Thursday, January 8, 2009

Dutch treats - tonight!

Here's an opportunity to get into the "Quad" spirit ... tonight (Jan. 8) at 7 p.m. the Venere Lute Quartet will perform “Dutch Treats – High Art From the Low Countries” in the French Church at Historic Huguenot Street in New Paltz. The program will focus on the music of the Netherlands and Belgium and will include pieces that have not been heard in more than 400 years.

The performance kicks off celebrations at Historic Huguenot Street marking the 400th anniversary of Hudson’s voyage, the event that the led to the founding of the Dutch colony New Netherland and the European settling of our region.

Here is more info from the press release:

Venere’s performances have been described as "A world of lightness, space and clarity.” The ensemble has performed throughout the United States and in Europe. Some appearances include the Lute Society of America, the Seattle Early Music Guild, La Guitarra California, Amherst Early Music Festival, Cambridge Society for Early Music, and the Fodella Foundation Series in Milan, Italy.

The French Church, a re-creation of the 1717 stone church built by the French-speaking Huguenots who founded New Paltz, is the perfect setting for this beautiful period performance, which will in both New York City and Boston in the coming season.

Advance tickets for the performance are $14 and can be purchased by calling (845) 255-1660, extension 300 or by sending an email to register@huguenotstreet.org. Day-of tickets are $16.

What has today become Historic Huguenot Street began in 1678 when twelve French-speaking Huguenots settled on the banks of the Wallkill River. Today, just steps from downtown New Paltz, Historic Huguenot Street features seven original stone houses dating to 1705, a burying ground and a reconstructed 1717 stone church, provides charming green space and public programming for the local community and visitors from around the world. The story of these courageous Huguenot families continues at Locust Lawn, which features a striking Jeffersonian mansion and the earlier Evert Terwilliger House. For more information about Historic Huguenot Street, visit www.huguenotstreet.org or call (845) 255-1660.