Pianist Steven Beck to perform at next Bach’s Lunch concert
GREENFIELD — The next Bach’s Lunch concert at the Episcopal Church of Saints James and Andrew, 8 Church St., will take place on Wednesday, April 22, at 12:15 p.m. Pianist Steven Beck will perform a recital of music by J.S. Bach (English Suite No. 4 in F major) and Johannes Brahms (Seven Fantasies, opus 116).
Audience members are invited to bring their own lunch to eat during the free concert.
As a soloist, Beck has performed with the New York Philharmonic and the National Symphony, and has appeared at Carnegie Hall, David Geffen Hall, Alice Tully Hall, the Kennedy Center and the Library of Congress. As an orchestral musician, he has played with the New York Philharmonic, the New York City Ballet Orchestra and Orpheus.
Beck can be heard on more than 40 CDs, including the first complete recording of George Walker’s piano sonatas, for Bridge Records. Beck is a member of the Knights, the Talea Ensemble, Quattro Mani and the Da Capo Chamber Players.
He is also on the faculty at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Sewanee Summer Music Festival. A Steinway Artist, he is a graduate of The Juilliard School, where he now teaches orchestral piano.
Rabbi to speak on book at All Souls Church
GREENFIELD — Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener will speak about her book, “Claiming Earth as Common Ground: The Ecological Crisis through the Lens of Faith,” at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 26, at All Souls Church, 399 Main St.
Cohen-Kiener served as rabbi of Temple Israel in Greenfield from 2015 to 2023. Her story as an activist includes establishing This Old House of Worship, a utility-sponsored program that brought energy-efficiency analyses to 250 congregations in Connecticut towns. She was founding director of Connecticut’s Interfaith Power & Light from 2000 to 2012, leading actions including fostering community gardens, conservation programs, healthy households and beauty products. She has been active in numerous food sustainability projects in Connecticut and Greenfield.
The Green Team at the Episcopal Church of Saints James and Andrew and the Social Justice Committee of All Souls Church are co-sponsoring this free event. Cohen-Kiener’s talk will be followed by a question-and-answer session.
Attendees are advised to enter the church through the main doors facing Main Street. Parking is available in the library parking lot across from the church.
GCC to celebrate Spring Week with garden cleanup, Community Health & Safety Expo
GREENFIELD — Greenfield Community College will celebrate its annual Spring Week with events designed to promote environmental stewardship and community wellness.
Tuesday, April 28, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. will mark the annual garden cleanup at GCC’s Outdoor Learning Lab. Students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to help prepare the gardens for the upcoming growing season. No prior gardening experience is necessary and volunteers can stay as long as they want.
Then, on Wednesday, April 29, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., GCC nursing students and local human services groups will host a Community Health & Safety Expo on the East Lawn. Attendees can learn about CPR, stroke awareness, nutrition, sun safety, menstrual equity and family supports.
Features of the event include medical helicopter tours; a “Touch a Truck” experience with the Greenfield Police and Fire departments; and booths staffed by Tapestry Health, the Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region, The RECOVER Project, the Greenfield Health Department, Community Action Pioneer Valley and more.
For information about these and other events, visit gcc.mass.edu/events.
Seed Library now available
GREENFIELD — The Greenfield Public Library has launched a new Seed Library.
Home gardeners are invited to visit the Seed Library, located on the second floor at the Information Services Desk, to choose up to five packets of seeds for their gardens. A wide variety of vegetable seeds are available, as well as herb and flower seeds.
Borrowing guidelines will be provided and gardeners are encouraged to return seeds after the harvest season ends.
The program is supported by the Greenfield Garden Club, the Friends of the Greenfield Public Library, High Mowing Organic Seeds and Sow Right Seeds. For more information, contact Nancy Little at nancy.little@greenfield-ma.gov or call 413-772-1544.