Author: The Hippo Press

The Art Roundup 24/12/05

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities

• Small works: Pillar Gallery + Projects’ newest exhibit is “NANO” and the show runs until Wednesday, Dec. 18, at the Pillar gallery (205 N. State St., Concord). “NANO” is a juried exhibition focused on smaller works. Visit pillargalleryprojects.com.

• Doo-wop Christmas: SH-Boom: A Christmas Miracle is presented by the Majestic Theatre (880 Page St., Manchester) on Friday, Dec. 6, through Sunday, Dec. 8. The Majestic’s website describes the play as being full of ’60s doo-wop hits and holiday classics. The play is a holiday sequel to one that takes place in 1965 when Denny and the gang achieved overnight fame via the WOPR Radio “Dream of a Lifetime Talent Search” as “Denny and the Dreamers,” according to the website. Now the gang is “reunited” to perform again as a group for the Christmas Bazaar at Wally’s church, but not all is going well. Tickets range from $15 to $22. Visit majestictheatre.net or call 669-7469.

• Holiday comedy: Christmas Belles is a comedy presented by Bedford Off Broadway will run at the Bedford Old Town Hall (3 Meetinghouse Road, Bedford) Friday, Dec. 6, through Sunday, Dec. 15, with shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15, $12 for seniors. Tickets can be purchased at the door or via Brown Paper Tickets. See bedfordoffbroadway.com.

• View on a classic: The Pinkerton Players will present Eurydiceon Friday, Dec. 6, and Saturday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m. as well as Sunday, Dec.8, at 2 p.m. at the Stockbridge Theatre at Pinkerton Academy (5 Pinkerton St., Derry). In Eurydice, Sarah Ruhl reimagines the classic myth of Orpheus through the eyes of its heroine; she must journey to the underworld after dying on her wedding day to reunite with her father and struggles to remember her lost love, according to the press release. Tickets are $15. Visit stockbridgetheatre.showare.com or call 437-5210.

Symphonic brass

Celebrating the holidays with horns

By Zachary Lewis
[email protected]

Executive Director Deanna Hoying is sounding the horn on New Hampshire Symphony’s upcoming Holiday Brass shows.

“We have our first on Thursday, Dec. 5, at the Rex Theatre in Manchester, and then we follow that on Friday, Dec. 6, at the Coptic Church in Nashua. Both of them are going to be at 7.30 p.m. This is going to be a really fun show that kind of mixes an opportunity to show off our brass section and our percussionists, and we have a mix of what we would call kind of the sacred and the secular, so those really beautiful pieces by Gabrieli,” Hoying said. Giovanni Gabrieli was an Italian composer born in the 16th century.

Brass holds a special place for Hoying. “I’m a brass player, so I’m a horn player, so these are things I kind of grew up with playing. Our guest conductor, David Upham, has picked some really lovely carols from all over the world and then the second half of the show is going to be probably more on the pop secular side with everything from ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas’ and ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ and ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.’”

The show allows this section of the orchestra to really ring out loud.

“It’s a nice opportunity to play some music we don’t always get to play when we do the full orchestra,” she said. This year they’re working with a guest conductor who is based at UNH. “He is their director of orchestra studies there and … I reached out because I knew my music director was going to be tied up in Indiana for much of December … so we’re really happy to have him join us for this show. We get to spend much of the season with our music director, Roger Collier, which we really love.”

At the Rex, “They love the idea of doing a holiday program there,” she said. “The Palace is running A Christmas Carol pretty much through December, so they love the idea of having the holiday brass at that venue.”

And at the Coptic Church in Nashua, “We did our holiday brass show there three years ago. It’s a different set of pieces, but a similar idea,” Hoying said. “It’s a beautiful venue. I remember the first time we did it there. So many people, even Nashua residents, had no idea that church was there. They’d never been in the church before, and they were just blown away. It’s an absolutely gorgeous interior. The setting worked really well for these pieces too.”

Much of the music was written for brass. “Gabrieli wrote a lot of sacred music, and a lot of his work is written for essentially a brass choir, and so there’s something when you start to play that with your fellow brass players that it’s just so beautiful and so moving and particularly when you’re playing in a church, because that’s where he wrote them to be played, it is just beautiful and it is one of those things that I really enjoy,” Hoying said.

“We’ve got French horns, we’ve got trumpets, we have trombones, we actually have a euphonium for this one. This is something that we don’t get to usually play very much because most orchestral music doesn’t use a euphonium, so we’re really excited about that. Of course we have a tuba player, and then we actually have some percussion that are going to join us too. Our timpanist and two percussionists are going to kind of round out the complement. We have about 17 or so musicians on stage, which is nice, but it gives you that nice big full brass sound.”

Music means a lot to Hoying. “The music is very close to my heart. I already played piano and I started playing it and there was just really something about the quality of the sound coming out of the horn that was just really kind of hooked me. There’s so much great stuff that’s been written for the horn, both as a solo instrument and within the orchestra.”

As a former music teacher, Hoying is always encouraging younger ones to find an instrument that speaks to them. “I would always tell kids when they wanted to play an instrument, don’t just settle for something because someone said, hey, you should play this. Try a bunch of things, because you’re going to find that you have an affinity for certain pitches, certain resonance, certain quality of sound, and if you’re going to be practicing this thing, you want to be in love with it.”

Symphony NH Holiday Brass
Thursday, Dec. 5, at 7:30 p.m. at the Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester. Tickets $29 to $39. Info: Rex at 668-5588, symphonynh.org.
Friday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m. at St. Mary and Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church, 39 Chandler St., Nashua. Tickets $40. Info: 595-9156, symphonynh.org.

Featured image: David Upham. Courtesy photo.

This Week 24/12/05

Thursday, Dec. 5

A new exhibit, “Manchester Inspired: The Life and Works of Marylou Ashooh Lazos,” officially opens at the Millyard Museum (200 Bedford St., Suite 103, Manchester, 622-7531, manchesterhistoric.org) today from 5 to 7:30 p.m. The exhibition explores the local designer, artist and curator who drew inspiration, energy and purpose from her beloved hometown.

Friday, Dec. 6

Downtown Concord holds its annual Midnight Merriment tonight starting at 5 p.m. with downtown businesses open for shoppers, the Concord Arts Market holding its Winter Giftopolis in Eagle Square, a Parade of Lights on Main Street, cocoa and s’mores in Bicentennial Square and more. See intownconcord.org and Hippo’s story in the Nov. 28 issue (visit hippopress.com for the digital library; the story is on page 19).

Saturday, Dec. 7

Sanborn Mills Farm (7097 Sanborn Road, Loudon, 435-7314, sanbornmills.org) will hold its yearly Winter Market today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will be a festive celebration of local craftsmanship, community and holiday cheer. The market will offer wares from the Farm’s workshop instructors. Enjoy live music, warm beverages and a lunch prepared by Chef Kelly Fahey.

Saturday, Dec. 7

Concord Dance Academy will perform two shows of “A Holiday Spectacular” at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord, 228-2793, theaudi.org), today at 1 and 6 p.m. This popular show opens with a kick line and includes Santa, photos, sweets, raffles, and gifts to community causes. Tickets are $25 at the box office on the day of the show.

Saturday, Dec. 7

Celebrate the release of Dav Pikey’s newest Dog Man book, Dog Man: Big Jim Begins, with a Dog Man Hero Party today from 1 to 4 p.m. at Balin Books (375 Amherst St., Somerset Plaza, in Nashua; balinbooks.com). The event will feature snacks, games, giveaways and more.

Saturday, Dec. 7

Catch the MHT Holiday Parade today at 4 p.m. on Elm Street in downtown Manchester. “Light Up the Night” is this year’s theme. Get there at 3 p.m. to watch the Santa Claus Shuffle, a race on Elm Street featuring stops where Santa suit-clad runners can enjoy the four food groups: chocolate, cookies and milk, maple and candy, according to Millennium Running, which organizes the race.

Saturday, Dec.7

The Manchester Choral Society will present Gifts of the Season this evening at 7 p.m. and tomorrow, Sunday, Dec. 8, at 3 p.m. at Sainte Marie Parish (378 Notre Dame Ave., Manchester, 622-4615, enterthenarrowgate.org). This inspiring holiday concert will feature Martin Sedek’s “Gifts of the Season” and Bob Chilcott’s “On Christmas Night.” Tickets are $30 at mcsnh.org or at the door.

Tuesday, Dec. 10

Iconic swing band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy will perform its “Wild and Swingin’ Holiday Party” at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, 800-657-8774, nashuacenterforthearts.com) tonight at 7:30 p.m.Tickets start at $39.

Save the Date! Saturday, Dec. 14
Join the world-famous Boston Pops led by conductor Keith Lockhart for their
Holiday Pops performance on Saturday, Dec.14, at 7:30 p.m. at the SNHU Arena, 555 Elm St. in Manchester. This yearly concert is legendary for its high-energy, deeply emotional immersion in traditional holiday music. Tickets start at $33 through ticketmaster.com.

Featured photo: Boston Pops.

Quality of Life 24/12/05

Just hang up

If you feel like you get more phone calls from robots than from actual humans, you’re probably right. According to a Nov. 20 press release from Whistle Out (whistleout.com), an online technology comparison service, a recent study found that the residents of New Hampshire receive a staggering number of spam calls. “New Hampshirites receive 144,221,100 robocalls annually,” the press release reported. “That’s 103 per person.” New Hampshire ranks 33rd in the number of these calls, and 12th in preventing them.

QOL score: -1

Comment: It could be worse. According to WhistleOut, “Southern states are hit the hardest by spam calling: Louisiana residents receive the most robocalls per capita (339) in the U.S., followed by Georgia (307), South Carolina (248), Alabama (248), and Arkansas (238)” It could also be better; Utah has the fewest, with 78 calls per person.

So many mice

TheNew Hampshire SPCA is up to its eyebrows in mice. As it described on its website on Nov.14, the SPCA was approached by a man in the lobby, hoping to surrender some pet mice. “The man was overwhelmed by the sheer number of mice in his possession,” the NHSPCA wrote, “initially stating he had 150 pet mice in his home. Subsequently, he clarified that he actually had 150 tanks with mice in them. Depending on the size of the tank, there may be more than a dozen in each. The mice were not separated by sex and were reproducing uncontrolled. Many of the females came to the shelter pregnant. By Tuesday morning, more mice had been born. Our current estimate is that there are an approximate 400 still at the man’s home, but we may be looking at intaking as many as 1,000 mice in total.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: A breeding pair of mice and their offspring can produce more than 5,000 mice in a year, so this is a tribble-like compounding problem for the SPCA. “Community members wishing to help are encouraged to foster, adopt or donate,” the organization wrote on its website.

Plowy McPlowface?

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation tapped the public last month to find names for its fleet of snowplows. As reported by WMUR in a Nov. 27 online story, the DOT has accepted suggestions for names from the public for one of its plows. On the DOT website, a guideline for the names said that suggestions should be unique, polite, short and politically nonpartisan. The deadline for suggestions closed on Nov. 29. The DOT will look over the suggestions, then post some of the best ones online for the public to vote on. The voting will take place between Monday, Dec.9, and Friday, Dec.13. Visit dot.nh.gov/name-plow-contest.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The WMUR story reported that “the Massachusetts Department of Transportation held a similar contest earlier this year. Some winners included Edward Blizzard-Hands, Snow-B-Wan-Kenobi and Sleet-Wood Mac.”

QOL score: 75

Net change: -1

QOL this week: 74

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?

Let us know at [email protected].

Archives and records

Looking through the artifacts of NH history

Ashley Miller is New Hampshire’s State Archivist and Director of the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s Archives Division. According to a press release, Ms. Miller was the Archivist, Reference and Outreach Coordinator for the Concord Public Library before her appointment in February 2023. She holds two master’s degrees, in Archives Management and History, from Simmons College, and a bachelor’s degree in History from Pennsylvania State University. She has a real enthusiasm for New Hampshire history and talked about exciting events from past Decembers in New Hampshire. Visit sos.nh.gov and click on the Archives and Records Management tab to find out more information and fun videos on historical artifacts and documents. Follow the Secretary of State’s Instagram page @nhsecretary for their Throwback Thursdays posts, which feature different collections at the Archives.

Can you describe the New Hampshire State Archives?

The New Hampshire State Archives is essentially the state’s library for our historic documents, artifacts, things of that nature. It tracks the history of New Hampshire from its founding till today. So you find everything in here from legislative committee notes, to original acts, to a copy of the Declaration of Independence, to our state constitution. … If you were born in New Hampshire, or if your ancestors are from here, we have those records. If you became a citizen in New Hampshire, we have those records too.

Would you want to talk about Bill of Rights Day that is coming up?

Bill of Rights Day is Dec. 15. New Hampshire’s copy of the Bill of Rights is the one that was produced in 1789 and it was sent to us. There was a copy sent to each of these states at the time for ratification. So the original Bill of Rights, including the one that’s on display in the National Archives, actually has 12 amendments. So, not what we’re expecting when we think Bill of Rights, we think of those first 10 amendments of the Constitution. New Hampshire was the ninth and deciding state to ratify the U.S. Constitution a year earlier in 1788, which is why our address is 9 Ratification Way. When we passed the U.S. Constitution, we actually had some issues with it, one being that it lacked a Bill of Rights. Now New Hampshire had been operating on its permanent state constitution since 1784, which had a Bill of Rights so we thought it was odd as a state that the federal Constitution lacked a Bill of Rights. A year later, the federal government rectifies that, sends a copy to each of the states for ratification in 1789 with 12 amendments. On Jan. 25, 1790, New Hampshire ratifies the Bill of Rights except the second amendment, which it had rejected. The second amendment reads, ‘no law varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives shall take effect until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.’ There was also some discussion about the first amendment, which dealt with representation in terms of population, and as a smaller state, New Hampshire was particularly concerned with it, although ultimately it did not reject it, as they did with the second. So the Bill of Rights as we know it today has 10 amendments, so other states have rejected those two as well. It was sent to New Hampshire in September of 1789 and then we had taken some time to discuss it and by Jan. 25, 1790, we had our final ruling.

Is it the upcoming 250th anniversary of the siege of Fort William and Mary or Fort Constitution?

Technically it’s both. So it was Fort William and Mary, which is the royal governor’s name for it, but then it became Fort Constitution due to what was happening at the time. There’s sort of a long story behind this. In Massachusetts, rumors were flying that troops from Boston were headed to reinforce Fort William and Mary and seize its powder and arms. On Dec. 13, 1774, four months before his famous ride in Massachusetts, Paul Revere rode to Portsmouth from Boston to sound the alarm. Once he arrived in Portsmouth, he met with Samuel Cutts, who was a local merchant, and together they worked with local patriots for a plan to take the fort. So on Dec. 14, local patriots from the Portsmouth area were led by John Langdon … They stormed the post. Granted, I will say there were roughly six men who were guarding the fort at the time, and they seized the garrison’s gunpowder supply, which was distributed to the local militia throughout several New Hampshire towns for potential use in the looming struggle against Great Britain. So they’re getting ready for this fight. … And on the following day, Patriots led by colonial military officer John Sullivan raided the fort again, and he seized some heavy artillery of cannon, not all of it, some ammunition and supplies for the rebel cause. So this is seen as one of the first overt acts of the American Revolution, and it was the only quote-un-quote battle to take place in New Hampshire. No one perished. There were shots fired, but no one perished. The British soldiers who were defending the fort sustained relatively little injuries.

Did the story end there?

OK. So the British then sent two warships to just sit in Portsmouth Harbor. They are trying to quell this insurrection, and the presence of the ships is credited with keeping these patriots from returning to seize the fort’s 45 remaining cannons. On Dec. 20, 1774, the Portsmouth volunteers organized, they elect officers and resolve to drill twice weekly. … This is pre-Battle of Lexington and Concord. … As this continues, eventually our royal governor John Wentworth abandons New Hampshire. … And New Hampshire is the first state colony at the time to declare its independence, on Jan. 5, 1776. well before the Declaration of Independence.

Slightly later on the New Hampshire timeline, what types of Daniel Webster artifacts do you all have?

The last china he used at a dinner party. We have things from his home. We have a record of when he passed the bar exam. Tools that he used around the house, wooden pitchers, wooden buckets, things like that. I will say with America 250 coming up, celebrating the 250th of the Declaration of Independence, the siege of Fort William and Mary, now Fort Constitution, it’s going to have its 250th anniversary this year, there’s going to be a reenactment, a small one because the fort’s in disrepair, but something cool to note.

Are there materials on the Amoskeag Manufacturing Co. or the mill buildings in general?

We have a lot of records of the Amoskeag manufacturing company. We also have a lot on transportation. Our railroad company’s transportation was huge. We have things on Abbot Downing Co. We’ve got records, I mean, find what interests you and I’m sure we have something related to it. There’s something for everyone. —Zachary Lewis

New Hampshire State Archives
Archives and Records Management
NH Department of State
9 Ratification Way (formerly 71 S. Fruit St.), Concord
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.
sos.nh.gov

Featured image: Plaque at Fort Constitution.

News & Notes 24/12/05

Veggie recalls

Connected to the recall of organic carrots from Grimmway Farms, 4Earth Farms of California recalled “multiple brands of Organic Vegetable Medley, Conventional Vegetable Medley, and Organic Whole Carrots because it may be contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli),” according to a company announcement from Nov. 27. The products, which have “best by” dates of Sept 7 through Nov. 2, were distributed to seven states, including New Hampshire, according to the announcement, which is available at fda.gov.

Meanwhile, SunFed Produce announced a recall on Nov. 27 of whole cucumbers with the grower’s name “Agrotato, S.A. de C.V.” due to potential salmonella contamination, according to a company announcement also available at fda.gov. The recalled cucumbers were sold between Oct. 12 and Nov. 26 to several states and Canadian provinces, not including New Hampshire but including Massachusetts, the recall said. “The cucumbers would have reached consumers through food service and retail outlets that may be located in states other than those listed above,” the announcement said. See the FDA’s website for product specifics.

Fuel Assistance Program

Dec. 1 marked the official opening of the New Hampshire Fuel Assistance Program (FAP), which helps vulnerable Granite State families with their heating bills. Last winter the program provided assistance to more than 28,400 households with an average benefit of $1,284 to help with heating costs, according to a press release.

The Fuel Assistance Program is a federally funded program administered by the New Hampshire Department of Energy (DOE) in partnership with New Hampshire’s Community Action Agencies. It’s known in Washington as the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program or LIHEAP, according to the release.

The Fuel Assistance Program provides assistance to New Hampshire families and seniors whose annual household income is at or below 60 percent of the State Median Income, the highest amount allowed by federal statute. This year that means that means an annual maximum income of $87,949 for a family of four or $45,733 for a single-person household, according to the release.

More than 23,000 households have already applied for this winter, according to the release, and households can also apply for the NH Electric Assistance Program at the same time, which provides eligible households with a discount on their electric bill.

Households that qualify for the program are also eligible for the Weatherization Assistance Program, which can help homeowners make improvements and upgrades that provide further reductions in energy costs.

To apply to the program, New Hampshire residents should contact their local Community Action agency. For Information about the NH’s Community Action agencies, including locations and contact information, visit capnh.org. Visit energy.nh.gov and find information about the Fuel Assistance Program under the Help with Energy and Utility Bills tab.

Save the sturgeon

According to a press release, the Atlantic coastal states of New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia have scheduled hearings to gather public input to an addendum to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Spiny Dogfish to reduce accidental capture of Atlantic sturgeons in nets made for spiny dogfish. In addition to the Dec. 11 hearing, stakeholders are welcome to participate in any of the virtual hearings, according to the release.

While the 2024 stock assessment update for Atlantic sturgeon showed signs of improvement, the stock remains depleted coastwide, according to the release.

The hearings are on Wednesday, Dec. 11, Tuesday, Dec. 17, and Wednesday, Dec.18, from 6 to 8 p.m. To register for a virtual public hearing webinar, find links at nhfishandgame.com. The Draft Addendum is available via the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s website at asmfc.org/about-us/public-input. Visit wildnh.com/marine.

Metallica scholars

The Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) was recognized as the first institution in the Granite State to receive grant funding for the Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI) through All Within My Hands (AWMH), Metallica’s foundation, according to a press release.

The nonprofit philanthropic organization was created by the members and management of the band Metallica. CCSNH was awarded $75,000 to support students developing trade skills at New Hampshire’s seven community colleges, according to the release.

In New Hampshire, the Foundation for New Hampshire Community Colleges administered the grant and awarded 224 students with $50,575 of financial assistance to date to offset the cost of specialized equipment, materials, protective gear or other degree-specific equipment. The students receiving assistance had majors including health sciences and services, hospitality and culinary, industry and transportation and STEM/advanced manufacturing, according to the release.

In a statement, James Hetfield, Metallica’s lead vocalist and guitarist, said, “I am so proud — we all are — to see how this program is changing lives by providing much-needed resources to empower students, and it’s great that we’re able to make our biggest grant yet to support these students and the future workforce. … This year, our program will be in 60 schools in all 50 states!”

Red River Theatres in Concord (11 S. Main St.; redrivertheatres.org) has two classic holiday screenings on the schedule next week: catch 2003’s Love Actually on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m. and 1946’s It’s a Wonderful Life on Wednesday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m.

Cirque Dreams Holidaze will play one show at the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester, 644-5000, snhuarena.com) Tuesday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m. This long-running holiday theatrical event wraps a Broadway-style production around contemporary circus arts. Tickets start at $59.

Noel at LaBelle is an evening with NSquared Dance accompanied by a three-course meal by LaBelle Winery on Sunday, Dec. 8 at 6 p.m. at LaBelle in Amherst (345 Route 101). Visit labellewinery.com for tickets.

The Picker Artists (3 Pine St. in Nashua; pickerartists.com) will hold their Holiday Open Studios on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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