Day-Long Celebration

Will Honor Charles Ives

DANBURY — Danbury Music Centre will presents its annual celebration honoring the birth of Danbury native, Charles Edward Ives, on Sunday, October 19.

A day-long celebration including a concert of barn dances and fiddle tunes will take place, as will a hike up Pine Mountain, a visit to the birth home (in cooperation with The Danbury Museum), and a visit to the grave of Charles Ives, and finally, a concert, featuring the Rag Tag Players, performing Fiddle Tunes and Barn Dances as used in music by Charles Ives.

Charles Ives was born on October 20, 1874, and grew up in downtown Danbury. The music he later wrote was greatly influenced by the songs of the day, including fiddle music and barn dances, all part of the popular culture in the late 19th Century.

Charles Ives Day will begin with a hike to the top of Pine Mountain to the vista overlooking hills and valleys extending all the way to Long Island Sound. It was at this location that Ives and his brother, Moss, erected a lean-to shanty and where Ives was inspired to write some of his uniquely American music.

Hikers should meet at the top of Pine Mountain Road. The hike will begin at 9:30am, weather permitting, and is moderately difficult. At noon the Danbury Museum will open the doors of the birth home of Charles Ives, on Mountainville Avenue. Visitors may tour the home and will be treated to a performance of the Danbury Rag-Tag Players. A visit to the Wooster Cemetery will take place at 2 pm. With the cooperation of the trustees of Wooster Cemetery, visitors may view the Ives family plot which includes the graves of Ives, his wife Harmony, Ives’ parents George E. Ives and Mary Elizabeth Parmelee Ives, and many other family members. Charles Ives’ grandfather, who is also buried there, founded Wooster Cemetery.  Visitors should meet in section M of the cemetery.

The concluding event of the day will take place at 4 pm at Danbury Music Centre, 256 Main Street, with members of the Rag Tag players performing fiddle tunes and barn dances.

All events are free.

For additional information, call Nancy Sudik at Danbury Music Centre, 748-1716; send email to DMC1935@snet.net; or visit www.danbury.org/MusicCtr.