Mindfulness, a Piano Extravaganza and Morr  

Is everyone exhausted? The town put on quite a three-day extravaganza last weekend. It's hard to imagine what could happen next but, never fear, there is plenty more on the horizon. A summer of music reaches its peak this weekend with a gala "Piano Extravaganza" in the Music Shed. There is a concert on the Green with Kenn Morr; foodies will appreciate a program on small-batch food preparation at the Hub and a TED Talk will address "Happiness & Spaghetti Sauce." Read on to learn about everything that's going on. Municipal meetings are the City Meadow Commission, Conservation Commission, Recreation Commission and a special meeting of the Board of Finance.
And for more about what’s happening, visit norfolkct.org's calendar section, your daily directory to Norfolk living. Be sure to forward this newsletter to a friend so they can sign up for a free subscription.

"Direction" Concert Friday

The Norfolk Chamber Music Festival will present "Directions" Friday, August 12, at 8:00 p.m. This concert speaks to a composer’s use of time as an element of his/her work. Richard Strauss, in his Sextet from "Capriccio" is looking backward by composing something appropriate to 1753; Beethoven’s Septet in in E-flat for Strings and Winds is a piece in the moment of when it was written; and Ligeti’s "Six Bagatelles" is modernist and forward looking. There will be a free pre-concert conversation at 7:00 p.m. For concert tickets, click here.

Kenn Morr Band Plays on the Green Friday

Friday Nights on the Green features music by the Kenn Morr Band and a community picnic hosted by Norfolk Foundation this week. At 6:00 p.m. every Friday night through Sept. 2 everyone in the community is invited to come to the Village Green for two hours to enjoy music, food and fun events hosted by a variety of town organizations. Bring yourself, your family and your friends. Get the full schedule here.

Final Emerging Artist Concert Saturday

Yale School of Music will conclude its series of free concerts held each week in the Music Shed on the Stoeckel estate and performed by extraordinary Norfolk Fellows. The final concert is Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The concerts are sponsored in part by the Battell Arts Foundation. For more information, click here.
Mindfulness Series Continues in August

Miranda Lee will continue her Mindfulness series in August, instructing participants in how to live a more mindful life, equipping them with the tools needed to help build resilience against day-to-day  challenges. Some gentle movement (no special clothing or equipment required) is incorporated into the course, which is offered from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Fridays before the library opens to the public. Anyone can join at any time. To register, click here.

Hub to Hold Better Solutions Saturday

The Norfolk Hub has been hosting a series of four Saturday sessions highlighting eco-friendly household items packaged without plastics. On August 13, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., stop by the Hub, 2 Station Place, for a free sample of dishwasher detergent pods and to be entered into a raffle. The last Sampling Saturday is September 10. Sponsored by the National Iron Bank.

Chamber Music Festival to Hold Piano Extravaganza

The Norfolk Chamber Music Festival will present a Festival Gala, a piano extravaganza, in the Music Shed Saturday, August 13, at 8:00 p.m. as a fundraiser to support professional training for outstanding young musicians. The concert features Robert Blocker and Melvin Chen on piano with Norfolk Fellows. Works to be performed are by Johann Sebastian Bach and Igor Stravinsky. For tickets and information, click here.

Gladwell TED Talk on "Happiness & Spaghetti Sauce"

The Norfolk Library continues its summer discussion series of the “Top 10 TED Talks That’ll Change Your Life," Monday, August 15, with Malcolm Gladwell speaking on "Choice, Happiness & Spaghetti Sauce." Similar to a book group, the program discusses selected TED Talks that participants watch ahead of time. Discussions take place virtually through Zoom on Mondays from 1:00-2:00 p.m. The discussion group  runs through September 19 (no meeting on Labor Day). Click here to register and to gain access to the entire discussion series. It is not necessary, however, to attend every session.

Small-batch Food Preparation Session at Norfolk Hub

Norfolk Hub will present a program on small-batch preservation of foods with Kevin West Tuesday, Aug. 16, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. West will cover the basics of food safety and share his universal recipes for jam and pickles. He’ll also touch on freezing and drying as useful techniques to put up abundant summer produce. West is a journalist and author of the upcoming "The Flavor Garden: A Cook’s Guide to Selecting, Growing, and Preparing a World of Delicious Vegetables and Herbs." Click here to register.
Municipal Meetings

Municipal meetings this week are the City Meadow Commission, Monday, 5:30 p.m.; Conservation Commission, Monday, 6:00 p.m., Recreation Commission, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.; Special Meeting Board of Finance, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. Things change, especially in summer, so it is always wise to  check here before you go.