| Glencairn Museum kicking off fall events
with rare self-guided tour of 10-story mansion
Ever wanted to wander through a 10-story, 90-room Gothic and Romanesque-style
building, explore the medieval-influenced architecture, study the stained
glass and mosaics and view the Philadelphia skyline from a glass-enclosed
tower?
This month, the public will have a rare opportunity to take a self-guided
tour of the former home of Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn, now home to Glencairn
Museum in Bryn Athyn.
Built over 11 years between 1928 and 1939, the structure holds an impressive
collection of religious history featuring art and artifacts from a variety
of cultures like ancient Egypt, ancient Greece and Native America.
"Sunday Afternoon at Glencairn" is set for 2 to 5 p.m. Sept.
25, one of only four times a year when the public can tour the museum
without a guide. It kicks off an expansive lineup of fall events which
range from presentations of intimate chamber music to a performance featuring
the Australian didjeridoo, gongs and conch shells. And, according to events
coordinator Reuben Bell, many, like the Renaissance Artist Puppet Theater,
are “family-friendly.”
Fall events include:
• Sunday Afternoon at Glencairn: Self-guided tours will allow
visitors to explore the museum and collections including ancient Near
East, medieval Christian, Roman and early Christian, and New Church art.
Visitors also may tour the former living quarters of the home, and enjoy
a new guided tour, "Masterpieces of Religious Art."
• Animato Duo: 3 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 9. Cellist Jason Calloway
and pianist Christopher Weldon team up for program featuring Beethoven's
Sonata in C Major, op. 102, no. 1; and selections by Bartok, Mozart, Chopin
and Toru Takemitsu. It's the duo's first appearance at Glencairn. Calloway
has performed to acclaim throughout North America, the Caribbean, Europe
and the Middle East as a soloist and chamber musician. Weldon appears
regularly throughout the United States as a soloist and chamber musician.
The Washington Post has praised him for performing "flawlessly."
• Harold Smith, Steve Turre and Badal Roy: 8 p.m., Friday, Oct.
21. Visitors can enjoy the inspiring music and unique sound of this trio
while surrounded by the medieval stained glass, sculpture and mosaic of
Glencairn's Great Hall. Smith plays wind and percussion instruments, the
gongs, whistles, flutes and the Australian didjeridoo. Roy plays the Indian
tablas and Turre, trombone and conch shells.
• Skylark Ensemble: 4 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 23. It's a return visit
to Glencairn Museum for Skylark, which opens with musical settings of
Old Testament texts. The program also features a selection of Psalms with
music by Purcell, Dvorak and Charles Villiers Stanford, as well as selections
by Strauss and Monteverdi. Featured performers are Jacqueline Smith and
Ruth Ideen, sopranos; Sage Lutton and K. Rebecca Oehlers, mezzo-sopranos;
David Sharp and Joseph McHugh, tenors; Jerome Brandt, baritone; Loretta
Foster and John Sall, pianists.
• Ananse and the Sky God: Renaissance Artist Puppet Theater, 4
p.m., Sunday, Nov. 6. The classic Southwest African folk tale is told
with masks, rod puppets and shadow work. The set, mask and puppet designs
are based on flavors of the traditional arts from the Ivory Coast and
other Southwestern Africa countries. The original score finds each character
with its own music, similar to "Peter and the Wolf."
• Singing City Choir: 4 p.m., Nov. 13. Founded in Philadelphia
in 1948 by Dr. Elaine Brown, the choir was born out of the Fellowship
House movement that believes differences between races, religions and
cultures can be bridged by common interests. Singing City strives to be
an artistic, social and spiritual force using choral music.
• Sunday Afternoon at Glencairn: 2-5 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 4. Self-guided
tours of the museum's galleries and other rooms, including an opportunity
to view Glencairn's stained glass windows depicting the Christmas story,
as well as antique nativity scenes belonging to Glencairn since Raymond
and Mildred Pitcairn that have been a part of Christmas at the 1940s.
• Christmas Concert: 8 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 14. In 1937, one
year before moving into their new home, Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn hosted
a Christmas concert in the nearly finished Great Hall at Glencairn –
an event described in the Bryn Athyn Post. "During the intermission,"
the paper reported, "Mr. Pitcairn spoke of the delight which it gave
him and Mrs. Pitcairn to have the first use of their new home associated
with the peace and happiness of Christmas time, and extended a most gracious
welcome..." The 68th Annual Christmas concert will feature soloists,
audience caroling, readings from the Christmas story and a performance
by the "Glencairn Horns," members of the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Admission to Glencairn’s programs is $10 for adults; $5 for museum
members and students with ID. Children under 6 are free. Glencairn is
located at 1001 Cathedral Road. For additional information about the events
or on how to become a museum member, call 267-502-2600, or visit www.glencairnmuseum.org.
Photo I.D.s [Photos from original publication]
For photo slugged “Egypt”: Ancient Egyptian artifacts are
on display at Glencairn Museum.
For photo slugged Great Hall: The Great Hall living room at Glencairn.
Contacts:
Media information:
Rebecca Felten
215-672-3152
Glencairn:
Joralyn Echols
Outreach and Public Relations Coordinator
267-502-2987
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