Cultural events for the week beginning Thursday, June 29

There is not as much for me to list this week with the holiday on the 4th.  Remember, all the Museums are open .  And here are a few things you might like to consider. I also hope you'll also have a chance to consider my rant at http://www.ronlehkersrants.blogspot.com

I've already put it on Facebook since I was so startled by the reality of racism that we whites do not understand in Dvorak's recent article in The Washington Post. 

June

Friday, 30

Concert: "Serenade! Choral Festival: a JFK 100 Celebration" – with choirs from India and Bulgaria – Kennedy Center – Millennium Stage – 6 PM

July

Saturday, 1

Concert: Begin your celebration of the Fourth of July with the "All woman Afro/Brazilian band" – steps of the national archives – 1 PM – 2 PM

Films: Luigi Cuomo's 2015 film "Constellations" and Federico Fellini's 1970 film "I clowms" – East Building Auditorium – National Gallery of Art – 1 PM

Sunday, 2

Concert: David and Ginger Hildebrand of the Colonial Music Institute present 18th century music – Anderson House – 2118 Massachusetts Ave. NW. – 2 PM

Monday, 3

Concert: The grand finale of the "Serenade! Choral Festival: A JFK 100 Celebration" with choirs from a dozen worldwide countries – Kennedy Center – 6 PM – tickets will be distributed beginning at 4:30 PM

Tuesday, 4

Concert: United States Air Force String Quartet  celebrates Independence Day – Church of the Epiphany – 12:10 PM

Concert: Washington National Cathedral annual Independence Day Organ Recital with symphonic brass and the United States Navy's Sea Chanters – National Cathedral – 11 AM

Wednesday, 5

Concert:  Ledward "Led"Kaapana a master of the Hawaiian ukulele and the slack key guitar performs as a part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival – Coolidge Auditorium – Jefferson Building – Library of Congress – noon – 1 PM

Film: Enrico Pau's 2016 film, "Angel of Mercy" – reservations required –www.licwashington.esteri.it – Embassy of Italy – 6 PM – 7:45 PM 

Thursday 6

Book Lecture: "The Secret History of Jane Eyre: How Charlotte Brontë Wrote Her Masterpiece" – John  Pfordresher – Professor of English at Georgetown University – P&P – 7 PM

Intellectual and cultural events for the week beginning Friday, June 23

There may be some – particularly newcomers to the city – who are not aware of the many free concerts we are fortunate have in the DC area. Most of them, of course, are put on by military groups. I am listing just a few of them this week to give a sampling.. I'll only list them occasionally in the future.

Once again you'll note my abbreviated listing – primarily of things appealing to me personally I must admit. Remember that a much longer listing of not only free events may be found weekly in The Current Newspaper issued in the four areas of the city.

I also hope you have an opportunity to read my newly restored, hopefully weekly, rant at:

http://www.ronlehkersrants.blogspot.com

I'd like to especially call this to the attention of my Reddit readers. I'm not sure I'm permitted to discuss politics or refer to personal blogs directly on their site.  At 91 I find it hard to refrain from commenting on some deeply held feelings about our country.

JUNE

Friday,  23

Concert: Jazz in the Garden at the National Gallery of Art features blues singer Juanita Williams – Sculpture Garden – NGA – 7th  Street and Constitution Ave., Northwest – 5 PM – 8:30 PM 

Film: The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum presents a screening and discussion of the documentary, "The Lost Jews of Kastoria" about an idyllic city in Greece where Jews and Christians lived in harmony for more than two millennia until Germans took control – United States Holocaust Museum – 2 PM

Saturday, 24

Family program:  Pierce MIll will host "Run of the Mill" – Washington's only surviving gristmill in action – Peirce Mill – Tilden Street and Beach Dr., Northwest – 11 AM – 2 PM

Film: Smithsonian American Art Museum about artists features two shorts from 1968 and 1978 – followed by discussion – Smithsonian American Art Museum – 3 PM – 5:30 PM

Sunday, 25

Book lecture Mugambi Jouet discusses his book "Exceptional America: What Divides Americans From the World and From Each Other" – politics and prose 1 PM

Book lecture: Sarah Yael Hirschhorn, lecturer and fellow in Israeli studies at Oxford University – "City on a Hill–Top: American Jews and the Israeli Settler Movement" - Busboys and Poets – 5th and the K Streets Northwest – 6 PM – 8 PM

Film: "New Waves: features the 1967 cell "Loin duVietnam" about antiwar sentiments – East Building Auditorium – National Gallery of Art – 1 PM

Film: "Arab Cinema Now" – recent shorts culled from the International Film Festival  in Rotterdam – reservations requested – 202-338-1290 – 1:30 PM to 3:15 PM

Monday, 26

Concert: United States Navy Concert Band – West Steps – United States Capital – 8 PM

Performance: Sweet Spot Aerial Productions and Street Light Circus present modern circus arts as a part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival – Millennium Stage – Kennedy Center – 6 PM

Tuesday, 27

Concert: BeuSoleil Quartet presents Cajun music – in conjunction with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and the Library of Congress – Millennium stage – Kennedy Center – 6 PM

Film: Christophe Honors 2016 comedy "Sophie's Misfortunes" – reservations required – Embassy of France – French culture.board 4101 Reservoir Rd. NW. – 7 PM

Wednesday, 28

Concert: Beau Soleil Quartet performs Cajun music from Louisiana – Coolidge Auditorium – Jefferson Building – Library of Congress – noon – 1 PM

Concert: The "Presidents Own" United States Marine Band – West Terrace – United States capital – 8 PM

Thursday, 29

Concert: The Star – Spangled American Music Series features the United States Army Blues – Smithsonian National Museum of American History – 1 PM and 2 PM

Concert  "The Presidents Own" – United States Marine Band – West Terrace – United States capital – 8 PM

Lecture: Photographer Camilo José Vergara – who documented segregated communities in American cities through the years and looks at urban decay and gentrification talks about the exhibition "Down These Mean Streets" – Smithsonian American Art Museum – 5:30 PM:

Selected FREE intellectual and cultural events Friday, June 16 - Thursday June 22

Indeed, it is I back again. Ready to make yet another stab at listing intellectual and cultural events each day for the week ahead. It will be a bit different in that I shall usually list only two – or possibly three - events to keep it more simple for me. Yes, I missed the doing it and I was gratified by the many who expressed appreciation for the service.  I now feel more energized to again look at the many local opportunities for learning in our city. It will probably be a bit more personal in listing those things of primary interest to me and highlighting some held at lesser-known venues.

And some of you may have noticed I'm back to Ranting and Raving on my other blog:  I just can't help but add my two cents worth to the problems of these perilous times. Please see:

http://www.ronlehkersrants.blogspot.com

June

Friday, 16

Concert: Russian violinist Elena Denisova performs various classical compositions – reservations required – acfdc.org – Austrian Cultural Forum – 3524 International Court NW. – (I've attended many events here and a reservation has never been necessary) – 7:30 PM

Film: Anreas Dresen's, "As We Were Great," about a lost generation that unknowingly became the victim of German reunification – Goethe  Institut, Washington Suite 3, 1990 K St. NW. – reservations suggested goethe.de/washington - 6:30 PM

Saturday, 17

Concert: "Cowboys and Frenchmen" known for blending traditional American folk and pop with our and be in modern jazz – Kreeger Museum – 2401 Foxhall Rd. NW. – reservations encouraged – kreegermuseum.org – noon – 2 PM

Book lecture: Thomas Wright of the Brookings Institute, "All Measures Short of War: The Contest for the 21st century and the Future of American Power – politics and prose – 3:30 PM

Film: "Arab Cinema Now" featuring the 2015 film, "A Magical Substance Flows Into Me" – reservations requested – 202-338-1290 – The Palestine Center – 2425 Virginia Ave. NW. – 1:30 PM – 3:15 PM

Sunday, 18

Film: Advanced screening of the National Geographic documentary, "From the Ashes," about the state of the coal industry and what it means for the future – reservations requested – western presbyterian.org – Western Presbyterian Church – 24th and G streets Northwest – 1230 to 2:30 PM

Film: Malin Bjorkman-Widell's "Just a Normal Person" – reservations suggested –           www.swedenabroad.com/washington – House of Sweden – 2900 K St. NW. (Waterfront area) – 2 PM – 4 PM

I'm only listing films because it promises to be a hot day. Other films are available at the National Gallery of Art at both 1 PM and 4:30 PM. Check their listings on the computer.

Monday, 19

Violating my own rules, I'm listing two events for which there are minor costs.

Lecture: Frank Amoroso considers baseball great Babe Ruth's German-American heritage, the internment of German-Americans during World War I and other baseball lore from his three volume series on baseball – German – American Heritage Museum of the USA – 719 six Street Northwest – five dollars to seven dollars – for more informationgahmusa.org – 6 PM

Lecture: Atlantic's Graeme Wood (who wrote an article in the magazine's June issue about Richard Spencer, leader of the alt-right movement and one of his classmates and others consider "The Rise of Populism and Nationalism" – $15 – 6th and I historic Synagogue – 600 I Street Northwest – 7 PM - $15

Tuesday, 20

Concert: The Choir of St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburg, Scotland present "Sing joyfully: Five Centuries of British Choral Classics – Church of the Epiphany – 1317 G St. NW. – 12:10 PM
I'll
Book lecture: David King discusses "The Trial of Adolf Hitler: The Beer Hall Putsch and the Rise of the Nazi Germany" – politics and prose – 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. – 7 PM

Book lecture: Douglas Edgerton – "Thunder at the Gates: The Black Civil War Regiments that Redeemed  America" – National Archives – noon

Wednesday, 21

Book lecture: Washington Post reporter will discuss her book, "I Was Told to Come Alone: My Journey Behind the Lines of Jihad" – P&P – 7 PM

Film: The Embassy of Italy hosts a screening of 2012 film "Balancing Act" – about a man who suddenly discovers how thin the line is between well-being and despair truly is – reservations required – www.lwashington.esteri.it – Embassy of Italy – 3000 Whitehaven St. NW – 6 PM -7:40

Lecture: The Law Library of Congress presents "Shylock Appeal, "a mock appeals trial that imagines what happens to "The Merchant of Venice – Coolidge Auditorium – Jefferson Building – Library of Congress – 202-707-7024 – 4 PM

Thursday, 22

Film: The Embassy of France will present, the 1937 film by Max Ophuis  – reservations required – frenchculture.org – 4101 Reservoir Rd. NW. – 7 PM

Film: "Films at the Stone", The Oscar-nominated film "Fences" – Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial – 8 PM

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For those seeking a wider listing of free events free and otherwise, I'd like to direct you to the major source of my information, the weekly, Current Newspaper.