Friday Freebies
KU music student Lindsey Knox will be giving her oboe recital at 4:30 p.m. this afternoon at Lawrence’s Plymouth Congregational Church, 925 Vermont St. These student recitals are a fantastic way to get involved in classical music, without feeling as if you’re being judged. You usually get a good mix of old and new classical, and there tends to be one whimsical or pop piece thrown in at the end to make things fun. Plymouth is a gorgeous church, and you should go in just to take a look at the stained glass. The acoustics are phenomenal, as well, as I discovered when I was in there last year for my friend Kyra’s French horn recital.
Afterward, you can pop up the hill to the Kansas Union and see Spartacus in Alderson Auditorium. The film is presented by the KU Classics Club, devoted to ancient Greek and Roman works, and starts at 6:30 p.m.
Of course, for those in Kansas City, there’s always First Fridays. Count this as a chance to show how much you really love art, as you brave the wind chills that are supposed to be in the teens and twenties. As always, the Pitch helps you know what’s what with the First Friday Hit List.
You could make an entire Saturday of what’s going in in Lawrence. The Lawrence Christmas Parade starts at 11 a.m., with horses, buggies, bicycles, and other means of old-fashioned transportation. When you’re done, there’s the Holiday Art Fair at the Lawrence Arts Center, where you can buy handmade Christmas gifts from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. , or view the recently restored home at 1120 Rhode Island. The house, refurbished by Lawrence’s Tenants to Homeowners, is a wonderful example of how a long-abandoned house can be made habitable again. It is viewable from 1-3 p.m.
In the interest of disclosure, this blogger was able to purchase his home because of Tenants to Homeowners.
Lastly, Kansas poet laureate Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg reads selections of her work and signs copies at Signs of Life from 2-3:30 p.m. According to the store’s website, Mirriam-Goldberg “explores and celebrates how the spoken, written and sung word can inspire our lives and communities.”
From 4:30 p.m. onward Saturday in Shawnee, there will be the city’s Christmas Around Town. The mayor’s Christmas tree gets lit up at 5:30 p.m., preceded by local music and dance groups at City Hall. After, Shawnee Town plays host to Mr. and Mrs. Claus, as well as music from carolers and dulcimers players. Find out all the details with the complete schedule.
Sunday, December 6, at 4:30 p.m. is the annual Mayor’s Christmas Concert in Independence. Taking place at the Community of Christ Auditorium, 1001 W. Walnut, “the concert will feature a variety of musical performances by area residents including: Independence Fourth Grade Students; Fort Osage Touch of Class Choir; William Chrisman Concert Chorale; and The Spirit of Independence.”
