music | ALXnow - Part 11

Old Town Tourism Company Hopes to Convert Historic Building to Live Music Venue

Published January 27, 2021 at 10:45AM

Garden portion of The Rectory set up as music venue during the pandemic in 2020. (via Classical Movements)

Last year was a particularly rough time to be a travel agency, but one local company is trying to reinvent themselves.

Classical Movements, a wing of travel management and tour company Blue Heart Travel at 711 Princess Street, is a local tourism agency that specializes in travel focused on international classical music venues from South Africa to Prague. But with the pandemic effectively killing their industry over the last year, Classical Movements has filed an application to adjust the Old Town business into a live music venue.

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Concert Tour Company Asking City to Allow Outdoor Performances at Old Town Venue

By James Cullum

Published January 5, 2021 at 3:30PM

A concert tour company that started giving live classical music performances last spring wants official city approval to keep the music playing.

Representatives from Classical Movements asked the city for approval last April and May to allow musicians to perform at The Rectory at 711 Princess Street in Old Town. After not hearing back, they decided to start putting on shows anyway at the property’s secret garden with small live concerts. The Sounds of Hope and Harmony performances have been held with socially distant crowds, and have featured musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra, the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra and the Eclipse Chamber Orchestra.

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KT Tunstall Headlines Limited Birchmere Lineup to Close 2020

By Vernon Miles

Published November 19, 2020 at 2:45PM

The Birchmere’s rundown for the next few months is full of as many 2021 rescheduling as upcoming shows, but there’s still plenty on offer at Alexandria’s historic music venue.

One of the most high profile acts scheduled for the rest of 2020 is KT Tunstall, scheduled for Dec. 15 at 7:30 p.m. Tunstall’s “Suddenly I See” was a 2005 earworm that became a hit and featured in everything from The Devil Wears Prada to the 2008 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign.

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The Alexandria Choral Society is Going to Sing About Social Justice

By James Cullum

Published November 17, 2020 at 3:45PM | Updated December 16, 2020 at 3:10PM

Alexandria’s course toward social justice might be long, but hope remains for a better future. That’s the message behind the Alexandria Choral Society’s (ACS) Refuge project, and if all goes as planned the five-movement piece will be performed live next May by members of the T.C. Williams High School choir.

“There’s a lot of mileage that you have to go on that journey for a better future,” Refuge composer Jonathan Kolm told ALXnow. “There’s an uplifting arc of hope, but one that is tempered by difficult circumstances that we find ourselves in.”

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Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published November 6, 2020 at 9:00AM

Beyer Says Trump Only Cares About Himself — “Trump doesn’t care about legal principles or the law. Trump doesn’t care about fair counts, and he doesn’t care about our democratic norms. Trump doesn’t care about his oath to protect the Constitution. The only thing Donald Trump cares about is Donald Trump.” [Twitter]

Mas Seafood to Open Retail Space in Old Town — “From the previous North Henry Street location, they supplied restaurants in Alexandria and Arlington, including Daniel O’Connell’s Pub, Fontaine Caffe & Creperie, Alexandria Pasty Shop and Belle Haven Pizzeria. While they had always been interested in doing retail sales, it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic upended their market that they were able to make the shift — almost by accident.” [Alexandria Living]

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Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published October 14, 2020 at 9:00AM | Updated October 14, 2020 at 10:37AM

Fall colors along Interstate 95 south in Alexandria (Staff photo by James Cullum)

U.S. Secretary of Education Commends ACPS Superintendent for Sending Child to Private School — “How great that Superintendent Hutchings is able to make this choice for his child. Every family in Alexandria, VA, and across the entire country, should have the same freedom to choose where, when and how their kids learn.” [Twitter]

Beyer Says Trump Lying About Health Care Plan — “rump has no health plan. He’s been lying for five years, always saying there’s this amazing plan just around the corner. Meanwhile he’s suing to get the health law that protects Americans with preexisting conditions struck down by the Supreme Court.” [Twitter]

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Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published October 9, 2020 at 9:00AM

Running on the Potomac Yard trail. (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Beyer Criticizes Trump’s Position on Michigan Governor Abduction Plot — “Trump has now responded. This is just sick.” [Twitter]

Voter Registration Deadline Approaching — “The deadline to register to vote in the November 3 elections or update voter registration information is Tuesday, October 13.” [Twitter]

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Marty Stuart, Drew Lynch, The Allman Betts Band Headline The Birchmere this Month

By James Cullum

Published October 6, 2020 at 5:00PM

Country Music Hall of Famer Marty Stuart will play The Birchmere on Halloween night, and the celebrated music hall in the city’s Arlandria neighborhood has a full slate of performances all this month.

Stuart, who started his career playing with Johnny Cash’s road band, will play at 7:30 p.m. on October 31.

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Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published September 9, 2020 at 9:00AM

Beyer: We Must Protect the U.S. Postal Service — “I have been in touch with local postal officials, who express their commitment to ensuring the timely delivery and return of all ballots. This could be an issue in many parts of the country, however, and I will be working with my colleagues to exercise constant vigilance and ensure that elections are fair and safe. My Northern Virginia colleague, U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, serves as the chair of the Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations, and with his tireless leadership the House will do all it can to fix these problems and restore operations and service at USPS.” [Gazette]

Three City Parks Scheduled for Improvements — “Projects at or near Powhatan, Hooffs Run, and Brenman Parks to occur over next two months.” [Zebra]

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School of Rock Alexandria Making Beautiful Music During Pandemic

By James Cullum

Published August 26, 2020 at 11:45AM | Updated August 26, 2020 at 12:54PM

The “Modern Rock Camp” at School of Rock Alexandria (3260 Duke Street) has plexiglass screens, and on a recent August afternoon the band “Horses Ate My Dad” broke their long silence and played a virtual gig.

The kids were safe distances apart and played with face masks.

News

Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published August 20, 2020 at 9:00AM

Beyer Calls Out Minority Leader for Post Office Tweet — “Trump admitted he was sabotaging the US Postal Service to stop people from voting in a televised interview on FoxNews. It was even on a channel you guys actually watch.” [Twitter]

Alexandria Now Has 3,165 Cases of COVID-19 — “The latest update from the City on COVID-19: Positive tests up 19 to 3,165 in the City 7-day Positivity Rate steady at 5.8% 0 new hospitalizations Still safer at home, wash hands, wear masks and support our essential workers.” [Twitter]