Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge Unitarian Universal Church has music festival fundraiser

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Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church Sanctuary

The sanctuary of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church is pictured above. (File photo)

There is a free music festival at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universal Church on Saturday. It will feature local bands and food for sale, a press release said.

Two of the bands scheduled to play are Haze of Oliver Springs and Scarlet Victory of Clinton, the press release said. Haze has been described as a “groove” based rock band that plays what the crowd wants to hear, the release said. Both bands have a large local fan base.

The festival is free, but a suggested donation of $5 would gratefully be accepted, the release said. The event will be held in the ORUUC Social Hall from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The church is located at 1500 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Coffeehouse features local talent, new guitar class to benefit Free Medical Clinic

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Nicolas Cagle

Nicolas Cagle

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Guitars are being restrung, duos are reuniting, and vocal chords are being stretched yet again for the first coffeehouse of the summer.

Coffeehouse veteran Nicolas Cagle is especially excited to be performing for this fundraising series, now in its third summer. A recent graduate from Clinton High School, Nic wins over audiences with his big personality and vocal style. His vocal sound is unique in that he has a crooning quality that some say is reminiscent of ’50s great Buddy Holly.

Nic will be attending the University of Tennessee Knoxville in the fall, and plans on devoting much of his summer to not only performing at the coffeehouses, but teaching a new generation of performers as well at First Presbyterian Church.

An accomplished songwriter and guitarist, Nic will be leading a free guitar class for the next three weeks from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays for young performers. Just as the swing dancing initiative last summer was created to give high school and college students another creative outlet and place to gather, the guitar workshop hopes to do the same. [Read more…]

Secret City Festival: Deadline extended for early bird tickets

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Kix Brooks with Mic

Country artist Kix Brooks performs at the Great Eastern Exposition in West Springfield, Mass., on Sept. 27. (Submitted photos)

It’s not too late to purchase discounted tickets for Secret City Festival

The deadline for early bird tickets to the 12th Annual Secret City Festival’s headline concerts has been extended through Thursday, June 5. This extension will allow the public to continue to purchase tickets to both the Friday night Eddie Money concert or the Saturday night Kix Brooks concert for the discounted rate of $18 each.

Friday night’s concert will feature 80s rocker Eddie Money as he brings his blue-collar rock ‘n’ roll sound to the UCOR concert stage. Opening for Eddie Money will be local band Jada Blade and Dez Money and The Faze. Dez Money is the son of Eddie Money, but he’ll bring his own unique style to the Friday night line-up. Concert goers can expect to hear hits from Eddie Money’s career including “Two Tickets to Paradise,” “Shakin,’” and “Baby Hold On.” Friday night’s concert is sponsored by Pro2Serve, CROET, and Classic Hits 93.1 WNOX.

Saturday night’s concert brings legendary country music artist Kix Brooks, formerly of Brooks and Dunn, to the UCOR stage. As part of one of the biggest duos in country music history, Brooks has received many industry accolades including two Grammy awards, 20 Country Music Association trophies, and 27 Academy of Country Music honors. After Brooks and Dunn announced their retirement, Brooks has enjoyed success on and off the stage as a solo artist, radio host, and actor. Nashville band, Phoenix Drive, will open the show. Saturday’s concert is sponsored by LDA Engineering and 96.7 Merle FM. [Read more…]

Guest column: Remembering Walt Whitman

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This Saturday, May 31, marks the 195th birthday of America’s greatest poet and perhaps even its greatest citizen to have ever lived: Walt Whitman. “Leaves of Grass,” as one contemporary reviewer put it at the time, was “an explosion in a sewer.” The reactions to Whitman’s work, at least in most circles, were largely unpleasant. One reviewer even suggested that Walt Whitman commit suicide.

“Leaves of Grass” was so offensive that it cost Walt several jobs, and by the end of his life, the poet died nearly in poverty, relying on the kindness of Britain’s literary elite just to survive and be buried.

I had the chance to visit the Walt Whitman home on a mini-Sabbatical in 2012. The caretaker there in Camden pulled a letter out and read it aloud to me. It was written by a middle-aged woman from England on September 11, 2001. As she watched the twin towers fall, she was uncertain how to express her grief and outrage—or even where to direct those thoughts. She chose Walt Whitman and eloquently expressed her love of America’s democratic spirit, stating there was no other place for her to lodge her thoughts than with Walt Whitman. The letter was powerful and brought tears to my eyes. [Read more…]

What’s happening in Oak Ridge from May 29-June 4

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Here is a summary of events happening in Oak Ridge starting Thursday, May 29, and continuing through June 4.

This weekly listing of events is compiled by the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau: [Read more…]

Temptations Revue concert to kick off Blankenship fundraising campaign

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Temptations Nate Evans Theater

 

An August concert by the Temptations Revue will kick off the fundraising campaign to revitalize Blankenship Field and Jack Armstrong Stadium into a world-class facility, organizers said.

The Aug. 9 concert will be in the Oak Ridge High School Auditorium. It’s sponsored by the Oak Ridge Quarterback Club.

The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 9, and tickets must be purchased online. They went on sale to the public on Thursday.

All proceeds will be directed to the revitalization effort to revamp Blankenship Field/Jack Armstrong Stadium. [Read more…]

What’s happening in Oak Ridge from May 22-28

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Here is a summary of events happening in Oak Ridge starting Thursday, May 22, and continuing through May 28.

This weekly listing of events is compiled by the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau: [Read more…]

Combined choirs to sing ‘Sunrise Mass’ Sunday

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Anna Thomas and Andrew Duncan

Anna Thomas, FPC music director, will conduct the first half of the concert, and Andrew Duncan, FUMC music director, will conduct the four-movement “Sunrise Mass.” (Submitted photo)

The combined choirs of First Presbyterian and First United Methodist churches will sing the “Sunrise Mass” by Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo during a concert on Sunday, May 18, at 6:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church.

String players from the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and FUMC’s Sandi Henry on piano will accompany the choirs. The 32-minute symphony mass will be performed in the second half of the concert.

The first half of the concert will include choral music by various composers, including “Ave Verum Corpus” by W.A. Mozart, Dan Forrest’s setting of John Wesley’s “Covenant Prayer,” and Mack Wilberg’s arrangement of Isaac Watts’ version of Psalm 23, as well as works by Kevin Siegfried, Philip R. Dietterich, and Stephen Paulus. [Read more…]

What’s happening in Oak Ridge from May 15-21

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Here is a summary of events happening in Oak Ridge starting Friday, May 16, and continuing through May 21.

This weekly listing of events is compiled by the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau: [Read more…]

Sound Company celebrates ‘Journeys’ on Friday, Saturday

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Sound Company Header

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Sound Company, Oak Ridge’s Children’s Performing Choir, will present a unique choral performance this weekend, a press release said. The choir will be providing the community with two opportunities to experience the celebration, including Friday, May 16, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 17, at 2 p.m. All shows will be performed at the Historic Grove Theater at High Places Church, which is at 123 Randolph Road in Oak Ridge.

The show is titled “Journeys: Celebrating the Long and Winding Road of Life.”

Songs performed by Sound Company will include: [Read more…]

Experience the majestic Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony in Saturday concert

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Oak Ridge Community Orchestra Strings

String players in the Oak Ridge Community Orchestra are pictured above. (Photo courtesy of Travis Witherington) 

 

By Dale Gedcke

Don’t miss the majestic “Symphony No. 3 with Organ” by Saint-Saëns, performed by the Oak Ridge Community Orchestra at 2 p.m. Saturday May 17, in the sanctuary of the First Baptist Church. This is probably the most impressive symphony that one can find. It is unique because of the dominant role played by the organ, especially in the finale, where it builds the foundation for a glorious finish.

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 – 1921) composed his third symphony at the pinnacle of his career when he was in his early 50s. The story of his life is as remarkable as the content of this symphony. Trained on the piano from a very early age, his first public performance came at the age of five, when he accompanied a Beethoven violin sonata. At 10, he played his first public recital, featuring works by Handel, Kalkbrenner, Hummel, and Bach. As an encore, Saint-Saëns offered to play any of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas from memory. [Read more…]

What’s happening in Oak Ridge from May 9-14

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Here is a summary of events happening in Oak Ridge starting Friday, May 2, and continuing through May 7.

This weekly listing of events is compiled by the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau: [Read more…]