard Morse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenferry Posted March 12, 2006 Share Posted March 12, 2006 (edited) And for that matter the pub we had planned for jamming at after the concert fell though (they just told us that they had a previously booked band for that evening and can get out of it only if we paid off the band!). So we're looking for another place to hang out afterwards. Rich, What about the Amherst Brewing Company for Sat. night after the concert. It's right in the middle of Amherst and has their brew on tap. We used to go there after practice and sing (Wake Robin) and Jugglers go there and sing (if I'm not mistaken), so maybe they would permit a bunch of tina players. The owner was pretty nice about it all. We used to line the tables up and take up one section in the back part. They have good food (along with non-alcoholic beverages), and it's all very reasonable and convenient. I just looked at their event calendar, and they haven't schedule April yet, it would seem. Edited March 12, 2006 by greenferry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Morse Posted March 13, 2006 Author Share Posted March 13, 2006 What about the Amherst Brewing Company for Sat. night after the concert.Great tip - I'll get right on it and let all know if it'll work out or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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