Oak Ridge Today

Two songwriters advance in state contest

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Image courtesy Explore Oak Ridge

Two songwriters from Oliver Springs and Nashville will advance in a state competition after qualifying in Oak Ridge on Wednesday.

The two songwriters who advanced were Rachel McIntyre-Smith of Oliver Springs and Sam Hatmaker of Nashville. They were selected from a field of 20 contestants in a qualifying round at Oakey’s Bar and Grill in Oak Ridge on Wednesday, February 8.

“Each competitor was judged based on their overall performance, originality, and connection to the audience,” Explore Oak Ridge said in a press release.

The songwriters played their original compositions before a panel of expert judges and an audience of supporters. The judges’ panel featured a mix of musicians and songwriters from the area representing various musical genres and expertise, including former “American Idol” finalist Janelle Arthur.

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Oak Ridge has July 4 concert, fireworks

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The annual July 4 concert and fireworks show is in Oak Ridge this evening.

The Independence Day fireworks display will be held in Alvin K. Bissell Park on Monday, July 4, and it is scheduled to begin at dark, around 9:45 p.m. In order to set up for the event, the walking trails in Bissell Park will be closed beginning at 8:30 a.m. the morning of the event, a press release said.

The Oak Ridge Community Band will perform before the fireworks. The concert is free, but donations are accepted by the band to help cover the cost of equipment and other expenses, the press release said. The music is expected to begin at 7:30 p.m.

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ORHS Masquers presents ‘Into the Woods’

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The production of ‘Into the Woods’ by Oak Ridge High School Masquers features Emmaline Estep as “Rapunzel,” Anna Younger as “Cinderella,” Norah Younger as “the Witch,” Max Mischler as “Jack,” Emily Salko as “Little Red Riding Hood,” and Jack Lloyd as “the Narrator.” (Photo submitted by ORHS Masquers)

Oak Ridge High School Masquers, the school’s extracurricular drama program, is presenting “Into the Woods,” the Stephen Sondheim musical based on the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tales, in four performances this weekend.

The performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, March 4; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, March 5; and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 6, at the Oak Ridge Performing Arts Center at Oak Ridge High School.

“Into the Woods” blends the story of Cinderella, Jack, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, the Baker, his Wife, and the Witch into a single interwoven tale of adventure and loss, a press release said. Backed by the brilliant music and lyrics of Sondheim, the songs explore choices the characters must make and how they process the experiences they are having. The first act brings every character their dreamed successes and is very family friendly, the press release said.

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Experience world cultures at Children’s Museum International Festival

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The Tennessee Irish Dancers join Charlie Bear, the Museum mascot, at an earlier International Festival at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. (Photo by Rob Welton)

Flamenco, Irish, and Greek dancers will be among entertainers at the International Festival on Saturday, February 26, at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge.

A special guest from Ireland, musician and singer Fionan Casey, will join the band, The Missing Goats, performing traditional Irish music at the festival, a press release said.

The family-friendly International Festival will present entertainment, crafts, and cuisines from many countries, with musical and dance entertainment on stage throughout the day and crafts for children to make and take home. The festival will be from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, February 26, at the Children’s Museum, which is at 461 West Outer Drive in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Four qualifiers win at songwriters competition

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Locals, visitors, and music industry leaders came together for a lively celebration and songwriting competition for East Tennessee songsmiths at Tennessee Songwriters Week’s qualifying round in Oak Ridge, Tenn., on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022. (Submitted photo)

Locals, visitors, and music industry leaders met for a celebration and songwriting competition for East Tennessee songsmiths at Tennessee Songwriters Week’s qualifying round in Oak Ridge on Wednesday.

“A slew of songwriters provided one of the most engaging and exciting songwriting competitions to date,” a press release said.

The competition was at Oakey’s Sports Bar in Oak Ridge. Each competitor was judged based on their overall performance, originality, and connection to the audience, the press release said. Out of the 20 applicants, only four were part of the winners from Oak Ridge’s qualifying round to advance to the next round at the Bijou Theater in Knoxville.

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Celebration of life in April for John Rice Irwin

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John Rice Irwin, founder of the Museum of Appalachia in Norris, plays the mandolin in this photo by Linda Gunderson.

A celebration of the life of museum founder John Rice Irwin will be held in April at the Museum of Appalachia in Norris. The celebration of life is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 24.

Irwin was a cultural historian and founder of the Museum of Appalachia, among other notable achievements.

Irwin died Sunday, January 16, in Clinton. He was 91.

He was born on December 11, 1930, in Union County, Tennessee.

“While Irwin was still a toddler, his family was forced to move from their farm to make way for the flooding of Norris Lake and the construction of Norris Dam,” his obituary said. “They first settled in Robertsville (in Oak Ridge), but the Manhattan Project forced them to move yet again, this time to the Bethel Community.”

Irwin’s obituary said he was captivated by the rich cultural history of East Tennessee and its people for as long as he could remember.

“As a young boy, he would sit at the feet of his grandmother, Ibbie Jane Rice, and grandfather, Marcellus Moss ‘Sill’ Rice, and listen intently to their stories of the past,” the obituary said. “Sill took notice of his grandson’s fascination and said to him, ‘you ought to keep the old-timey things that belonged to our people and start you a little museum sometime.’ It was this advice that would ultimately inspire Irwin to create the Museum of Appalachia.”

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Oak Ridge will host songwriter competition qualifier

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Oak Ridge has been selected to host a qualifying round in February for Tennessee Songwriters Week, and applications are now open for the competition.

It’s the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development’s fourth annual Tennessee Songwriters Week. The Knoxville area’s qualifying round will take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday, February 9, at Oakey’s Sports Bar in Oak Ridge.

“The Tennessee Department of Tourism Development created this week to celebrate the foundation of the craft for which Tennessee is known: music,” a press release said. “Oak Ridge was among 30 locations statewide selected as a qualifying round host.”

“We are thrilled to partner with the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development as we host a 2022 Tennesseee Songwriter’s Week qualifying round at our signature Oakey’s Sports Bar,” said Katy Watt, president of Explore Oak Ridge. “Positioned perfectly in a valley along Knoxville’s trending city scene and the Great Smoky Mountains, Oak Ridge is the ideal destination for a musical experience unlike any other.”

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ORHS Band has holiday concert Thursday

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Josh Hunt, University of Tennessee music intern, with the Oak Ridge High School Band trumpets rehearsing for a Holiday Concert on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge High School Band will have a Holiday Concert at 7 p.m. Thursday, December 16, in the ORHS Performing Arts Center.

“Come enjoy an hour of music with the Percussion Ensemble, JazzKats, and Concert Band students as each group showcases their talent,” a press release said. “Fan favorite, ‘Sleigh Ride,’ by Leroy Anderson is a must hear!” [Read more…]

Community Band has Christmas Concert Sunday

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The Oak Ridge Community Band performs at the recent Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony in A.K. Bissell Park on Dec. 1, 2021. (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge Community Band will play familiar holiday songs, and you will be able to sing along to favorite carols during a Christmas Concert on Sunday afternoon, December 12.

The family-friendly concert to ring in the holiday season will begin at 3:30 p.m. Sunday in the sanctuary of the First Baptist Church, and there is no admission fee, a press release said.

Among the compositions on Sunday’s program will be one of Leroy Anderson’s most popular holiday tunes, “Sleigh Ride,” in which you can not only hear the bells on the horse pulling the sleigh but the crack of the whip, the clip-clop of the horse’s hooves, and the horse’s distinctive neigh, the press release said. The band will also perform Robert Buckley’s arrangement of “Let the Bells Ring!” based on “Ukrainian Bell Carol,” Alfred Reed’s “Russian Christmas Music,” and Robert Smith’s arrangement of “All is Calm.” More holiday tunes performed by the band will be Leroy Anderson’s “A Christmas Festival,” Paul Lavender’s arrangement of “A Home Alone Christmas,” and John K. Evans’s “Angels We Have Heard on High.” [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Philharmonia resumes concerts

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Oak Ridge Philharmonia

The Oak Ridge Philharmonia is resuming concerts after more than a year during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Great news!” the Philharmonia said on its website. “The orchestra will finally be in concert again!”

These are the first concerts since March 2020, and they are free.

The first concert is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday, October 31, at Cokesbury United Methodist Church on Kingston Pike in Knoxville. The second is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday, November 7, at First Baptist Church in Oak Ridge.

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The SteelDrivers play in Oak Ridge

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ORNL Federal Credit Union Summers Sessions concerts are in Alvin K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy ORNL Federal Credit Union)

Bluegrass group The SteelDrivers will perform at a free concert in Oak Ridge on Saturday.

It’s the last Summer Sessions concert of 2021, and the show is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. Saturday, October 23, in the pavilion at Alvin K. Bissell Park.

The opening band will be Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper.

The concert series is sponsored by ORNL Federal Credit Union.

The SteelDrivers are based in Nashville and known for their dynamic songwriting and eclectic shows, a press release said. Current band members include Tammy Rogers on fiddle, Mike Fleming on bass, Kelvin Damrell on guitar and vocals, Brent Truitt on mandolin, and Richard Bailey on banjo.

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Clinch River Fall Antique Festival starts Friday

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Clinch River Antique Festival
File photo

The Clinch River Fall Antique Festival starts in downtown Clinton on Friday, October 1.

It’s the 20th annual festival.

“The Clinch River Fall Antique Festival is an autumn tradition that keeps growing as the years
go on,” a press release said. “What was created to commemorate the Clinch River mussel pearls and their
economic contributions to East Tennessee in the early 1900s is now the largest fall event
in Anderson County. Each year, the festival that’s held just a few miles away from I-75 in
Historic Downtown Clinton, Tennessee, brings in upwards of 15,000 people to the
community over two days.”

The 20th Annual Clinch River Fall Antique Festival is hosted by the Anderson County
Chamber of Commerce. It is scheduled from noon-10 p.m. on Market Street on downtown Clinton.

Day one of this two-day event will begin with many vendors set up on Market Street beginning at noon, the press release said.

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