The Hills are Alive

Everyone knows that Tanglewood rules during the summer season when internationally renowned artists come to the Koussevitzky Music Shed to perform for appreciative audiences. But it is not the only musical venue and other, lesser-known series can be found at locations as diverse at the Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge MA, and The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown MA.

An art institute might seem an odd place for a music series but William Shemmer, head of Public Programs, said the Institute has woven a connection between this summer’s exhibition of 80 paintings by Guillaume Lethière (1760–1832) and the music series offered on its grounds.

Born in Sainte-Anne, Guadeloupe, Guillaume was a key figure in French painting during the late-18th and early-19th centuries. The son of a white plantation owner and an enslaved woman of mixed race, Lethière moved to France with his father at age 14 and would soon thereafter begin studying drawing and painting. While establishing himself as a formidable history painter, Lethière successfully navigated the tumult of the French Revolution and its aftermath to achieve the highest levels of recognition in his time.

Shemmer said this week that the types of concerts presented each summer vary, but this year’s pay homage to Lethière’s Haitian origins. “This year’s music is amazing,” he said, noting that French Caribbean music “punches above its weight” in the region. He said there are some regional groups as well as huge communities in nearby cities.

“Our first performer is Jacques Schwarz-Bart and his Haitian band on July 3rd,” Shemmer said. The free concert takes place at 6PM on the Clark’s Reflecting Pool lawn. Schwartz-Bart was born in Guadeloupe and has embraced musical genres from neo-soul to his Caribbean roots where he innovated hybrid jazz genres. Playing Gwo ka and Vodou jazz, Schwarz-Bart connects jazz music with its Afro-Caribbean and spiritual origins.

Second in the series on July 10th is Sonny Troupé and his band who are based in Guadaloupe. “We were able to bring him and his band out to get authentic drumming and jazz fusion,” said Shemmer. Under the influence of his saxophonist father, Troupé grew up listening to various musical styles including jazz, Gwo ka jazz, classical, salsa and Zouk. The tambour ka (ka drum) was his first instrument.

Though he was taught to play the traditional way, he soon used modern playing methods. At age 6, he joined the Kimból group—a modern Gwo ka group—as a make (drum ka soloist). At age 8 he began teaching himself how to play the drums and vibraphone.

“And then we have a really fabulous Grammy-nominated singer named Nathalie Joachim and her Trio on July 17th,” said Shemmer. A Haitian-American artist, her music centers on storytelling and human connectivity while advocating for social change and cultural awareness.

“She is just down in New Jersey (where she is an assistant professor of composition at Princeton University) but she is about to release her second album, which she wrote on the family farm in Haiti.”
The final outdoor concert will take plan on July 24th, when a more local group, Lakou Mizik performs. In Haitian Creole, the word lakou carries multiple meanings. It can mean a backyard or a collective place where people gather to play music and dance or it can be an extended community or a connection to one’s ancestors. As a band Lakou Mizik embodies a little of each meaning—bringing music, community and spiritual connection to backyards and festivals.

Lakou Mizik also incorporates elements of Rara, a form of Carnival music based in Vodou, in which drummers and horn players lead joyous processions through the streets.

Bring a picnic and your own seating. Rain moves the performance to the Clark’s auditorium, located in the Manton Research Center. For accessibility concerns, call 413 458 0524. For more information, visit www.clarkart.edu.

Other events surrounding the Guillaume Lethière exhibition include a free double violin concerto by Lethière contemporary Joseph Bologne performed August 31st at 4PM on the Fernández Terrace by The Knights. A new composition by Kyle Sanna, featuring renowned Syrian clarinetist Kinan Azmeh as guest soloist, rounds out the musical experience.

Advance registration is required. Rain moves the performance to September 1st at 4PM. Bring a picnic and your own seating.

The Knights return September 1st at 11AM to the Manton Research Center auditorium to present a family-friendly concert for younger audiences that complements the Guillaume Lethière exhibition.
“All through the summer we offer free Wednesday night admission to the art exhibition and there will be deejays playing French Caribbean music—wonderful, relaxed evenings,” said Shemmer. The after-hour free admission starts at 5PM and continues through September 25th.

Clark Institute is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown MA.

A second musical series will take place in Stockbridge MA at the Berkshire Botanical Garden, 5 West Stockbridge Road. “We inaugurated the music series in 2020,” said Felix Carroll, director of marketing communications. “Our line-up essentially consists of the staff's favorite regional bands. Luckily, our tastes match that of the community because the concerts are well-attended.

“This year, we’re happy to introduce food trucks during the concerts,” he continued, “but the attendees are also welcome to bring their own picnics and beverages. Attendance can be around 300 people and, with the picnicking and dancing and a shoes-off, laid-back vibe, we call it a mini-Tanglewood.”

Performances run from 5:30 to 7:30PM.

The line up for this season offers Misty Blues playing classic rock and folk tunes infused with a healthy dose of Blues on July 1st; Wanda Houston, with her blend of 1940s through 1960s R&B and jazz on July 8th; The Lucky Five, presenting a blend of swing and jazz on July 15th; Boston University students of Tanglewood, showcasing talented instrumentalists, singers and composers, July 22nd; the Brother Sal Blues Band on July 29th; and East African folk music with flavors of reggae, rock and Caribbean beats from Ziinna, August 5th.

There is a fee for all concerts. Go to berkshirebotanical.org

“There is also much more to enjoy the Garden besides the music,” said Carroll. “Arrive any time after 4:30PM to view the Center House gallery show, ‘Microcosms’ and our outdoor sculpture exhibition ‘The Lost Bird Project.’”