Knowledge, art, religion and music are not just tenets that don the four sides of the fountain on Bestor Plaza. They are motifs that weave through the lives and words and programs in Chautauqua.
Chautauquans will have the opportunity to see some familiar faces — and maybe some unfamiliar ones — at the Authors…
For Martha Reitman, the Chautauqua Community Band’s principal kazoo player, the humdrum rhythm of retirement wasn’t going to cut it.
The Chautauqua Community Band will put on its portion of today’s Old First Night celebration at 12:15 p.m. today on Bestor Plaza, or in the Amphitheater if weather is an issue.
Bill Neches has seen the light. Or perhaps more accurately, he’s seen too much of it.
Bob Jeffrey showcases the parlor of his Miller home, The Faithful Remnant, with the air of a docent strolling through a museum of history. He proudly points out the upstairs floorboards that also serve as the living room ceiling, still covered in the original milk paint the house’s builder brushed on in 1879.
On June 29, the Chautauqua Foundation invited the community to its natural gathering place, on Chautauqua’s front lawn, and threw a party in celebration of the Promise of Chautauqua.
The Chautauqua Community Band only plays two shows a year: July Fourth and the annual Old First Night celebration. Founded in 1990 by Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra veteran Jason Weintraub, the band may not pack the sophisticated punch of the CSO, but it’s the ensemble’s musical whimsy that so many enjoy.
A characteristic Sunday afternoon in Bestor Plaza likely looks like this: full of people, sun shining and a subtle breeze streaming through the trees. This scene serves as a backdrop for Promise Day at Chautauqua from 12 to 3 p.m. Sunday. Promise Day is an afternoon dedicated to celebrating The Promise Campaign with the entire community, and to motivating Chautauquans to keep striving toward its success.
Since he founded the Chautauqua Community Band in 1990, Jason Weintraub has been carrying the banner for the group he looks forward to leading every summer. Thanks to the generosity of former Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra flutist Kay Logan and CSO percussionist Brian Kushmaul, he’s now got a drum to beat as well.
The Chautauquan Daily 