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With the end of the pandemic in sight,
you may be thinking of traveling again.
Maybe youll consider the New Seven Wonders of World proposed by the
New York Times in 2017. Click
here to see very short videos of each one
of these 21st century wonders. |
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If youd rather have a more in-depth
experience, a longer exposure to a single place, you can watch David
Attenboroughs video of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Click here
to begin your visit. |
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Did you know that Google has a site
devoted to art and culture? Click here
to go to the Arts and Culture site (artsandculture.google.com) where youll find slide shows (about
10 slides in each one) on world renown sites, museums, and short
presentations on artists, composers, and various topics. The home page will present the Top
Picks of the day, but you can scroll down and choose from many other
possibilities. |
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How about a virtual tour of the Muse
du Louvre in Paris? Rather than a
video or slideshow, youll use your cursor to navigate from one room to
another, where you can click on a painting, sculpture, or an objet dart to see it up close or
access a detailed description. Click
here to start your visit. |
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APRIL 2021 |
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Take a trip on the oldest suspension
railway in the world in Wuppertal, Germany, that started running in
1902. Click
here to follow the train on its entire
route and here
to read about the railways history in the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia. |
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How about a visit the Guinness Brewery
in Dublin to learn about Diageo, the world-leading stout? |
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History buffs may be interested in
visiting the website of The
Center for American War Letters, a unique and
extensive manuscript collection of war letters from every American conflict,
beginning with handwritten missives composed during the Revolutionary War and
continuing up to emails sent from Iraq and Afghanistan. From the site you can access the
virtual Museum of American War letters, or you can click
here to go directly to the museum. |
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Those of you who remember the book or
movie, Mutiny on the Bounty, you might enjoy a trip to Pitcairn Island. Click here
to view a 36 minute documentary, Exploring Pitcairn Island by Drone, which offers
views you wouldnt see even if you were there in person. Note that you will see ads a few times
during the video, but you can click almost immediately on Skip Ads. |
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The Wellesley Chamber Players, who
performed at Dana Hal in pre-pandemic times, will be giving their second
virtual concert on Saturday, March 27th, at 7:30 PM. The program will include Schumanns
Violin Sonata No. 2 and Faurs Piano Quartet No. 1. Click
here to sign up. |
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Thelonious Hermann, a young composer in Germany, missed
playing to live audiences during the pandemic so he came up with an unusual
way to play his music and make an audience happy – he gave a concert
for the animals in the Cologne zoo.
Click here to view the performance. Under two minutes long,
it will give you a smile that will last well after you finish listening. |
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Art and Culture at Wellesley College: Tres Vidas Chamber Music Theatre on Thursday,
March 11, at 5 PM. A performance
based on the lives of three legendary Latin American Women: Mexican Painter Frida Kahlo,
Salvadoran peasant activist Rufina Amaya, and Argentinean poet Alfonsina
Stormi. For more information, click here. |
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A Brimful of Asha, streamed on demand, March 10 – 22, from the Arts Emerson Theatre, is a critically acclaimed hit and an instant favorite with audiences everywhere. Real-life mother and son, Asha and Ravi Jain, share the stage and tell this true (and very Canadian) story of generational and cultural clash. Click here to sign up. The online admission ticket is $15. You can check out the trailer before making your decision. |
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Free streaming performances from New Yorks Metropolitan
Opera – The Mets web site says:
During this extraordinary and
difficult time, the Met hopes to brighten
the lives of our audience members even while our stage is dark. Each day, a
different encore presentation from the companys Live in HD series is being
made available for free streaming on the Met website, with
each performance available for a period of 23 hours,
from 7:30 pm on the day of the concert." Go to
https://metopera.org and scroll down to find links
to the performances. |
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Put a touch of spring in your life by visiting the Monet and Boston exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, which will reopen to the public on February 3rd. If, however, you dont want to venture into Boston in the winter cold, or if youre among those who are still avoiding indoor gatherings, click here to access an online presentation with slides, a short presentation by the curator, and Monet inspired music. |
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Sadly, the BSO has been closed since last spring because
of the pandemic, but you can still view streaming performances. In February the orchestra is offering
the concert series, Music in Changing
Times – The Spirit of Beethoven. Click here
for more information. Note that
the concerts are not free. |
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As the expression goes, theres no free lunch, but, luckily for us, during the pandemic there are free courses online. The Khan Academy offers an art history course covering the years 1750-1980 with articles and videos about artists such as Goya, Manet, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cassatt, Much, and many more. Click here to get started. |
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YouTube has a special section called Biographics, which
has short biographies about nearly everyone worth knowing about. Theyre not glitzy but usually present
information objectively. For
example, their video about Fred Rogers, from Mr. Rocgers Neighborhood,
starts with black and white photos from his childhood. Click here to see the
video. |
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Celebrate Black History Month by watching the multicultural Benkadi Drum and Dance group perform dances showcasing traditional West African rhythm and movements. Accessible on YouTube the performance is sponsored by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. There is no charge but you have to register on their site. |
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So you think its cold in Massachusetts? Try northern Sweden in the Arctic Circle. If thats what interests you, you can try staying in an ice hotel there. Click here to find out more about it. |
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Most of us have heard of Billie Holiday, but how much do
we really know about her? Watch
this BBC
documentary to find out about her life and her art. |
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Stuck indoors in the winter? Dont want to travel by plane? Try a remote visit to Cornwall with Rick Steeves. Youll learn a bit about the history and see the beaches and the mountains, the moors and the villages. And, of course, as with all Ricks videos, youll sample the local cuisine with his friends. |
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Explore the Brooklyn Botanical Barden from your armchair. The website offers a number of possibilities, including a virtual visit to the Rose Garden, a stroll through the Japanese Garden , an article on the garden during the pandemic of 1918, performances in the garden, and more. |
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NEW If you havent ODd on virus information, you might want to find out more from the Harvard Museums of Science and Cultures exhibit, A World of Viruses which explores what they are, where they can be found, and how they behave in both a positive and negative way. |
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The AARP is offering a Holiday Soul Concert Blues,
jazz, and soul music fans: youll love the Holiday Soul concert featuring
award-winning actress and singer Miche Braden and the dynamic blues and soul
talents of the Alexis P. Suter Band. Date: Friday, December 18, at 7 pm - 8:30
pm. This virtual event is free, and registration is
required. You can register online or
call 877-926-8300. |
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Its never been easier to attend concerts at the New England Conservatory. No traffic, no parking, just click here for a choice of programs from now until May 14, 2021. In December you can stream scenes from a number of operas, a holiday concert, Winds on Wednesdays, and the NEC Saxophone Ensemble. |
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Many Wellesley Neighbors members have
attended concerts by the Wellesley Chamber Players at Dana Hall in the
past. Not able to offer live
performances during the pandemic, the group is offering a virtual concert on December 12. Click
here for the details. |
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If youre feeling nostalgic, you
might like some videos about The Sound of Music. One option is to watch the
ABC
news segment about the 40th anniversary
of the movie, with the original cast.
You can also see The Story Behind
The Sound of Music, and conversations, including a
yodeling lesson, with Julie Andrews and
Maria Von Trapp. |
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Have you ever heard of Florence B.
Price? Click
here to learn about her, the first major
female African-American classical composer. Although recognized during her
lifetime (1888-1953) her compositions were lost until 2009. You can also see a performance of her Symphony
No. 3 in C Minor. |
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N. T. Binh, a cinematographer and
director living in France, made this compilation of dance scenes from Fred
Astaire movies for Barbara Dent, an Australian author, to comfort her. Fred
dances with Ginger Rogers, Judy Garland, Eleanor Powell, Rita Hayworth, and Cyd
Charisse. The 30 minute film has
subtitles in French. |
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Standing on their shoulders is a
virtual tour of the history of women students at Harvard. Click
here for an introduction and a link to
the tour. |
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Have fun in Paris
watching Vincent van Gogh art ALIVE - Atelier des Lumires (Paris,
France) STARRY NIGHT. Lots of color, a feast for the eyes, and
you can sing along!!! |
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Maggie Smith fans might enjoy an interview
with her, which includes a conversation about her role in Downton Abbey. |
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How about 1 hour 40 minutes wafting
above the Fiji
Islands? A relaxing way to get your mind off
the winter worries |
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Learning about past pandemics might depress you or interest you. If the latter, you can watch the documentary, The Spanish Flu and How the World Recovered (1918-1929). You can click on Skip Ads in the lower right corner for a better viewing experience. |
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Visit the 25 Most
Beautiful Medieval Towns of Europe. |
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