After a wildly successful July program, the South Danbury Christian Church will continue its summer speaker series on the first four Friday evenings of August. “We originally put together a winter series here at the church, thinking that’s a time when people need a good reason to get out of the house,” says Kathy Neustadt, one of the events’ organizers, “but we’re finding that people also like to gather with other folks in a relaxed way during the summer and have some fun learning something new.”
The events begin at 6:30 PM and are free to the public, with light refreshments (donations accepted) served after the programs.
The August schedule kicks off on Friday, August 2, with “A Casual Musical Collation: A Selection of Jazz and Pop from the 1st Half of the 20th Century,” presented by architect Cal Opitz, who refers to this presentation as impassioned but “in-erudite.”
“A lot of my collection of this kind of music is based on an old radio show on WGBH in Boston called ‘The Jazz Decades,’ which was hosted by Ray Smith.” To which, in perfect anecdotal form, Opitz adds, “By the way, Smith’s band, the Paramount Jazz Band, played at our wedding.” Expect a magical musical stroll down Memory Lane.
On August 9, well-known local children’s author Mary Lyn Ray will speak on “Writing Picture Books and Why I Believe They Still Matter.” In addition to authoring more than a dozen picture books – her latest, “BOOM! Big, Big Thunder & One Small Dog,” came out in June – Ray visits schools in New Hampshire and beyond to read to students and talk about what goes into making books.
“But I also like to talk with grown-ups about the process and purpose of writing,” she notes, “because it’s a chance to explore these topics in a different way.” She will have copies of her books for sale and to read from during her presentation.
Kathy Neustadt, who spoke during the winter session about the food and culture of Cambodia, returns with a culinary focus closer to home. “More Than You Thought There Was to Know About the Traditional New England Clambake” is part recipe, part social history, and part symbolic exploration of one of New England’s great celebratory traditions.
Neustadt – who will have just returned from the 125th annual Allen’s Neck Bake in southeast Massachusetts (where she did the fieldwork for her dissertation and subsequent book on the same topic) – promises to provide “if not an actual taste, then at least the feel and definitely the smell of a real Yankee clambake.” (Handi-Wipes are not included.)
Back by popular demand! On August 23, the final date of the 2013 summer series, Carl Hultberg and Tom Curren return with more musical hits in “Rock and Roll Favorites: The Tunes That Moved Us!” Musical historians, collectors, and audiophiles, the two have run their programs at the Church series like a radio show, dispensing wit and wisdom along with foot-stomping, hip-shaking tunes.
“It’s been really great to watch people dancing in their seats and singing along, and we’re excited that people want to hear more,” says Curren. “And we’ve got plenty more, that’s for sure!” Hultberg adds.
The South Danbury Christian Church is located at 1411 U.S. Route 4 in South Danbury. For more information about the summer series, call 768-3834.