Community Calendar

You are invited!

Holiday Party - Dinner and Music for the Chadds Ford Business Association

Galer Estate Winery

December 7 from 5:30-8:00 p.m.

Gerald Charles Dickens joins us for brunch in the Visitor Center Cafe.

This heartwarming one-man show is performed by Gerald Charles Dickens, the great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens, who depicts 26 characters of the classic tale. The Visitor Center Café will be open until 6:00 pm. Performance-only tickets: $19 per Member; $22 per nonmember; and $12 for children under 12. Package price (performance and general admission): $34 per nonmember; $18 per child. For tickets, call 800.448.3883 or purchase online. For more information about Gerald Charles Dickens' performances, visit the Byers' Choice website.

This heartwarming one-man show is performed by Gerald Charles Dickens, the great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens, who depicts 26 characters of the classic tale. The Visitor Center Café will be open until 6:00 pm. Performance-only tickets: $19 per Member; $22 per nonmember; and $12 for children under 12. Package price (performance and general admission): $34 per nonmember; $18 per child. For tickets, call 800.448.3883 or purchase online. For more information about Gerald Charles Dickens' performances, visit the Byers' Choice website.

– On Thursday evening, December 7th, The Mill at Anselma will host a concert of holiday music featuring voice students currently enrolled with DoRayMi Lessons in Downingtown under the direction of Rosalind Hayes.  Ten advanced students, many of them teens, will perform a variety of Christmas and winter favorites. Guests may recognize many of these vocalists from their previous appearances on stage at People’s Light and Theatre, at Kerr Park for Downingtown’s Boo Fest, and from the Falling Leaf Fest in Eagleview.

This event will be held in the Dining Hall at Montgomery School, 1141 Kimberton Road, Chester Springs. It will begin at 6:30pm with a wine, cheese and Christmas cookie reception, followed by the concert at 7:00pm. Tickets may be purchased at the door for $5. Members of the Mill at Anselma attend free of charge. All proceeds benefit The Mill at Anselma’s preservation and educational outreach.

DoRayMi Lessons is dedicated to creating a supportive, fully customized lesson experience for all their students. Younger students can expect to learn through play based experiences using movement and improvisation. Older students learn how to become musically fluent through hands-on creative activities like simple songwriting, lyric analysis, and more. Students can expect their teachers to be present at every stage of their musical development-from attending performances, recording lessons for students and parents, audition prep and more.  DoRayMi Lesson’s goal is to foster a life-long passion for music through students and communities.

The Mill at Anselma (c. 1747) served its local agricultural community for nearly 300 years and is considered the most complete example of a Colonial-era custom grist mill in the United States.  Restored and recognized as a National Historic Landmark, the Mill provides a powerful educational experience, allowing visitors to experience Pennsylvania’s industrial and agricultural heritage through milling demonstrations, tours of the site, hands-on activities, and its popular speaker series. The Mill is located on Rt. 401 (1730 Conestoga Road), ½ mile west of Rt. 113 in Chester Springs, PA.  For more information, contact the Mill at Anselma at 610-827-1906, email [email protected], or visit www.anselmamill.org.

Dec. 7, “The Wisdom to Survive” at 7 p.m.  Lobby open at 6:15 pm.  Come early for tours of WCU’s new LEED-certified Business and Public Management Center.  Refreshments and community group displays will be available in the lobby preceding each film.  Expert panels and question and answer session will conclude each film.  Contact Margaret Hudgings – [email protected] or Sean McLaughlin [email protected] . Location is Business and Public Management Center Room 101, West Chester, PA 19383.

A Celtic Christmas in Oxford with Charlie Zahm

The Friends Folk Club along with St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church is proud to announce the return visit of a Friend Folk Club favorite Celtic Balladeer Charlie Zahm on Friday, December 8th at 7:30pm.

"Charlie Zahm is one of the most popular soloists at Celtic music festivals, Maritime and Early American music events anywhere east of the Mississippi. With a baritone voice some have described as "coming along once in a generation," Charlie has become one of the most successful performers on the Celtic festival circuit, weaving magical moments of Scottish and Irish history for the listener and viewer, with passion for the performance and a chosen repertoire pleasing to all members of the family. A master of the guitar as well, Charlie brings an authentic love and respect for the music he sings—and with dashes of humor and a light in his eyes, he will draw you into the stories of his songs!"

Come witness this wonderful performance on Friday, December 8th at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church 116 Lancaster Pike. Oxford, PA. Doors open at 7:00pm and starts at 7:30pm. Tickets are $12 for adults. Children 12 and under are free. Refreshments are available at a reasonable price. Come visit the best little concert series in Southern Chester County. The Friends Folk Club is an all volunteer-community run concert series.

Please call 610-869-8076 for more information.

https://stchrisoxfordpa.wordpress.com/

www.charliezahm.com

Breakfast with the Trains at the Brandywine River Museum of Art

      Sat., Dec 9, 2017    8:30 – 10:00 am

       $ 20 members, $25 non- members;   this event repeats on Dec 16th

       All Aboard! Join in an exclusive, behind-the-scenes visit with the Brandywine River Museum of Art Railroad. Discover how the extensive layout—one of the world’s largest—is created and the complicated multitasking it takes to keep everything running. This before-hours event includes a private tour of the trains in action with Brandywine Railroad engineers including special activities for the youngest train fans and a continental breakfast in the Museum’s café. Children will receive a Brandywine Railroad souvenir; ages 3 and older accompanied by an adult are welcome. Please note that this event will be repeated on Dec. 16^th.

A 19^th Century Christmastide – Sing Along at the Brandywine River Museum of Art

      Sat. Dec 9, 2017,   11:00 am and 1:00 pm

       Price included with museum admission

     Sing along as Rick Spencer presents familiar Christmas tunes from the Victorian age. Folksinger and composer Rick Spencer is known internationally for his performances of music in the American folk tradition.

Take a guided walk through the Treasures on Trial: The Art and Science of Detecting Fakes, every Saturday and Sunday at 11:30am, 1:00pm and 2:00pm.

Formerly known as the Second Saturdays Garden Walk, these walks are on the second Saturday of each month, year-round at 1:00 pm (unless otherwise noted). All walks begin and end at the Visitor Center and are free for Members and included with admission.

Join Winterthur’s Director of Garden & Estate Chris Strand on a special walk highlighting interesting and seldom seen parts of the Winterthur landscape! Walks last about 90 minutes. Be sure to dress for the weather and wear walking shoes. In case of inclement weather, an update message will be left at 302.888.4915 approximately 3 hours before the walk.

Winterthur - Copeland Lecture Hall, 2:00 pm

Join author Marta McDowell for lessons from The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder, a world of prairie, forest, farm, and garden. Book signing to follow. Free.

Brandywine Baptist Church, on Route 1 in Chadds Ford Township, celebrates Christmas with a sing-along of favorite carols on Sunday, Dec. 10 from 4-5 p.m. Come, rejoice and enjoy reflections, singing and refreshments. The church is located at 1463 Baltimore Pike.

Enjoy a wide variety of musical selections for the holiday season performed by this award-winning ensemble. The UD Chorale is among the most highly regarded college choirs in the eastern United States. In recent years, the choir has been invited to perform on both regional and national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). They have also performed at Carnegie Hall in New York and Verizon Hall in Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center for the Arts. In addition to annual regional tours, the Chorale has traveled extensively throughout Europe and Asia. Benefactor-Level-and-above Members are free. $10 per Member. $20 per nonmember. $5 per student (ages 12–18). Advance purchase recommended. 

http://www.winterthur.org/

Music of Ann Wyeth McCoy at the Brandywine River Museum of Art

Tues., Dec 12^th,   2 – 3 pm

         Included with museum admission

         Donna M. Beech performs selections of Ann Wyeth McCoy’s music on piano.

Celebrate the season with live jazz and a glass of wine in the festive atmosphere of Winterthur’s Galleries Reception Atrium. Cash wine and beer bar; fruit and cheese for purchase. Yuletide Jazz and Wine is $5 per Member. $10 per nonmember. $5 students. 13 and under are free. Yuletide Jazz and Wine entry is included with a nonmember purchase of an earlier, same-day General Admission ticket.

Jazz and Wine tickets include live jazz and entry to the Winterthur Galleries, including feature exhibitions Treasures on Trial: the Art and Science of Detecting Fakes; Royal Splendor: the Coronation Gown from The Crown; and Go to Your Room! Interiors Design & the Youthful Imagination. Nonmember Jazz and Wine ticket purchasers may upgrade their ticket to a Yuletide Tour that evening for an additional $10. Advance registrations strongly recommended, spaces fill early. 

The music of Sharon Sable and E. Shawn Qaissaunee is something to be experienced. Together they create a beautiful soundscape that is both bold and understated, appealing to music lovers of all kinds. The musical paths that have brought them together are rich and varied and weave elements of jazz, world, pop, and much more into their memorable and engaging performances.

December Holiday Party

December 13 @ 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM

$55.00

Learn how the shape of the glass influences your perception and enjoyment of the wine. Enjoy three red wines in three different shaped crystal Riedel glasses, which you’ll then take home ($103.50 retail value). $70 per Member. $80.00 per nonmember. Limited space. Purchase tickets online or call 800.448.3883. Entrance to Yuletide Jazz and Wine following the seminar is included.

 "Irish Christmas in America" celebrates the holidays in Ireland with a spirited performance of music, dance, and stories. Called "captivating for all ages" by Irish Music Magazine, the show brings an all-star cast from Ireland to The Grand Opera House in Wilmington on Wed. Dec 13 at 8PM.

The theater is located at 818 N. Market Street . Tickets are $26-31, available through the Box Office at 302.652.5577 or online at www.thegrandwilmington.org.

"A standout performance...full of exceptional music and dance," says The Irish Echo.

"Irish Christmas in America" brings to stage the seasonal traditions of Ireland, where friends and family gather around the hearth or in pubs to share songs and stories. Now in it's 13th year, the show features lively Irish tunes, thrilling step dance, evocative carols in both English and Irish, and plenty of good Irish fun.

"Christmas is a massive holiday in Ireland!" says fiddle player and show producer Oisin Mac Diarmada. "People travel home to see families and share great food and lots of music. The country shuts down, apart from the bars!"

Niamh Farrell is a rising young singer with a crystal-clear voice who first gained attention touring with UK star David Gray. She grew up listening to Mac Diarmada in their mutual hometown of Sligo on Ireland's West Coast. Farrell brings contemporary songs to the show including Norah Jones' "December" and Tom Waits' "Take Me Home."

"Growing up, the idea of a 'party piece' was always a big thing in Irish homes," says Farrell. "People would gather around the fire or maybe the table at Christmas dinner, and everyone would be coaxed to sing a song or tell a story or do a dance. You had to make some sort of show of yourself!"

From County Kerry, Séamus Begley, named Ireland's "Traditional Singer of the Year," is legendary for his trove of traditional songs, as well as his exciting accordion playing and his famous wit.

"Seamus was like the Johnny Cash of my childhood!" says Farrell. "I absolutely adored his singing."

Champion step dancer Samantha Harvey lights up the stage with her footwork, and joins in on piano with Grainne Hambley on the harp and Seán Gavin on the uilleann pipes (Irish bagpipes).

The show touches a chord with Americans, even those not of Irish descent, as many families can identify with being far from home.

"One of the most heartfelt themes of Irish Christmas is emigration,"  says Mac Diarmada, referencing the millions of Irish who came to America over the centuries. "Music was a way that people stayed close to home."

Longwood Fire Company is joining other area groups, including the Kennett Township Police Department, in conducting a blood drive with the American Red Cross to be held at the Kennett Township Building, 801 Burrows Run Road, Kennett Square, on Thursday, December 14, from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. Blood donations are being distributed to hospitals as quickly as they come in. Donors of all blood types are needed to help ensure a sufficient supply for patients.

Join us for this film series, featuring intriguing stories surrounding real-life tales of forgery and counterfeiting, hosted by scholars, curators, film buffs, and critics who will lead discussions after each film. Copeland Lecture Hall. $10 per Member. $15 per nonmember. Reservations suggested. Visit the Treasures on Trial web page for more information on the exhibition.

This 2013 documentary follows inventor Tim Jenison and the extraordinary lengths he goes to in seeking to understand the painting techniques used by Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer. A Penn and Teller Film. Copeland Lecture Hall. $10 per Member. $15 per nonmember. Call 800.448.3883.

Saturday, December 16th, 23rd, and Sunday, December 17th.
9:00am - 1:00pm
$35.95 per person
Children aged 2-12 are 50% off. Free for children under 2.
Members receive a 10% discount.
Reservations can be made through [email protected] or by leaving a message at 302.888.4826
Santa will be present from 9:30am - 12:30pm.

Take a guided walk through the Treasures on Trial: The Art and Science of Detecting Fakes, every Saturday and Sunday at 11:30am, 1:00pm and 2:00pm.

Saturday, December 16th, 23rd, and Sunday, December 17th.
9:00am - 1:00pm
$35.95 per person
Children aged 2-12 are 50% off. Free for children under 2.
Members receive a 10% discount.
Reservations can be made through [email protected] or by leaving a message at 302.888.4826
Santa will be present from 9:30am - 12:30pm.