Easy listening

Robert Perkins of Palm Harbor, Fla., came to Portland for his 50th Deering High School reunion, and part of the activities was a recital he gave on the organ at the Woodfords Congregational Church. The public was invited to this free concert, too. He had played there at a wedding about 50 years ago, and remarked, “I’m sure it was awful, but I was still learning.”

He surely performed beautifully on June 22. He graduated from Harvard, majoring in French. He is now a retired language teacher. He also led music programs in several churches throughout his career.

He became interested in the organ through the late Marie English, who taught him to play the organ. She was organist and choir director at the Woodfords church for 12 years at the original church, across Woodford Street from the present large church. Elaine Spiller, well-known in Westbrook, where she and her late husband, Philip Spiller, lived for many years, spoke to me. She now spends the winters in Florida. She is the daughter of Marie English. Marie’s sister, Marianne Gillis, who lived next door to the Perkins family in Portland, also attended the concert. Elaine told me that she and her sister, Anne, were members of the Deering High band, with Clinton Graffam as their conductor (he also conducted all of our children in the DHS orchestra).

Of course, Robert Perkins was delighted to meet and talk with his organ teacher’s family at the recital. He announced that he would dedicate the next to the last number of his program, “Toccata in D Minor,” by Charles Sergisson, in memory of Marie English.

He was introduced before the concert by Carole Pope, his classmate and a member of the reunion committee. His program included works of Johann Sebastian Bach, Parchelbel , Guilmant, Gordon Young, Rex Koury, and, familiar to us DHS grads, a medley of DHS songs, with some of the grads singing along. The songs were written by George T. Goldthwaite. I was also pleased to hear “In the Garden,” the song based on the hymn tune by C. Austin Miles. It is a popular song played and sung in Maine Granges, too.

I am so glad that the reunion committee invited others to attend their concert. The chapel at the Woodfords Congregational Church is a lovely hall, and was a perfect setting for Robert Perkins, as well as for all who attended.

Tea and company

The First Day of Summer Tea was held June 21 at the Maine Charitable Mechanic Association Library in their building on Congress Street, Portland.

It was nice to see Pat Leonard, who recently retired from her many years as children’s librarian at Westbrook’s Walker Memorial Library. She is now librarian at the Mechanic library. She looked so pretty in a long, flowered gown, and her teapots and lovely teacups were a nice addition to all the sweets served at the tea party. I also admired the small paper napkins, decorated with purple irises. Several hostesses assisted Pat.

I was pleased to meet the president of the association, Jack Gray.

High on the walls of the hall were framed pictures of all the presidents of the association, from the year 1815 to the present.

Pat had written me about the book collection and I was impressed by its size. It includes fiction and non-fiction, as well as encyclopedias, and DVDs and VHS tapes. Members can borrow the circulating books, and also the $20 annual membership entitles two people to attend the yearly fall and spring travelogue held at the Catherine McAuley High School auditorium, Portland.

The history of the association is interesting. A brochure Pat gave me says that the Maine Charitable Mechanic Association was founded in 1815 as a craftsman’s guild to teach and promote excellence among the various mechanical trades. Carpenters, glass workers, sailmakers, shipbuilders and riggers, ironworkers, stone cutters, brick masons and similar tradesmen learned their skills through apprenticeship programs sponsored by this association. A library was established for their education and enlightenment and is still open for recreational reading today. Financial assistance was also made available to needy widows of members. For many years, the members, grouped by their various trades, marched down Congress Street in an annual celebration. The high quality craftsmanship of the members is evidenced in many details of Mechanics Hall. This organization provides financial support for local college activities. Mechanics Hall has had many well-known business tenants. Among them were Cressey and Allen’s Music Store, Carter’s Jewelry Shop, Saulsbury Patent Record Office, Smith Photo Studio and currently, Encore Clothing and the Fotoshops.

We have attended many of the travelogues and have always enjoyed them. The Mechanic Association is a worthwhile group to look into, and if the First Day of Summer Tea becomes an annual affair, I shall surely attend.

Sightings

Last week I borrowed a book called “Moths, Nighttime Animals,” from Westbrook’s Memorial Library. Our son, Ray, was excited about the lime green luna moth he had seen in Newcastle at the Lincoln County News building. I mentioned it to Jack Gray at the tea at the Mechanic Hall, and he has seen that moth in his vegetable garden here in Portland. I occasionally see a monarch, and often see the small cabbage moth, but I would be very excited to see the handsome lime green luna moth. It is among the 1,300 species of giant silk moths worldwide, as described in the library book on moths I borrowed. The book tells us that giant silk moth caterpillars spin cocoons of threadlike silk strands. Some species wrap leaves into their cocoons, too.

“Air pollution, which has damaged trees and their leaves, is one reason that many of these large moths have disappeared,” it says.

Heritage bread

Today’s recipe is from “Gourmet Heritage Recipes,” collected and published in 1973 by the Gourmet Cooking Group of the College Club of Portland. I am especially pleased to use this recipe, as it was submitted by a dear friend of mine, whom I know at the Portland Public Library, many years ago. Iris Almy was head of the catalogue department there. Also I spent pleasant vacations at Philbrook Farm, in New Hampshire, whose recipe Iris used.

PHILBROOK FARM DARK BREAD

1-1/2 cups graham flour

2 cups all-round flour (white)

2 teaspoons soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses

1 cups sour milk or buttermilk.

Measure 1-1/2 cupfuls of graham flour into a mixing bowl. Do so by piling lightly into measuring cup, by spoonfuls. (It is not sifted). Sift all-round flour. Measure flour and sift together with soda and salt. Add brown sugar (either light or dark), molasses, sour milk. Mix lightly. Pour batter into well-greased loaf pan. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

The lime green luna moth is among the 1,300 species of giant silk moths worldwide.