The real estate site Movoto is circulating this quirky, goofy “29 Things You Need To Know Before You Move To Newton” list.
I moved to Newton for the thanatology
by Chuck Tanowitz | Feb 27, 2014 | Newton | 10 comments
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Village 14 regular Kara Robbins’ home-away-from-home, the New Philharmonic Orchestra, made the list at #12.
I also see a few members of Newton Family Singers and Waiting for Neil in the photo for item 25 (St. Paddy’s Pub Crawl)
#12 lists two symphony orchestras but the NSO (which they imply is somehow superior to NewPhil) has actually disbanded. And why is there a photo of the Coolidge Corner Cinema here? Hmm…
I also noticed the Brookline photo for the Boston Jewish Film Festival. Though, not sure it really matters, just annoying.
Samuel Francis Smith, who composed “America”, owned a home in Newton Centre on a lot that is now vacant. It’s on the left hand side just after the last store on Centre Street heading down to Commonwealth Avenue. There is a commemorative plaque on the property which was put up several decades before the home itself fell to the wrecking ball. Smith preached at the Baptist Church at the intersection of Center and Beacon although I don’t know if it was the current brownstone or an earlier church.
I’ve often wished that “America”, otherwise known as “My Country Tis of Thee” had become our national anthem even if the melody is the same as “God Save the Queen”. There’s a depth to the American version and a powerful spiritual effect that I just don’t feel in the Star Spangled Banner. I really want to sing it. The best renditions I’ve heard were a classic performance at the Lincoln Memorial by Marian Anderson in 1936 accompanied only by a piano and a powerful version on one of America’s 3 remaining colonial era organs at the Old North Church in Boston.
BOB BURKE – Here’s the only version of our National Anthem that I remember as particularly well done (from 30 years ago), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXiCVtPiMsM
I remember it well, Bob. My man Marvin–much missed.
@Jerry – thanks for the shoutout!
@NativeNewtonian – I decided to read it as “New Phil is way more fun” 😉
Every time I see an entry like this I realize that someone’s got to update Newton’s Wikipedia link (I’m sure that’s where the author got the 2 orchestra info, though not sure where the photo is from. I can name the event, just not the photographer.) I guess I’m volunteering myself!
Kara – “I guess I’m volunteering myself!”
I second the nomination.
I read some national thing about Newton of recent vintage I believe that still had Ted Mann as Mayor. Not to be outdone, however, we still occasionally get junk mail addressed to my dad whose been gone since 1972. A real gem some years back was one selling burial plots.