NORWICH – The Chenango County Council of the Arts and the Chenango County Historical Society are teaming up to present three days of events that will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the first year of the War Between the States. A large part of the weekend’s activities will feature the Civil War Re-enactors that honor the 61st New York Volunteers, a regiment organized in 1861 that originated in the northern portion of Chenango County.
On the evening of Thursday, Aug. 25, the Historical Society will host the re-enactors at the museum on Rexford St. The program, set to begin at 7 p.m., will include presentations by members of the 61st re-enactors about the life of Union Soldiers during the war while they were miles away from the familiar surroundings of Chenango County. 1860s uniforms, weaponry and daily diet are some of the topics the re-enactors will discuss. After the presentation the CCHS will hold an Ice Cream Social. This evening’s events are free and open to the public.
On Friday evening the two organizations will team with the Old Mill Restaurant in Rockwell Mills at 6:30 p.m. where the public can meet and dine with the re-enactors in a building that was once a factory that supplied uniforms to the Union Army. A short pictorial history of the Old Mill will be presented during the evening. The cost for this evening’s dinner will be $25 per person, and reservations are required by Aug. 19.
Saturday afternoon, Aug. 27, the re-enactors will be encamped on the grounds of the Historical Society’s museum and from noon until 4 p.m. a variety of artisans and crafts people will be displaying their talents in the parking lot next to the new Research Center. The research center will be open for public tours that day in addition to Civil War vintage music provided by local performers. The public is invited to this day’s activities and there is no charge for this event.
Saturday evening, the weekend’s events will culminate in a performance at 7 p.m at the Council of the Arts by Jay Ungar and Molly Mason – the “heart and soul of American roots music.”
Jay Ungar & Molly Mason achieved international acclaim when their performance of Jay’s composition, Ashokan Farewell, became the musical hallmark of Ken Burns’ The Civil War on PBS. The soundtrack won a Grammy and Ashokan Farewell was nominated for an Emmy.
Jay and Molly are musicians of enormous talent who draw their repertoire and inspiration from a wide range of American musical styles – 19th-century classics, lively Appalachian, Cajun, and Celtic fiddle tunes, and favorites from the golden age of country and swing – along with their own songs, fiddle tunes, and orchestral compositions.
In recent years, Jay and Molly have reached an ever widening audience through their appearances on Great Performances, A Prairie Home Companion, their own public radio specials, and through their work on film soundtracks such as Brother’s Keeper, Legends of the Fall, and a host of Ken Burns’ PBS documentaries. They’ve had the honor of performing at the White House for two sitting Presidents and continue to tour extensively delighting audiences across the country. Tickets for this concert are $20 general admission, $18 for seniors and members of the Arts Council or Historical Society, and free for 18 and under.
A package ticket that ensures seating for both the dinner at the Old Mill and the Jay & Molly performance can be purchased in advance for $40.
For additional information contact the Chenango County Council of the Arts at 336-2787 www.chenangoarts.org or the Chenango County Historical Society at 336-9227.