By Heather Adams | Hadams@masslive.com Follow on Twitter on September 26, 2016 at 10:40 AM As the sun begins to set, approximately two dozen people line picnic tables topped with fresh tomatoes, bread and fruits in the middle of Grow Food Northampton Organic Community Garden. Most of the food at the dinner was grown in the community garden by members of Common Ground, a farm-to-table dinner church through First Churches of Northampton. Read the full story here
“The mythology is hold your nose and vote for the lesser evil and things will get better. “Lesser evil” politicians have been speaking for us and they are bought and paid for by their corporate influences consisting of “predatory banks, the fossil fuel giants, the war profiteers and the health insurance industry.” — Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein speaking during a campaign appearance at First Churches in Northampton Sept. 18, 2016 Photo by Kevin Gutting- The Valley Advocate Photo Credit, Kevin Gutting for the Daily Hampshire Gazette, September 19, 2016 The Daily Hampshire Gazette: Monday, September 19, 2016 Story by Luis Feldman for The Gazette NORTHAMPTON — Green-Rainbow Party nominee for president Jill Stein spoke at the First Churches in Northampton on Sunday night with a message: Vote for the greater good, not the lesser evil. [...]
Calling All Gardeners We can really use your help this Sunday September 11! We're hoping for a good turnout at our gardens between 4:30-6:00 to do our usual harvesting and watering, but also some other jobs, like weeding, mowing, mulching, and putting some of the garden to bed. Please come if you can.
From MassLive Northampton— A Cherokee man told a downtown crowd of around 200 that the best way to support Native Americans in their fight against a crude oil pipeline in North Dakota is to "take direction and listen" and get behind the effort being led by the Standing Rock Sioux. "They are worn down," said Jon Hill. "And as indigenous people one of the things we do to show love is to not wear people out. We give each other food, rest, nourishment and encouragement." Hill said he has friends and relatives on the front lines of the Sacred Stone and Warrior camps resisting the Dakota Access pipeline. He said ancestral behavior from throughout history is being re-enacted, with a "militarized minority" pushing native people out of the way. Thousands of Native Americans and their allies have formed a [...]
Syrian relief effort features music, appeals for aid | GazetteNet.com Published in Daily Hampshire Gazette Monday, September 28, 2015 The crowd to benefit medical assistance for Syrian Refugees in the First Churches Sanctuary Syrian relief effort features music, appeals for aid NORTHAMPTON — The dimly lit solemnity of the First Churches of Northampton sanctuary rang with the sounds of oud and drum Sunday afternoon as Layaali Arabic Music Ensemble took the stage. Between Layaali’s sets, Boston’s Dr. Abdulfatah Elshaar, president of the New England Chapter of the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), and his daughter Ala’a Elshaar spoke about the organization’s efforts to bring medical care to war-ravaged Syria and to Syrian refugees outside the country’s borders. The event, dubbed “Songs for Syria” and produced by the Valley Syrian Relief Committee, saw the First Churches filled to near [...]
The Valley Syrian Relief Committee presents a Concert for Humanitarian Relief, September 27th 2015 @ 3:00pm, Featuring Jazz, Blues and a special performance by Layaali Arabic Music Ensemble, and guests. Layaali is absolutely exquisite! Their charm, warmth and humanity will leave you breathless and eager for more."- Dr. Calvin Chen, Department of Politics, Mt. Holyoke College Concert Admission is free, donations encouraged. All funday raised will be donated to the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), a non-political, non-profit organization of medical professionals who provide medicine and medical services to Syrian civilians and refugees in neighboring countries. If you are unable to attend but would like to support SAMS, visit the Valley Syrian Relief Committee's Facebook page or contribute directly to SAMS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VVoCxdm7T8 Remarks Dr. Abdul Fatah Elshaar, President of [...]
Sunday, August 16th at 4 PM, Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CODEPINK and author of Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control, will be speaking at here at First Churches (129 Main St) in Northampton, MA! She will be talking about The Axis of Diplomacy: Cuba, Iran and North Korea with a Q&A to follow. No ticket or registration necessary. We hope to see you there!! Buy your copy of Medea Benjamin's Drone Warfare book and help CODEPINK ground the drones now! Click the link for more information!
We are so happy to host the talented Ensemble Musica Humana, EMH, once again. The poster from EMH's June Concert This Summer's program, titled, of Love / of War is... A program of Alessandro Scarlatti, Melani, Handel, and Purcell, featuring vocal and instrumental repertoire on themes of “war” and “peace.” The trumpet and flute provide perfect duet partners to the voice, while contrasting with each other in timbre and connotation. These uniquely orchestrated musical selections will illustrate the duality between the two reigning Baroque aesthetics: Love and War. ~ Ensemble Musica Humana For information or to purchase tickets, click here According to their website, Ensemble Musica Humana describes themselves as a "vibrant ensemble specializing in imaginative and historically informed musical performances. Drawing from primary sources, we seek to creatively engage with history through music, and bring to life [...]
First Churches is excited to host The Tiny Dance Project again this year. The tinydance project uses dance theatre and performance art to facilitate interdisciplinary discussions and events about issues related to sustainability. At the same time, we recognize that it is impractical and undesirable to live in a constant state of crisis, and so we approach the potential end of life as we know it with humor and good cheer. - http://www.tinydanceproject.com/about.html Liv Fauver and Kelly Silliman at Tuesday Market, photo by Cher Lemire-http://www.tinydanceproject.com/performances.html Kelly Silliman tows a 4' x 8' stage on her bike to performances. Moving in this way is intended to spark conversation about sustainability. What does the world look like when we are without high-tech scenes? What do the Arts look like? These are questions to [...]
First Churches Sanctuary, May 16 2pm An Encore performance of a staged reading of Laura Harrington's Hallowed Ground.Award-Winning playwright Harrington's body of work explores the human cost of war. Hallowed Ground is set in Georgia, October 1864, in the aftermath of Sherman's March to the Sea. Four people are caught in the path of his army, each facing the destruction of the world they know. The play is about crossing borders, the search for forgiveness, the hope for redemption and the strength of the human spirit in the face of utter desolation. Directed by August Company co-founder Liesel de Boor, with original music composed by Peter de Boor, and a sound landscape created by UMass sound designer Amy Altadonna, the reading features Robyn Sutton-Fernandez as Micah, who is freed by the army but bound to the only land and family she has known; Cait [...]
