Promoting classical music in the Pioneer Valley
The Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra
“Good News About Classical Music” is a weekly email delivered to you every Friday morning. It features upcoming classical music events, along with profiles of area figures in the classical music world and interesting facts and links. The long-time editor of Good News, Peter Jones, has retired. The HMC is currently searching for his replacement. If you’re interested, contact:
classical.music.evangelist@gmail.com
Classical Music Events
in the Pioneer Valley
Friday, October 237:00 p.m. Blue Heron. “Divine Songs.” $10-35, under 18 free. Edwards Church, 297 Main Street, Northampton. https://mailchi.mp/blueheron/recasting-secular-as-sacred?e=f60a137978
Saturday, October 247:30 p.m. Springfield Symphony Orchestra: Morganti Violin Concerto. Symphony Hall, 34 Court Street, Springfield. https://www.springfieldsymphony.org/event/classical-1-2/
Sunday, October 253:00 p.m. Fiske organ 50th anniversary rededication. First Congregational Church, 18 Broad Street, Westfield. https://www.cityofwestfield.org/Calendar.aspx?EID=11323
4:00 p.m. Hook &Hastings Organ Farewell Concert. Keith Rollinson, organ. Free will offering. Trinity Church, 17 Severance Street, Shelburne Falls. https://trinityshelburnefalls.org/d/1381/Organ-Recital
Wednesday, October 288:00 a.m. “an Die Musik.” E. Lary Grossman. Free. Listen live at Valley Free Radio. https://valleyfreeradio.org/show/an-die-musik/
1:00 p.m. Musical Potpourri. Westfield-based composer Jay Ducharme will present “Comedy in Music.” Free to subscribers, $20 guests. Great Hall, Northampton Senior Center, 67 Conz Street, Northampton. https://hampmusicclub.org/
1:00 p.m. The Ages of Music History with Rob Humberston. Free. Storrs Library, 693 Longmeadow Street, Longmeadow. https://longmeadowlibrary.libcal.com/event/16966295
7:30 p.m. Gilles Vonsattel. Talk about his performances of the Beethoven piano sonatas. Free. Amherst College Center for Humanistic Inquiry, Lyceum, 197 South Pleasant Street, Amherst. https://www.umass.edu/news/article/gilles-vonsattel-tackle-all-32-beethovens-sonatas-coast-coast-performances
Friday, October 307:30 p.m. Music@Amherst: Sequentia Ensemble for Medieval Music. Buckley Recital Hall, 53 College Street, Amherst. https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/departments/music/events/music-at-amherst
Sunday, November 12:00 p.m. Illumine Vocal Arts. “The Echoing Vault.” Larry Schipull, Noah Horn, organists. $35-40. Abbey Chapel, Mount Holyoke College, 50 College Street, South Hadley. https://www.illuminechoir.org/home
2:00 p.m. Diana Fanning, piano. Stone Church Cultural Center, 283 Main Street, Gilbertville. https://friendsofthestonechurch.org/2026-2027-concert-season/
3:00 p.m. Gregory Hayes and David Kramer, piano four-hands. Free. Plainfield Congregational Church, Plainfield.
The 2026 installment of the annual Summer Serenade featured Dick Moulding exploring the world of ragtime and was well-attended at the Northampton Senior Center. Stay tuned for information about our 2027 presentations.
Musical Potpourri takes place on Wednesdays in October at the Northampton Senior Center, 67 Conz Street in Northampton starting at 1:00 pm. The sessions combine discussions about different classical music topics with performances and recordings. Each session is $20 or you can subscribe to the whole series for just $60.
OCTOBER 7: Larry Newland on the art of conducting
OCTOBER 14: Edward Orgill on the saxophone in classical music
OCTOBER 21: Bella Voce (Teri Lafleur and Lisa Woods) with
Opera — Behind the Scenes
OCTOBER 28: Jay Ducharme on comedy in classical music
You can register in advance by mailing a check (payable to the Hampshire Music Club) to Musical Potpourri, c/o Pat Kapitzky, 59 Pioneer Knolls, Florence MA 01062. Please indicate which session(s) you’ll be attending.
The Hampshire Music Club was launched in 2012 by a local group of classical music lovers. It’s an educational organization whose mission is to sponsor music appreciation classes for adults and promote music appreciation (particularly classical music) in the Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden counties of Massachusetts. The organization is run by a volunteer Board of Directors.
Membership is open to anyone. Dues are $15 each calendar year, payable to the Hampshire Music Club, c/o 59 Pioneer Knolls, Florence MA 01062. The membership form can be printed from the link below. Your support is greatly appreciated and helps to spread the word about classical music events. If you’re interested in joining the Board, you can write to the above address. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Classical Music Evangelist:
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION