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June 22, 2025

Talbot Spy

Nonpartisan Education-based News for Talbot County Community

6 Arts Notes

Carpe Diem Free Lunch-Time Performance Series

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Carpe Diem Free Lunch-Time Performance Series at Talbot County Senior Center, Brookletts Place, 400 Brookletts Ave., Easton, MD at 12:15-1:00pm.

Celebrating a return after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, Carpe Diem Arts is pleased to join forces again with the Talbot County Senior Center to present the popular free lunch-time concert series at Brookletts Place, 400 Brookletts Ave., Easton, Maryland.

Performances are scheduled on the Second Tuesdays of the month, April through June.

Mark your calendars for a stellar spring line-up:

April 12 – Ampersand (Beth Lawton, Dick Hogle, Topher Lawton and Dave Moore)

American roots music by an engaging four-some of multi-instrumentalists and singers

May 10 – Karen Somerville (with Gerry Werner and Ray Anthony)

A rapturous blend of blues, gospel, and jazz standards

June 14 – Night Watch (Elizabeth Fisher, Randy Welch, Bob Roe and Gerry Devine)

A salty mix of Americana and traditional folk with delightful, original interpretations

Karen Somerville

The second concert in the Spring 2022 series features the Karen Somerville Trio. Karen is a Chestertown native with deep musical roots reaching back to her great-great grandparents. She grew up singing with her family, in the church choir, and eventually professionally, performing in “Lady Sings the Blues”, a tribute to female blues singers of the 20’s-40’s. Her faith has always guided her through life, and inspired her to persevere through the ups and downs. Accompanied by Gerry Warner and Ray Anthony, the performance is sure to be a treat for all ages.

Lunch is available at 12 noon for $2.75 with reservations two weeks in advance.

RSVP: Amanda Brown – 410-822-2869 / [email protected]

For more information, please contact  [email protected] / 301-466-0183   www.CarpeDiemArts.org/brookletts-place

Facebook:  Carpe Diem Arts on the Shore

The Carpe Diem-Brookletts Lunchtime Concert Series is made possible by Upper Shore Aging, the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, Talbot Arts, Maryland State Arts Council, Dock Street Foundation, and by individual contributions to Carpe Diem Arts and Brookletts Place.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

May Heritage Concert Series Celebrates Asian Pacific-American Heritage & Jewish-American Heritage

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Patricia Shih

Carpe Diem Arts has joined forces with Brookletts Place Talbot County Senior Center and the Talbot County Free Library to present the popular virtual Heritage Monthly Concert Series every fourth Friday of the month at 4 p.m. through June. The concerts will be presented via Zoom and Facebook Live and can be found at CarpeDiemArts.org/brookletts-place or facebook.com/carpediemarts2you/live.

The Friday, May 28, performances will kick off at 4 p.m. with a song from one of the Eastern Shore’s most acclaimed performers, host Karen Somerville, accompanied by Joe Holt on piano.

The first featured guest, Patricia Shih, is a multiple national award-winning singer-songwriter, recording artist, TV personality, filmmaker and author based in Huntington, NY. Shih has toured North America, delighting audiences of all ages for decades. She has been featured on numerous radio and TV shows (including hosting Cablevision’s “Tell Me A Story”), at major music festivals, and in various clubs and concert halls with such luminaries as Pete Seeger, Bonnie Raitt, David Bromberg, Tom Chapin, Richie Havens, Odetta, and Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary. She has nine albums and two books to her credit.

Caron Dale

Next up Caron Dale will lead us in a journey of Jewish soul music from Eastern Europe to today’s USA. Be prepared to clap, tap, and sing in a foreign language. Dale is an award winning songwriter; the leader of the band Lox & Vodka; and founder of Chords of Courage, a non-profit that encourages youth to write powerful songs about people of unusual courage. Chords of Courage believes that by creating socially conscious music today, we help to create socially conscious citizens for tomorrow

Mark your calendars for the final concert on June 25 featuring Grammy awardees Dan and Claudia Zanes celebrating Caribbean-American Heritage and Andrea & Harold Blackford with Jim Harkless of Washington Revels’ Jubilee Voices, honoring Juneteenth (June 19).

All ages are welcome! Invite friends and family worldwide to share in these memorable musical experiences.

The Heritage Concert Series is made possible by the generous support of the Brookletts Place/Upper Shore Aging Fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, Talbot County Free Library, Talbot County Arts Council with revenues provided by the Maryland State Arts Council, and by individual contributors to Carpe Diem Arts and Brookletts Place.

For more information on the Virtual Heritage Concert Series, visit www.CarpeDiemArts.org/brookletts-place.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Virtual Heritage Concert Series Kicks Off February 26, 4 P.M.

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Karen Somerville

Carpe Diem Arts has joined forces again with Brookletts Place Talbot County Senior Center in presenting a popular monthly concert series—this time in the virtual mode and in partnership with the Talbot County Free Library. The performances are scheduled on the fourth Friday of the month at 4 p.m., February through June of 2021, and will be presented via Zoom and Facebook Live.  Mark your calendars for a stellar winter-to-spring line-up! Links to view these performances can be found at CarpeDiemArts.org/brookletts-place or facebook.com/carpediemarts2you/live.

Kicking off the 2021 series on Friday, February 26, will be a celebration of Valentine’s Day and Black History Month with Karen Somerville, one of the Eastern Shore’s most acclaimed performers, delighting audiences with a “contemporary soulful sound and surprising jazz licks and blues blends.” Joining Somerville will be Kathy Bullock, another legendary singer and musical force and long-time professor at Berea College in Kentucky. Bullock will be accompanied by her son Phillip whose rich baritone voice is reminiscent of the great Paul Robeson.

The March 26 concert will feature the duo “Rakish” with violinist Maura Shawn Scanlin and guitarist Connor Hearn will celebrate Irish American Heritage Month, and renowned jazz, blues, and gospel singer Lea Gilmore will offer songs to honor Women’s History Month.

On April 23 Egyptian singer Maggie Yacoub will share her diverse musical palette to celebrate Arab-American Heritage Month, and Shore chanteuse Chris Noyes will serenade us with a marvelous medley of songs in celebration of Earth Day.

The May 28 concert will feature the award-winning recording artist Patricia Shih with a Chinese song in honor of Asian-American Heritage Month, along with a sing-along selection of American favorites. Caron Dale will then lead us on a memorable musical journey in celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month, and no doubt there will be a nod to Mother’s Day as well!

The grand finale of the series will be on June 25 in celebration of Caribbean-American Heritage, with Grammy Award winners Dan and Claudia Zanes. Juneteenth (June 19) will also be honored with Revels’ Jubilee Voices, featuring director Andrea Blackford and her husband Harold, along with James Harkless, sharing songs and stories from the African-American experience of struggle and perseverance, trials and triumphs.

The Heritage concert series is made possible by the generous support of the Brookletts Place/Upper Shore Aging Fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, Talbot County Free Library, Talbot County Arts Council with revenues provided by the Maryland State Arts Council, and by individual contributors to Carpe Diem Arts and Brookletts Place.

For more information on the Virtual Heritage Concert Series, visit www.CarpeDiemArts.org/brookletts-place.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Carpe Diem Arts Announces Summer ArtVentures

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Carpe Diem Arts is excited to announce our Summer ArtVentures menu of culturally diverse visual, literary, and performing arts programs — a consolation prize during these unprecedented times when most of the usual summer camps are shuttered due to the continued threat of the virus. The silver lining is that we can invite friends and family from around the world to join us for these shared experiences.

Parents and students will find an awesome array of classes, taught by a remarkable group of artists and leaders in their fields, award-winning authors, musicians, and inspired teachers from near and far, including Denise Jones, Mary Amato, Kofi Dennis, Lilo Gonzalez, Raina Greifer, Lea Morris, Eliza Newlin-Carney, Reggie Harris, Wiley White, and many more.

Subjects include Songwriting, Ukulele, Guitar, Ethiopian and Eritrean Dance, Poetry and Playwriting, Book Clubs with authors, Quilt Portraits, Strong Girls Club, Radio Plays, Stage Presence, Puppetry, Juggling, Photography, African Drumming, songs and true stories from the civil rights movement over the course of history, and more. Financial aid is available for those in need.

Visit https://carpediemarts.org/summer-artventure-2020-class-offerings for class descriptions.

There are also several free offerings: “Making Thank You Cards for Healthcare Workers” and the “Free Minds Write Night” on June 24 when volunteers read and respond to poems written by incarcerated youth. Students can receive credit for these two programs towards their community service requirement. Another free offering is the “Daily Antidote of Song” program at 12 noon ℅ Washington Revels and Carpe Diem, featuring song leaders and recording artists from a vast array of cultures and traditions.

Stay tuned for the future roll-outs of course offerings: Conversations with Civil Rights leaders, American Sign Language, Intro to 3D Printing, Spanish and French immersion weeks (musical, literary and visual arts), Bilingual Songs with Latin Grammy Award winners Andres and Christina Salguero, LPC-Ecole International Songs, Geography lessons through song, Amharic, Book Clubs, Culinary Arts, Slam Poetry, mouth trumpet, body percussion, and a virtual choir project.

To mitigate the effects of “screen fatigue” that we are all experiencing, online class time is limited, encouraging older students to work independently and then share their work. In some cases, we will schedule art exhibits, performances of songs, plays, readings of poetry, when the Covid restrictions are lifted.

In order to make these programs available to everyone, including low-income families and immigrant communities, while also supporting our artist community, Carpe Diem Arts is seeking support from those who recognize the value and the importance of access and inclusion. Donations can be made at www.paypal.me/carpediemarts or at CarpeDiemArts.org/donation-page Anyone registering for a class will also have an opportunity to include a donation to the financial aid fund.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.