Don't Miss Saturday Evening Serenades!
The Nightlife Orchestra kicks off the 2015 Saturday Evening Serenades concert series on August 15.
A wide range of musical talent, set against the beautiful grounds of the FRHS … the Saturday Evening Serenades concerts are a wonderful way to spend summer evenings. Presented in partnership with Greater Fall River RE-CREATION, the 2015 Serenades will include:
-- Big band jazz and swing with The Nightlife Orchestra, Rhode Island's premier big band. The 13-piece ensemble features vocalist Kimberly McHale and has performed for two U.S. presidents. Songs on their play list include popular standards such as "Blue Skies" and "Fever."
-- Music spanning the decades all the way back to the 20s, performed by vocalist Monica Ambroziak, with back-up by the Bob Demers Band. Selections will range from Ray Charles and the Beatles to rock and roll and moving Latin pieces.
-- Light classics, country, original compositions, and 40s music performed by singer/guitarist Gary Farias, a seasoned musician known for his strong vocals and intricate guitar work.
-- Classic soft rock and pop performed by The Morons Band. Don't be fooled by their name. This trio shines at crowd-pleasing tunes! Their play list includes standards made famous by musicians including The Eagles and James Taylor.
The concerts are free and open to the public, and wine, beer, cocktails, and food will be available for purchase. So pack a lawn chair or blanket and come see for yourself why the two previous Serenades series have gotten such great reviews!
A Fruitful Affiliation: SAILS Library Network
Late last year, The Charlton Library of Fall River History (CLFRH) at the FRHS joined the SAILS Library Network, which runs the Enterprise on line catalog and circulation systems for libraries throughout 40 communities in Southeastern Massachusetts. As a result, changes are under way that will greatly enhance our capabilities.
One of the biggest benefits of our SAILS membership is that our patrons will soon have access to the resources of the 73 libraries and branches in the network. And since anyone can search SAILS, even those in other states and countries, FRHS archive records in turn will become available to a much wider audience.
SAILS staff has downloaded FRHS archive records into their database and are adding Library of Congress authority subject headings to them. These headings identify specifically what an item is about and help users find relevant resources that might be missed with keyword searches. The records are also being edited to conform to machine-readable cataloging record (MARC) standards. These standards represent and communicate bibliographic information in computer readable form. This work is being done by retired librarian and professional cataloger Cynthia Tobojka, who volunteers in the archives.
Users ultimately will be able to search the SAILS e-catalog by keyword, subject, author, and title and to refine searches by material type, library, and more. For example, a search for “Brayton family” may be refined to focus only on the FRHS archives or expanded to include all the libraries in SAILS.
Books in the CLFRH will be rearranged according to the Dewey Decimal System, another tool that facilitates searches. Sections will remain for books by local authors, all mill records will be kept together, and any material relating to genealogy, family history, and biography will be shelved in the same area.
The CLFRH will soon have its own page on the SAILS web site where we can post archive news, hours, directions, acquisitions, and more. The curators hope to use the FRHS page to highlight certain collections and materials gifted by individuals and families to the archive.
In addition, over time we will be able to scan photographs, documents, diaries, and other materials of interest onto the SAILS site. Bibliographic records will be created for each item and will appear with the actual document or picture.
“Imagining these historically vital materials visible and readily accessible is an exciting prospect,” says Cynthia.
Summer Snapshots
Lovers of Shakespeare came to the FRHS grounds on July 18 and July 19 to enjoy two engaging performances of a contemporary rendition of Romeo and Juliet. Many thanks to Striving Artists Theatre Company for sharing their talent with us!
A large audience gathered on July 22 at Bristol Community College to hear Dr. Philip T. Silvia, Jr. PhD talk about Fall River’s “glory days” of baseball in the mid-1890s. The entertaining and informative presentation was part of our on-going series of lectures about Fall River History.
The Fall River Historical Society (FRHS), the oldest cultural institution in Fall River, Massachusetts, is housed in a French Second Empire mansion that was once an Underground Railroad station. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the structure features a magnificent period interior, while our beautiful grounds with Victorian gardens provide a lush and memorable venue for functions such as weddings and cocktail parties.
Our exhibits include the largest existing collection of artifacts pertaining to the Borden murder mystery case – among them the alleged murder weapon and original crime scene photos – and the FRHS curators are among the top Lizzie Borden experts in the world. Our distinctions also include a first-rate Museum Shop & Boutique. our annual Holiday Open House, The Charlton Library of Fall River History, and The Easton Tea Room, a popular spot for parties, showers, meetings, and children’s events.
Here & Now is designed and produced by Jayne Darcy, FRHS Director and Chair, Marketing Committee