Save Our Star!

All dances (contra, square,….) are called by
New England’s best known barn dance bands and national treasures
Dudley Laufman and Jacqueline Laufman
(No Experience Needed)

When: May - Friday 9th, 2008

Where: All Souls
1157 Lexington Avenue
Between 79th and 80th Street
New York City

Time: 7:00 PM

Price: $25 per person $50 per family
(childcare available and optional)
Be prepared for an evening you will cherish for ever!
==========================================

I/We would love to attend the dance at ALL SOULS on May 9!

I/We are unable to attend but would like to make a contribution of $______

Name(s):___________________________________________

Number of Attendees: _______

$25 per person, $50 per family. Total enclosed $______

Please send an e-mail to sara.alcoff@verizon.net to confirm that you are attending AND mail your check payable to: Star Island Corporatioin c/o Sara Alcoff 234 Westminster Road, Brooklyn, NY 11218.

SOS On The Farm: $1600
Starry Eyed Fest: $4200
Dover yoga auction: $990
Dover Yogathon: $209

Total: $6999

Dear friends,

We’re excited to announce our upcoming show at Common Ground with the Star Island All-Stars and the First U Rock & Soul Revue. And for the first time, for your added convenience, advance tickets can now be purchased online through the Common Ground website!

The Star Island All-Stars began as an informal pickup band composed of a group of friends on retreat at beautiful Star Island, located off the coast of New Hampshire. The band includes singer-songwriters Adrian Sicam and Kemp Harris, accompanied by companied by guitarist Carl Sturken, and members of the First Unitarian Rock & Soul Revue. Kemp Harris combines American roots, gospel, soul, and African folk. His live shows vary from solo performances to full-band shows. His new CD, “Edenton,” features The Holmes Brothers on backing vocals and was released in March 2007. Adrian Sicam, whose diverse influences range from the Beatles to Mel Torme and Al Jarreau, composes original song in jazz and rock. He released his highly acclaimed CD “Hey Stranger” in 2001. Also appearing with the Star Island All-Stars will be the First U Rock & Soul Revue. Carl Sturken is half of the Grammy Award winning writing/producing team of Sturken & Evans.

Also appearing will be the First U Rock and Soul Revue. Made up of members of the First Unitarian Society of Westchester, home of Common Ground Coffeehouse, Rock & Soul Revue played its first gig at Common Ground in the fall of 2005. The initial performance was a wild, joyous success, and since then, the group has taken on a life of its own, growing in size, and inspiring and attracting new members from the congregation. Rock & Soul members come from all walks of life. High school students, filmmakers, graphic designers, scientists, Jungian analysts, speech pathologists, teachers, and computer programmers make up the band’s unique voice. The band is always ready to embrace original tunes and arrangements, and favorites such as Iko Iko and Shake a Tail Feather have inspired members to challenge themselves musically. And just so you know, the First U Rock & Soul Revue is available for festivals, benefits and other fundraising events, and of course, coffeehouses. So come check them out, and pass the word.

To order your advance tickets online now, please visit our Common Ground website at:

http://commongroundfusw.wordpress.com/2007/09/07/saturday-october-27-730-pm-2/

Once you get there, you’ll first have a chance to view a short video of Kemp Harris performing his powerful song “Ruthie’s”. Then, scroll down to the bottom of the page to buy advance tickets. Tickets are: $15 for individuals, and $10 for seniors and youth aged 12-18. Kids under 12 are free. Note: There is an additional 99 cent service charge for online purchases. (Tickets will also be available at the door on the night of the show, subject to availability, with no additional service charge.)

All profits from this evening will benefit our Common Ground Microcredit Fund, through which Common Ground sends donations and microloans to support a variety of local, national, and international projects, ranging from low-income housing and daycare in Westchester, to aid to the homeless of Manhattan and hurricane victims of Louisiana, as well as microloans to small entrepreneurs in the developing world.

For more information on the Common Ground Microcredit Fund, please

visit:

http://commongroundfusw.wordpress.com/the-common-ground-microcredit-fund/

For more information on Common Ground’s upcoming events, including Common Ground Harvestfest, our November 17th eco-celebration of sustainable community, please visit:

http://commongroundfusw.wordpress.com/

Hope to see you on the 27th! And please, help us pass the word!

Common Ground Coffeehouse is located at:

The First Unitarian Society of Westchester

25 Old Jackson Avenue
Hastings-on-Hudson NY 10706
914-478-2710

Please click here for directions

To reach Common Ground directly with questions, please call 914-693-1065
or email commongroundfusw@aol.com

On Sunday Sept. 23rd the Starry-Eyed Festival will give New Yorkers another chance to enjoy some great outdoor music and locally grown food at Brooklyn’s coolest new music venue, The Yard.
The event will be held from 3-9pm and feature live performances by the Afro-funk outfit The Budos Band, the ethereal art-pop songs of ex-Cibo Matto front woman Miho Hatori, as well as Melanie Moser and the Eleventh Hour Band, Bell Orchestre’s Kaveh Nabatian and newcomer folk artist Barrett Lindgren (Star Island’s own). World-renown DJ and Producer Tim “Love” Lee (Tummytouch) and Acid Test DJs SpiritBear and Udagawa will round out the evening with DJ sets.   
The Yard, located on the banks of the Gowanus and just a few steps from the F/G trains in Carroll Gardens, will be serving up local beer, BBQ and locally grown farm produce at the festival.  More acts to be added in the coming weeks.
Proceeds from the Starry-Eyed Festival will benefit the Star Island Corporation, a Portsmouth, NH -based non-profit organization. 
The non-profit organization maintains a Victorian-era hotel on the island, which has been a haven for historical figures as diverse as Henry David Thoreau and the pirate Blackbeard. Recently, the hotel has needed some prohibitively expensive repairs, threatening the island’s future as a family, artist, and intellectual retreat center.
More information on Star Island is available at http://www.starisland.org.
 
 
Pictures and event information, http://myspace.com/starryeyedfestival
http://myspace.com/bklynyard , http://theyard.ws/

Band Info:
http://myspace.com/budosband
http://myspace.com/mihohatori
http://myspace.com/melaniemoser
http://myspace.com/bellorchestre
http://myspace.com/barrettlindgren
http://myspace.com/timlovelee
http://myspace.com/bruceforce
http://myspace.com/gringoscarr

The concert at the Richmond Unitarian Church in London on September 8
was a great success! The programme featured classical song from many traditions,
including some original English classical songs. There was a fine turnout, including a
number of children who enjoyed the music - and the cookies in the interval. We raised
£100 for the church, and $300 for Star Island!

Save Our Star presents Benner’s Farm Aid on October 6th, 2007 from 5:30-10pm. What better way to support a great cause than spending an autumn evening on the hillside of Benner’s Farm listening to live music, children’s laughter, and the melodies of the farm animals. Music will be provided by Philadelphia’s ‘The New Time’, and ‘The Ida Reds’, and by local Long Island groups ‘Miller’s Crossing Bluegrass’, and ‘Jack’s Waterfall’. There will also be haunted tractor rides, farmyard animals to visit and lots of other treats!

ALL proceeds will be donated directly to Star Island. Tickets are $15 for adults, $5 for children. Food and drinks will be sold, or you may bring your own picnic dinner from home! Rain date is Sunday, Oct. 7th at 4:30pm. Benner’s Farm is located at 56 Gnarled Hollow Rd, East Setauket, NY 11733– directions available at www.bennersfarm.com

Questions? email kirsten@bennersfarm.com

Contact Improv Dance Jam - donation based at Dover Yoga www.doveryoga.com (603) 740-9700

Come play with us! This class is geared to anyone who loves to move their body or wants to explore movement. This jam will focus on free form movement but with structured exercises and gentle guidance. Partnering work will be touched on as well as performance and theatrical technique. You will be amazed at what your body can do and how easy it is to make art!!

Open to dancers and non-dancers both, this class is for anyone who likes to play and move. Class will be on Thursdays at 7:15 and go until you have to go home or are too tuckered out to move anymore!! STARTS FIRST THURS IN SEPTEMBER at 7:15pm!! There is no set fee, just show up! Donations are encouraged and profits will go to two causes this fall: Dover Yoga Youth Fund, & Save Our Star

NO CLASS ON 9/13 and 10/18!!

John Robbins along with several other musicians from the All Star I conference have decided to collaborate on a CD of Star Island related
music. They are looking to recruit other musicians who care about Star to submit original music (or music that is not protected by a copyright) to the
CD project. The current plan is to put the CD together over the
course of this winter and next spring so that it can be sold on the
island next summer. ALL PROCEEDS from the sale of this CD will go to the
Star Island Annual fund.

Music should preferably be either be about Star, or written on Star or should reflect the spirit and feelings you have about Star Island. It should be noted, if the music is a cover song (popular song written by someone else), the
performer must get written permission from the writer/publisher or it
cannot be used on the CD.
If you know any one who might be interested in contributing, please contact John Robbins for details: Phone: 301-879-4826 (weekends and weekday evenings after 8PM only) Cell: 240-338-5704 Email: jcr@johnrobbins.us

A classical vocal concert September 8 at 4pm at the Richmond Unitarian Church, Richmond, in Surrey, England

Songs by Fauré, Brahms, Schubert, Vaughan Williams and others.

Sarah Heary, Mezzo Soprano, Julie Winyard, Mezzo Soprano, Andy Binns, Baritone, Cat Ellis, Piano, other pianists, tba

The concert will last approximately 90 minutes, including an interval.  Donations to the church and Star Island.  Children welcome.

Save Our Star Benefit Show - The Dejas at the Barley Pub on July 28, 9pm. Proceeds benefit Star Island. Minimum door fee $5 (larger donations greatly appreciated) www.myspace.com/thedejasmusic