As if by magical alignment of the stars, no fewer than three upcoming concert programs feature old-time music in several genres. The Boston Camerata, a pillar of the Hub’s vibrant early music community, will visit Portland on Saturday. The program showcases music from Renaissance Spain, a time and place defined by swirling cross-currents of Christian, […]

Greater Portland Auditions/Calls for Art Edible Book Festival, accepting edible art submissions for Portland Public Library exhibit during First Friday Art Walk, April 3, free, 871-1700 ext. 756, chance@portlandpubliclibrary.org. Books/Authors Tuesday 3/24 “Land of Horses,” discussion with author Chris Lombard, 6:30 p.m., free, Falmouth Memorial Library, 5 Lunt Road, Falmouth, 781-2351. Tuesday 3/31 “At the Point […]

For reasons mostly to do with nature, and the polar opposite of nurture, I am down for the count. Benched on the sidelines (which is better than being beached like a whale), I’m punched out indefinitely. As nasty arm, wrist and hand injuries wreak havoc on my professional existence, I yearn for the day when […]

A big week for music is shaping up in southern Maine, with an interesting variety of performances of works from multiple sources and inspirations. Most intriguing is Saturday’s concert by the Orchestra of the Longfellow Chorus, under the direction of Charles Kaufmann. Titled “Music from the Gilded Age,” the program is entirely devoted to pieces […]

Greater Portland Books/Authors Friday 3/13 “True North: Tice’s Story,” discussion with local author Mark Leslie, noon, free, Portland Public Library, 5 Monument Square, Portland, 871-1700, portlandlibrary.com. Tuesday 3/17 “The Man in the Canal,” discussion with author Paul Betit, 6:30 p.m., free, Prince Memorial Library, 266 Main St., Cumberland, 829-2215. Tuesday 3/24 “Land of Horses,” discussion […]

There’s a wealth of topnotch choices in the performing arts this late winter weekend and a bit beyond. Portland Ovations has two of the most anticipated offerings of its 2014-2015 season coming up in quick succession. First is “Memphis,” a national tour of the recent Broadway hit. “Swan Lake” has been a hit among ballet […]

Dessert is one of the few places where the average diner is torn, and the reasons for not indulging in “a little something” are as plentiful as the reasons for doing so. Special occasions or otherwise, dessert is an opportune place to pad guest checks and winter-weary bottoms. Simply put, dessert is a decadence rarely […]

Greater Portland Books/Authors Friday 3/6 “Coffee Smuggler,” discussion with local author Dave Holman, noon, free, Portland Public Library, 5 Monument Square, Portland, 871-1700, portlandlibrary.com. Monday 3/9 “City by the Sea: A Photographic History of Portland,” presentation with local author John Moon, sponsored by Maine Charitable Mechanic Association, 7:30 p.m., free, Catherine McAuley High School, 631 […]

“Dialogues of the Carmelites” is a seldom-performed opera that was written about a decade after World War II ended. Using historical events and thematic elements from the French Revolution, coupled with still-fresh memories of the more recent global conflict, French composer Francois Poulenc crafted a powerful opera that is both beautiful and disturbing. Portland Symphony […]