“Eliot Fisk is amazing,” says Steven Karidoyanes, director of the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra.
You can see – and hear – for yourself on Saturday, Nov. 2. Fisk will perform in a concert titled “Legends and Legacies,” starting at 7:30, at Plymouth North High School’s Performing Arts Center (the auditorium) – in a somewhat rare performance by the orchestra outside of Memorial Hall.
The theme of this season for the Philharmonic is “Better Together,” and the three pieces that comprise the whole of Fisk’s performance are just that – better together.
The program kicks off with Karidoyanes leading the orchestra in Louise Farrenc’s Symphony No. 2. Farrenc was well-known as a composer, concert pianist, and professor at the posh Paris Conservatoire in the mid-1800s. Although Farrenc’s work may have faded from public awareness over time, her legacy lives on in this bold and brilliant symphony inspired by Mozart and Beethoven but delivered in a rich and romantic dialect all her own.
The concert will feature Fisk in the centerpiece – the concerto “Fantasia para un gentilhombre”(Fantasia for a Nobleman) by Joaquín Rodrigo. This selection aligns with the Philharmonic’s “Better Together” theme, because the Spanish composer, Rodrigo, originally wrote the concerto for Andres Segovia, Spain’s virtuoso guitarist, in the 20th century. Years later, Segovia became Fisk’s teacher and called him “one of the most brilliant and gifted young artists of our times.”
Fisk’s presence is significant to the title of this concert as well. He is a legendary classical guitarist, with a reputation as a charismatic performer known for his adventurous and virtuosic repertoire. Fisk has not only performed as a soloist with multiple orchestras, but also is recognized for taking art music into unusual venues, from schools and senior centers to logging camps and prisons.
Karidoyanes, who recently rhapsodized over Fisk’s performance with the Philharmonic in 2017, says, “I can’t wait to work with him again. Our audience will love him.”
A third piece will round out the program: Mozart’s opulent overture to “Don Giovanni,” a seven-minute symphonic synopsis of one of the best operas ever. The opera was written in the 1700s, thus complementing the collection: three works from three centuries, all played by the same group of musicians who make them even better together.
Come early, at 6:30, to enjoy an informal talk by Karidoyanes called “All About the Music.” It’s a preview of the music to come.
Tickets are $30 and $65. You can buy them here, or by calling 508-746-8008. Information about senior, youth, and group discounts and student “rush” tickets are also posted on the website.
Thursday, October 31
It’s real-time trick-or-treating day and night, so beware of the small-size goblins and ghouls who will be haunting the town during Downtown Plymouth’s Annual Halloween on Main. More than 70 merchants participate in the trick-or-treating sugar rush. There will also be free activities, including face painting, pumpkin decorating, a costume contest for children and dogs, and more. For more information, go here.
Uva Wine Bar, 46 Main St., has found a happy medium for Halloween. It’s hosting a Halloween Spirit Medium Dinner with medium Candace Dalton. “Get into the ‘spirit’ of the season and possibly connect with loved ones who have moved on to the Spirit World,” Uva says. “Candace brings lightness and laughter to the atmosphere with her light sense of humor and kind heart.” The doors open at 6 p.m. and charcuterie and flatbreads (included in the $85 ticket price) will be served from 6 to 7 p.m. Dalton’s reading starts at 7 p.m. The event is limited to 48 people. You can buy tickets here.
Burn off some of those empty candy calories during Dirty Water Distillery’s first ever Halloween Costume Run from 6 to 9 p.m. It’s being presented along with Marathon Sports and Kingston House of Pizza. “We encourage folks to go back to basics and choose basic costumes that truly embody the spirit of classic Halloween,” Dirty Water says on its website. “Let’s see some witches and ghosts and vampires out there.” The run, a 21-plus affair, is a costume-friendly mile around Cordage Park, followed by food and drinks in the taproom, 49 Cordage Park Circle. For more information, go here.
Hip-hop star Chris Webby, with Ryan Oakes and Greives, brings his annual Halloween show to Memorial Hall in Plymouth. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The show starts 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $32, $37, $42, and $250 for the VIP treatment. You can buy them here.
Are you ready to groove, dance, and celebrate under the spell of Uncle John’s Banjo Halloween Spectacular at the Spire? This four-piece ensemble from Boston brings a fresh, energetic twist to the bluegrass-inspired classics of the Grateful Dead. The band is led by Ethan Robbins on guitar, and supported by Conor Smith on fiddle, Paul Chase on bass, and Rob Megna on drums. Don your Halloween costume (it is Halloween, after all) and get in the “spirit” of the Dead, dancing to the familiar tunes. The show starts at 7:30 p.m., and doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and are available here.
Friday, November 1
A Brief History of Tull celebrates the journey of Jethro Tull, the British band best known for “Aqualung” and “Thick as a Brick.” Martin Barre, who played guitar in Tull, leads this interactive adventure of sounds and sights at the Spire. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $69 and you can buy them here.
Saturday, November 2
Explore the past and learn about the teachers young Plymoutheans had to put up with in the early days. Meet futzy schoolmarms, feisty schoolmasters, and the teachers who inspired true learning on a live walking tour – Marms & Mentors – Plymouth’s Early Teachers: Walking Tour of Burial Hill – a free event guided by Donna Curtin, executive director of Pilgrim Hall Museum. Join the group at 1 p.m. at the top of Burial Hill (Plymouth’s ancient burial ground) for this one-hour tour. Wear comfortable walking shoes and check the museum’s Facebook page for weather-related cancellations or postponement.
The Plymouth Philharmonic’s Legends & LegaciesConcert takes place tonight at 7:30. See the lead item in this column for more details and information.
Wednesday, November 6
Pilgrim Hall Museum presents a prize-winning historian and author, Arthur Lipman, who will lecture on Squanto: A Native Odyssey, from 7 to 8 p.m. at the museum on Court Street. Lipman, who has written a biography on Squanto, takes a fresh look at his epic life. Squanto was a real-life historical figure who is associated with the Plymouth Colony’s early survival. Lipman, an associate professor of history at Barnard College, reconstructs Squanto’s upbringing, his transatlantic odyssey, his career as an interpreter, surprising downfall, and enigmatic death. There will be a social hour from 6 to 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 each, $5 for members, and free for students with a valid ID. To find out more or get tickets, call 508-746-0220, ext. 3, or go here.
Saturday, November 9
Do some good and have fun at the same time at a fundraising dinner to support the nonprofit Health & Education for Vietnamese Youth. Come to the Plymouth Moose Lodge to enjoy a tasty meal, live music, a cash bar, and hear an uplifting story about the work of volunteers and Shriners to change Vietnamese children’s lives for the better. The lodge is located at 601 State Road, and the dinner will be served from 1 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $20 at the door, or call Thuy Trask at 508-989-4929 for more information.