Performance Schedule
To receive the link for most Zoom shows, e-mail diane@dianetaraz.com. A link from a past concert will work. Zoom shows hosted by organizations may have different links, so be sure to use the right one. All times are U.S. Eastern Time, the time in Boston, Massachusetts.
No Such Thing as Idle Hands, in Monterey
Sunday, May 29, 2 pmDiane celebrates her twelfth year in a row opening the season at Bidwell House! We explore the amazing number of things women used to have to know how to do to keep their families alive. Through folk songs and a popular book published by Lydia Child in 1823, The American Frugal Housewife, we consider cooking, brewing, baking, cheese-making, personal care (including advice to wash your hair in New England rum), remedies for ailments (including quincy, dropsy, and piles), soap-making, laundering, and fabric arts.
GPS directions, including Google Maps, may send you on dirt roads that are not accessible to all vehicles. Here are the easiest routes:
From the Mass. Pike in Lee: Take exit 10 (formerly exit 2). Use the middle lane at the end of the ramp to turn left onto Route 20 East, then make a quick right onto Route 102 West. At the light across from the Big Y, turn left onto Tyringham Road. Go 5.6 miles, then right onto Monterey Road for 2.2 miles. Turn right onto Art School Road. Travel this country lane for 1 mile (it turns to dirt halfway up) and follow the signs to the museum. Park in the lower field; handicap parking is available at the top of the driveway.
From Great Barrington: Take Route 23 East for about 7.5 miles to Monterey Village. Turn left after the church onto Tyringham Road for 1.5 miles, past Lake Garfield and up the hill. Turn left onto Art School Road.
Visit bidwellhousemuseum.org for more information.
First Saturday Concert, via Zoom
Saturday, July 2, 7:30 pmTaking a break in June. The theme for July has not yet been decided. Contact diane@dianetaraz.com for the Zoom link.
Declaring Independence, Then and Now, in Lexington
Monday, July 4, 7 to 10 pmHow did Lexington and other towns in Massachusetts react to the Declaration of Independence? Costumed reenactors bring their concerns to life, reading from period documents as people grappled with the implications of revolutionary ideas, with narration by Dr. William Fowler of Northeastern University. Diane leads the Lexington Historical Society Colonial Singers in songs from the time, many highly political. And what would July 4 be without ice cream, so don't forget your free Hoodsie!
Lexington Depot, 13 Depot Square. Free.
The Horseless Carriage, in Winchester
Monday, July 25, 7 pm pmIn an in-person show, Diane explores the history of vehicles powered by wind, steam, electricity, and gasoline, from two-masted wind carriages in the 1600s to the Stanley Steamer and the Model T. Along the way we hear some of the many songs written about the automobile, including a romance from 1915 in which a Packard and a Ford fall in love and raise a family of Buicks. Diane reveals fascinating details, such as the first repossession of a motor vehicle, the quirky joys of driving a flivver, and tales of Edsels, hot-rod Lincolns, and little red Corvettes.
Jenks Center, 109 Skillings Road, Winchester. Contact www.jenkscenter.org for details.
Tavern Night, in Lexington
Saturday, July 30, 5 to 7 pmTravel back in time to a rollicking 18th-century Scottish tavern. The Munroes have invited the finest musicians to their summer frolic, where guests can sample rum punch, whiskey, and Scottish snacks. Learn the latest country dances and sing some bawdy songs with the Lexington Historical Society Colonial Singers, led by Diane. Don your best 18th-century gown or tartan and join in the party!
$20 for members, $25 for nonmembers. Admission includes one free drink and light food. Non-alcoholic beverages will be available, but you must be over 21 to participate.
Munroe Tavern, 1332 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington
