News from Britt Hill – June 2023

Britt kicks off this month, and we start with a sprint! I hope by now you’ve heard about our neighborhood kick-off party on June 8: an admission-free concert for YOU, our fabulous neighbors. We’re calling it, “The Hill is Where the Heart Is,” and we’ll have three terrific local bands on stage. In lieu of selling tickets, we’re collecting food donations for ACCESS, so this event is also about neighbors helping neighbors. It begins at 6:30pm, and features Adam Gabriel, the Michal Palzewicz Trio, and Alice Di Micele. Please join us!

We have some extraordinary headliners this month, including Ringo Starr and Diana Ross, two absolute legends. In popular music, Kelsea Ballerini also graces the stage this month. And we’re also joined by fan favorites Shakey Graves and Gov’t Mule. What a start!

But for many, the real highlight of June is the Britt Festival Orchestra, led for one final season by Music Director Teddy Abrams. It’s a bittersweet season. I’ve talked with many of you in the last few weeks, and we all acutely feel both the immense privilege of spending the last decade with Teddy and the sadness of saying goodbye for now. The final night of the BFO, which takes place July 1, will feature Teddy’s overture to The Greatest: Muhammad Ali along with Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F. As Teddy and I discussed his departure, he noted the poetry of these two selections for his final concert; he conducted the Gershwin during his Britt audition in 2013 and kicked off his tenure as Music Director with an overture that he composed for the occasion. His final podium appearance at Britt (for now) will end with Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, a musical party if ever there was one.

I think this perfectly encapsulates Teddy’s time with us. His work has been thoughtful, playful, celebratory, poignant, challenging, and yes, poetic.

And speaking of poetry, that program will also feature Oregon’s Poet Laureate, Anis Mojgani. Mr. Mojgani will be joining us for several days, and we’re working on setting up poetry workshops in the community during his residency. More to come on that!

So, dust off your sprinting (or dancing) shoes! Summer is here!