The Lewes Library: Please Stay!

I was reading the weekly edition of the Coast Press and I was already in tears taking in the news of the close of the Milton Theater. Then I turned the page and read that "my" beloved Lewes Library was considering moving out of The City of Lewes. Over a year later, I'm still not over the news.

I adore the Lewes Library. I arrive fresh off the beach. I shake off what I can! I take in the Stango Park views from outside then enter the Library and see the park again thru the picture windows. The varnished woods glisten and glow. A secret locked room awaits exploration! It is a pie-shaped glassed-in room for Lewes' history. A "parlor periodical room" invites you to sit, chat even...... and read news off of paper!

I adore the Rehoboth Library too with it's beachy painted mural. Yet the Lewes Library is out of my youth spent Summers in Bethany Beach. Was there a library in Berlin? Is that where it was?

Childhood Summers were marked by the weekly arrival of the Book Mobile! By the end of the Summer, I had read most of the offering for my age group. I loved the hot steamy book mobile with the scent of moldering, salty books!

Lewes Library, please stay.

Stango Park Concerts: Rain & Acoustics

Did you know if it is raining in Dewey Beach it might not be in Lewes?

All day I looked forward to the Lewes Library' Stango Park Concert: Chesapeake Brass Band! Despite the spitting rain I headed to Lewes hoping the skies would clear for the 7PM show-time. And it did! Later I learned that it continued to rain in Dewey Beach!

Amplification was OUT of the set-up. It would not do to electrocute our performers!

When did I last hear a concert without "amps"? After a few minutes of music I was reeling back in time...... to the '70's and earlier. Bird songs notes fell like glitter among the performers.

I could hear and almost taste The Music!

"Slow Music"........ as in the Slow Food movement.

"Amps" just make is Fast Food for the Masses Music.

As for this "Brit-styled" Band sporting superbly silvery sounds: they deftly handled John Philip Sousa's "Rehoboth Two-Step" ( who knew?!) to Duke Ellington's classics!

*Hope someone wiped the rain off the musician's seats before they sat down!

Beach Blessings,

Find the Music and the Music Finds You!

Without a doubt finding The Music keeps me going. The day starts with the bird-y Morning Chorus and by mid-day I'm in the midst of Shorebird Music .... more like noise... not exactly music.

Thus after Piping Plover Bird Police Duty off I went to the Lewes Library to take in the second free concert of the month: The Pegasus Trio. ~ 40 attendees delighted to the instrumental and vocal presentation which deftly played Classic, Romantic, original scores and original arrangements and Show Tunes!

We were so happy enjoying the music that we clapped after every movement.... heck we know better! But our enthusiasm could not be contained!

Later that evening, dressed a la '80's re-done for '11 in fishnet-capris and the biggest-ever disco-circle earrings attending The Party of Parties I danced the night away to the smooth Jazz original and cover tunes of The Comfort Zone!

Find the Music and the Music finds you .... and the party too!

Beach Blessings,

Clear Space Productions @ The Lewes Library!

It takes A-LOT to get me off the beach! Yet, I did just this, on a Saturday, to enjoy the Lewes Library: Clear Space "An American Songbook" free concert.

Fresh off the beach, in sandy flip-flops, I brushed off the sand and pulled on a sun-dress. My hair was in a ponytail with the ends flying everywhere. I entered a room of ~ 30 looking to be Lewes residents all nicely dressed and ready for the show!

This was an hour production, but fully scored and scripted, but minus the intermission, the setting and costumes.

During the first song I settled in fast and happy.

Deeply touching but intimate was this bare bones setting. Even the hard seat chairs were perfect.

Hard seat benches! My body remembered: Ah ha, I was taken back to numerous Summer Concerts, held in similar settings at my beloved youth camp, Michigan's Interlochen Music Arts Camp.

I looked around..... I was the youngest attendee by far. I was certain I could ask each and everyone who came, and they would admit: I bet you loved Summer Camp!

Or for a moment we enjoyed what was a tiny moment in what could ultimately be "A Lewes Summer Music Arts Festival"!

The production was wonderfully sweet, lovingly performed and as touching as can be.

And yes, afterwards I pulled off the sun-dress, and happily returned to the beach!