The Bay Country Chorus is the Easton Maryland chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS). Since 1990 the men of the chorus have been entertaining throughout the mid-shore of Maryland. Our principal audience has been the many seniors in our community who are unable to attend live musical performances. So, we bring the music to them.

In 2018 BHS opened the membership to women of all ages. With a dynamic and energetic new director, the chorus has decided to invite ladies to join us in song creating a mixed chorus. We will continue to provide entertainment to our friends and neighbors throughout the mid-shore. This gives us an opportunity to continue this important work in bringing live music to those in senior living facilities, those in venues dealing with dementia or in rehab and to expand our performances. Men of all ages who like to sing are also invited to take a look at the chorus.

An open house will be held on Monday May 16^th starting at 6:45 pm at Brookletts Place, the Talbot County Senior Center at 400 Brookletts Ave in Easton. Light refreshments will be served. An introduction to singing four-part harmony will be introduced and questions will be answered. For information, or to register please contact John Crovo, current President at 410-820-4761, jcrovo@goeaston.net.

The Working Artists’ Forum (WAF) announced the winners of the Columbia Art Center exhibit, Space…Shapes…Scapes, during the Friday, May 6 evening Exhibition Opening and Awards Ceremony.

“The Fairest of Them All” (oil) by Barbara Harr Watson

Although selecting award winners is both difficult and subjective, show judge Jane McElvany Coonce, an artist and educator from the Washington, DC area chose four winners from a field of 36 WAF member paintings depicting their individual interpretation of the show theme. “It was a rewarding experience to view so many outstanding works of art from such accomplished artists,” Jane stated. Jane explained her selection considerations. “When I judge a show I look for several things: competence with the artists’ material; composition; creativity and design; and an emotional connection.  Most important is the WOW factor. I love it when I see a painting that makes me stop in my tracks and just stare at it.”

Top honors and congratulations go to:

First Place – “The Fairest of Them All” (oil) by Barbara Harr Watson of East New Market

Second Place – “Morning Reflection” (pastel) by Wendy Johnston of Preston

Third Place – “Little Ballerina” (watercolor) by Sandy Alanko of Tilghman Island

Honorable Mention – “That Morning Light” (oil) by Carol Frost of St Michaels

Awards are granted from the WAF Memorial Fund. The Fund was established in 2005 in memory of M.K. Holden by her family for the purpose of funding awards given in the name of WAF members who have passed away and whose families include Working Artists Forum in their memorial donations. The list currently includes: Peggy Blades, Teresa Frederick, M.K. Holden, Marianne Hollis, Mary Talbot Rieckert, Jeanne Ranney Smith, Betty Wise and Karen Wood.

Artwork is on display and available for purchase at the gallery until May 28, 2022 – Columbia Art Center, Long Reach Village Center,  is located at 6100 Foreland Garth, Columbia, Maryland.  Open: Monday and Wednesday 10 a.m. – 2:30 pm and 4:30 – 8:00 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. – Noon – Phone: 410-730-0075

Last chance for some great music as the Fred Hughes Trio closes out the Friday Night Jazz Club series at Easton’s historic Waterfowl Building on May 27 at 7 p.m. Hailed for its “talent, technique and taste” by JazzTimes Magazine, the trio features Fred Hughes on piano, Paul Langosch on bass, and Keith Killgo on drums. Presented by Jazz Alive, the Friday Night Jazz Club series features an intimate club setting with candlelit tables and a cash bar—the series’ last show sold out, so go to jazz-alive.org soon for tickets.

The Fred Hughes Trio got its start in the jazz clubs of Washington, DC in 1989 and by 1996 was flourishing with performances at that year’s Summer Olympics, the Elkhart, Rehoboth, and Cape May jazz festivals as well as becoming the rhythm section for groups including the Vaughn Nark Quintet and Tim Eyermann’s East Coast Offering. 1996 also marked the release of the trio’s first recording, “Out of the Blue.”

Fred Hughes on piano, Paul Langosch on bass, and Keith Killgo on drums.

Since then, the group has performed with such artists as Claudio Roditi, Jon Fedchock, Warren Vache and Larry Coryell.  A sampling of its other performing credentials includes the East Coast, Clifford Brown and Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festivals, tours to the Republic of Korea in 2001 and 2002, and clubs and concert venues from Toronto to Orlando.

In addition to “Out of the Blue,” the trio has issued seven more recordings. Its 2015 holiday release “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” received 5 Stars from Amazon.com, 3 ½ stars from DownbeatMagazine and garnered considerable radio airplay – – finishing out 2015 in the number 5 slot on the CMJ Jazz Radio Chart. Its 2016 release “Matrix” spent 5 weeks in the #1 spot on the Top 50 Jazz Album Chart at Roots Music Report and made the Top 5 of the Roots Music Report’s Top Jazz Albums for 2017.

The May 27 concert takes place at the Waterfowl Building, 40 S. Harrison Street in Easton.  Tickets are $28 and available at jazz-alive.org or at the door the day of the event if there’s availability. Students attend free with a Student ID. Proceeds from ticket and concession sales support Jazz Alive’s mission of providing educational support in developing future artists and preserving this great art form through school and community programs.

For More Information: Fred Hughes (202) 999-8687 |Fred.Hughes@jazz-alive.org| www.Jazz-Alive.org

The National Music Festival welcomes six members to its Board of Directors. New to the board are Mary Grace Brosius, Thomas Parchman, Alan Rothschild, Michael Singer and Ellsworth Tolliver. Sandra Sears, a former board chair, is returning.

After a two-year hiatus caused by the Covid pandemic, the festival returns June 5 – 18, celebrating its 10th year in Chestertown.

“As the NMF enters its second decade, we do so with a re-energized Board of Directors focused on nurturing the careers of promising young musicians and enhancing Chestertown’s reputation as a thriving destination for arts, entertainment and culture,” said Caitlin Patton, the festival’s executive director.

“Our new directors bring a broad range of talents to the Festival’s Board,” she added. Their brief bios follow:

Mary Grace (“MG”) Brosius attended St. Mary’s College in Maryland, where she earned her B.A. in English. For 20 years before moving to Chestertown, she was parish administrator at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Baltimore. She sings with the Chester River Chorale, where she leads the tenor section, and with the choir’s smaller ensembles Chester Chamber Singers and River Voices. Brosius served on the CRC Board as secretary from 2008-11. She and her husband, Jack, live in Chestertown, where she works part-time for Christ United Methodist Church. She has one son, who lives in Colorado.

Thomas Parchman is a professor at the University of Southern Maine and principal clarinetist with the Portland Symphony Orchestra. He holds a doctor of musical arts degree from the University of Southern California, a master of music from Northwestern University, and a bachelor’s degree in both music education and performance from Southern Methodist University. Dr. Parchman has been the National Music Festival’s clarinet mentor since its inception in 2011. He’s active in developing music in the Portland area, participating in projects between the Portland Symphony and Portland schools, performing in ensemble concerts, and giving demonstrations, clinics and master classes.

Alan Rothschild earned a bachelor of arts in music from Earlham College and is certified in piano technology by the New England Conservatory, where he studied with long-time Boston Symphony technician Frank Hanson. In addition to his full-time position at Berklee College of Music and the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, he has private clients in Washington, D.C., New York and Boston, and he works for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, New England Conservatory and Wellesley College. For several years, he has served as NMF’s piano maintenance mentor. He resides in Jamaica Plain, Mass.

Sandra (“Sandy”) Sears moved to Chestertown in 2011. She became dedicated to the National Music Festival from its inception in 2012. She served as board chair from 2014 till 2018 and is delighted to be returning to the board. She owned a needlepoint shop for 11 years in Asheville, N.C. While living in Bucks County, Pa., she was chairman of Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, chair of Historic Preservation for the Bucks County Conservancy, as well as serving as a warden of her church. She has four children and 10 grandchildren. She was recently married to Harry Sears, proving that it’s never too late.

Michael Singer currently serves as Director of Marketing for Fair Issacs Corporation (FICO), one of the world’s leading providers of analytics software, solutions and services. His career has included past marketing leadership positions with Fannie Mae, the Urban Land Institute and the Mortgage Bankers Association of America. He has been an active board member of the Edlavitch DC Jewish Community Center since 2008, chairing its Literary Festival for eight years. He is also an executive committee member of the board of directors of DC’s Mosaic Theatre, where he chairs its nominating committee. He graduated with honors from the University of Chicago.

Ellsworth L. Tolliver is a Chestertown native and a retired music educator with 28 years of experience at schools in Maryland and Delaware, including a stint as Kent County High School’s band director. He served on Chestertown’s Town Council from 2017 to 2021, representing Ward 3. During his tenure, Tolliver helped shepherd adoption of the town’s first Anti-Racism Ordinance. Rev. Tolliver is a fourth-generation pastor in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, serving as pastor at Boardly Chapel AME Church. Tolliver holds a B.S. degree in music education from Delaware State University and a master of divinity from Palmer Theological Seminary. He also has experience as a songwriter, producer and music publisher, and plays piano and percussion.