Northampton Stories:

Eric Sawyer and Harley Erdman's operas The Garden of Martyrs (2013) and The Scarlet Professor (2017) dramatize searing events from Northampton's history: the 1806 execution of two Irish immigrants for a murder they likely didn't commit, and the 1960 arrest of a gay Smith College professor for possessing "indecent" materials.

Join us for three special concerts featuring musical highlights from both of these works, heard for the first time since the operas' premieres, and sung by a group of extraordinary vocalists--Katherine Saik DeLugan, William Hite, Ann Moss, Kieth Phares, and Alan Schneider.

The music is vivid, lush, and soaring--and the issues are more relevant now than ever. 

Composer Eric Sawyer and librettist Harley Erdman have created

a special concert performance at the Shepherd Barn based

upon two local historical events.

Performances

Sliding scale admission

General Admission. No assigned seating. Limit: 45 per show

$20: Regular Ticket (Actual Cost)

$25: Stretch Ticket (Supports Additional Programming)

$15: Student and Limited Income Ticket

$10: MCC Card to Culture EBT, WIC, and Connector Care

All sales are final. Admission and fees are non-refundable for change-of-mind

purchases or time conflicts. See the refund policy for health-related refunds only.

The Garden of Martyrs opera (2013) is based on Michael C. White’s award-winning 2005 novel of the same title, which was inspired by the trial and execution of two Irish Catholic immigrants, Dominic Daley & James Halligan.

The Scarlett Professor opera (2017) is based on a biography by Northampton author Barry Werth of Smith College professor Newton Arvin, The Scarlett Professor - Newton Arvin: A Literary Life Shattered by Scandal (2001). In 1960, Arvin's career and life were upended by an anti-homosexual crusade in Massachusetts.

Major Sponsors

Historic Northampton

46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060

www.historicnorthampton.org

413.584.6011

info@historicnorthampton.org

Directions to Historic Northampton