Events & Exhibits
Southern Rail Bluegrass
The Sanford-Springvale Historical Society is pleased to welcome back the acclaimed bluegrass group Southern Rail. Their performances are high-energy exuberant fun, with riveting harmonies, irrepressible humor and sparkling banjo, mandolin, and guitar solo work. Their recordings graced the Top Thirty Singles Chart of Bluegrass Unlimited for a combined total of 32 months. One of their earlier CD’s, a special Bluegrass Gospel compilation entitled Glory Train, was nominated for Best Gospel Recording of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association. Southern Rail has been elected to the New England Foundation for the Arts to be included in their prestigious Touring Roster.
Portland Piano Trio
Since its critically-acclaimed Portland, Maine debut in 2016, the Portland Piano Trio’s “enlivening tautness and precision,” “impressive ensemble and shared musical values” have entertained and inspired audiences throughout New England. The group has appeared on numerous chamber music series, including Portsmouth Atheneum, Fox Islands Concerts, Electric Earth Concerts, Bay Chamber, and Machias Bay Chamber Music Festival. The trio is serving as the founding musicians-in-residence of 240 Strings, a Portland, Maine-based nonprofit supported by the National Endowment for the Arts dedicated to providing private music lessons to economically-challenged children in Portland and providing affordable community concerts. The trio has twice attended Avaloch Music Institute in Boscawen, New Hampshire, for a week of intense rehearsing and sharing with other nationally recognized chamber groups, and has served in residence at New England Music Camp. (www.portlandpianotrio.com)
Goodwin House, Closed
Goodwin House will be closed on Saturday June 3rd, 2023. The Sanford-Springvale Historical Society has the honor of hosting the annual meeting of the Maine Historical Society that day. The event will last into the afternoon. Regular hours will resume the following weekend.
Southern Rail Bluegrass
On Saturday, April 22nd the Sanford-Springvale Historical Society will welcome back the acclaimed bluegrass group – Southern Rail. Doors open at 6:45 PM. This will be their sixth appearance in Springvale since their first concert 8 years ago. Their performances are high-energy exuberant fun, with riveting harmonies and irrepressible humor. This promises to be another exciting evening with sparkling banjo, guitar, mandolin and bass from Southern New England Bluegrass Hall of Famers.
Concert: Trumpet concerto
Concert featuring the works of Dr. Morton Gold, Composer & Nasson College Professor of Music
Portland Piano Trio (Cancelled)
The Portland Piano Trio will offer an outstanding duo of classics at the Historical Museum on Saturday, May 21, 2022. Tracey Jasas-Hardel, violin, Wayne Smith, cello, and Anastasia Antonacos, piano, will perform Mozart’s Piano Trio No. 5 in C major, K548 and Beethoven’s Piano trio in B-Flat, Op. 97 commonly called the Archduke Trio for Beethoven’s friend and fellow composer the Archduke Rudoph, youngest son of the Holy Roman Emperor. As usual, doors will open at 6:45 and the concert begins at 7:30.
Southern Rail Bluegrass
The Sanford-Springvale Historical Society is pleased to welcome back the acclaimed bluegrass group Southern Rail. Their performances are high-energy exuberant fun, with riveting harmonies, irrepressible humor and sparkling banjo, mandolin, and guitar solo work. Their recordings graced the Top Thirty Singles Chart of Bluegrass Unlimited for a combined total of 32 months. One of their earlier CD’s, a special Bluegrass Gospel compilation entitled Glory Train, was nominated for Best Gospel Recording of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association. Southern Rail has been elected to the New England Foundation for the Arts to be included in their prestigious Touring Roster.
A Valentine’s Day Concert (Cancelled)
Maine’s Pre-eminent Violin/Piano Duo had to cancel this engagement due to unforeseen circumstances. Violinist Ronald Lantz of the Portland String Quartet and Pianist Laura Kargul, Director of Keyboard Studies at the University of Southern Maine will offer another of their popular concerts featuring romantic music. It’s always Valentine’s Day at the Sanford-Springvale Historical Society. Doors will open at 6:45 and the concert begins at 7:30.
Christmas with the Renaissance Voices
The Sanford-Springvale Historical Society will welcome back for the eleventh year Portland-based Renaissance Voices. This 21 voice a cappella ensemble, under the direction of Harold Stover, will sing music from the 16th and 17th centuries. As is their custom, the singers will intersperse the music with readings appropriate to the season.
Music for Cello and Piano - Sergey Antonov and Ilya Kazantsev
Russian/American virtuosos Sergey Antonov and Ilya Kazantsev have performed in some of the world’s greatest concert halls including Moscow’s Rachmaninoff Hall and St. Petersburg’s Philharmonia Recital Hall. On Saturday, October 2, they will perform once again at the Sanford-Springvale Historical Museum in Springvale. Both were child prodigies, having entered Tchaikovsky State Conservatory in Moscow before the age of 10.
Antonov was a pupil of and toured Europe with the late legendary cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. He was one of the youngest cellists ever to win a gold medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition. Kazantsev, while still a youth, won first prize at the Nikolai Rubinstein International Competition in Paris. His debut recital at Carnegie Hall was sold out.
Ray-Welch: Folk Artist
We are excited to announce that the next exhibit at the Historical Museum will feature the folk art of Ray Welch whose magical paintings remind one of the work of Grandma Moses. More than forty of his colorful paintings will be on display. The Ray Welch exhibit opens with a reception at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 16, 2021.
Motor Vehicles — Their Manufacture, Sales & Servicing in Sanford & Springvale
This exhibit covers the manufacture in Sanford of automobiles in the early 1900s and trucks in the 1920s. It also focuses on the assembly of Model T Fords in Springvale starting in 1914. In addition, the exhibit reviews the sale and servicing of automobiles in both villages in the 1930s, 1950s and 1960s.