Ralph Leonard Kirkpatrick ( / k ɜːr k ˈ p æ t r ɪ k / ; June 10, 1911 – April 13, 1984) was an American harpsichordist and musicologist , widely known for his chronological catalog of Domenico Scarlatti 's keyboard sonatas as well as for his performances and recordings.
94-1194: Kirkpatrick was born in Leominster, Massachusetts in 1911 and began studying piano at a young age. He continued his piano studies in Cambridge while studying art history at Harvard University . He became interested in the harpsichord at Harvard and gave his first harpsichord recital there in 1930. After graduating in 1931, he traveled to Europe on a John Knowles Paine Fellowship. He studied with Nadia Boulanger and harpsichord revival pioneer Wanda Landowska in Paris, with Arnold Dolmetsch in Haslemere , Heinz Tiessen in Berlin , and Günther Ramin in Leipzig . In January 1933 he made his European debut in Berlin performing Johann Sebastian Bach 's Goldberg Variations . In 1933 he also performed several concerts in Italy, including
188-446: A "house show" or "house concert". Audience capacity for a house concert is typically smaller than at a coffeehouse or club , but some concert spaces may accommodate 200 people; others can entertain two dozen or so. Generally tickets are not sold in advance, but cash is collected at the show. Sometimes, the money collected goes straight to the performers, with no " profit motive " on the presenter's part. However, at other times,
282-456: A DJ who invented it at his mother's house concerts, or a club's own trademark style. That term may have its origin from a Chicago nightclub called The Warehouse which existed from 1977 to 1982, and which was patronized primarily by gay black and Latino men. The disco music played by the club's resident DJ, Frankie Knuckles , said in the Channel 4 documentary Pump Up The Volume , that
376-710: A clavichord recital at the villa of Bernard Berenson. In the summers of 1933 and 1934 he taught at the Mozarteum in Salzburg , Austria . A Guggenheim Fellowship awarded in 1936 enabled him to study seventeenth- and eighteenth-century manuscripts and sources in Europe. In 1938 he inaugurated a festival of Baroque music at the Governor's Palace in Williamsburg, Virginia and continued as adviser and principal performer for
470-469: A club or concert hall. However, in smaller towns and cities, the local media may help publicize such a concert. In an academic study on the cataloging of concert event ephemera , one of the only two flyers studied that did not have a publicized venue was for a house concert, the other being obscure. Now unusual in the age of large concert arenas, a house concert is almost invariably described as an "intimate" experience. In "a small setting as
564-409: A critical edition of 60 sonatas by Scarlatti in 1953. Scarlatti's sonatas are now conventionally designated by their Kirkpatrick numbers (shown as Kk. --, and more recently with a single K.), which is now considered the standard, authoritative numbering system for these works (despite at least two rival systems) (see opus number and List of solo keyboard sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti ). In 1940, he
658-747: A daily paper based in Fitchburg, is the main source of printed media in Leominster. The paper formed in 1973 by the merger of the Fitchburg Sentinel and the Leominster Enterprise , which dated back to 1873. The paper maintains a satellite news bureau in Leominster. Worcester County is also served by the daily Worcester Telegram & Gazette out of Worcester . Locally, the Leominster Champion serves as
752-558: A duty to recall "that this is a house concert, so behave accordingly and don't do anything you wouldn't do in your own house, OK?" People host house concerts because they "want to share great music," or they may live in a town where "there are too few venues where people can go to experience great music in a close and friendly environment." One may also wish to host a home concert because it makes one happy, or "to give exposure to some incredible musicians whose talents [they] truly believe in and wish to help promote." A retired musician may be
846-488: A few there. You learn so much more about a place, much more than just showing up at a club and playing. In the Seoul , South Korea, "The House Concert" series, the audience sits directly on the wooden floor along with the musicians so they can feel the vibration of the instruments, providing an even more intimate and "goose-bump" inspiring connection to the music and the performers. "The House Concert" organizer explains: There
940-775: A free summer concerts series since the 1930s. Their annual Christmas concert, begun in 1990, is a favorite city tradition. Since 1973, the Thayer Symphony Orchestra has been performing in Central Massachusetts. Composed of orchestra professional, community volunteers, and student musicians, Thayer Symphony Orchestra's popularity forced them to move to the Straos Dukakus Performing Arts Center at Montachusett Regional Vocational School in Fitchburg in 2000. The Orchestra's concerts sell-out annually. Since 1996,
1034-542: A host as "one way of reconnecting with that part of themselves." Once they go to a house concert, and discover its charms, it is a great experience for children, whether for smaller "kids", or "18-year-olds". It is not for everyone: Yet recently I played a house concert for a high school graduation party. The 18-year-olds sat in silence for two hours, and at the end bought my CD. This was just an average bunch of Vermont kids, hanging out, grooving to some music. I just want to sing, and if these kids are any indication, I have
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#17327913577791128-516: A house concert before, and wasn't sure what to expect. We RSVP'd to the proper email address, got the address and printed out directions. Marian was nice enough to let us show up an hour early to chat and feed her dinner. We visited for a while, and then other people started showing up. We knew no one, but most people there were pretty friendly. There were almost two dozen people by the time the concert began. ... All of [the songs] were better live than recorded. I have found that hearing music live gives you
1222-554: A house concert for students in Chicago. DJ Kool Herc is credited with helping to start hip hop and rap music at a house concert at an apartment building in the South Bronx . The Bronx's evolution from a hot bed of Latin jazz to an incubator of Hip hop was the subject of an award-winning documentary, produced by City Lore and broadcast on PBS in 2006, "From Mambo to Hip Hop: A South Bronx Tale". Hip Hop first emerged in
1316-561: A house concert, [a singer] fills the air with her voice and [a musician] with his guitar. You are surrounded by the music." It is "up close and personal." The Wyldwood Shows, in Austin, Texas , can accommodate 200 people in a "lush backyard setting for what amounts to a near festival-like atmosphere." A house concert is also a unique experience in the United States of 2010; one blogger at Wired magazine wrote: I had never been to
1410-552: A lyric soprano, performed some of his music at a private concert at Windsor Castle for Queen Victoria and her court; she later hosted Pablo Casals and the Carl Rosa company. House concerts have been attested since at least the early 20th century in New York City. In the 1930s Harlem , people rented out "buffet flats" (an apartment room set aside for travellers or shows) for blues concerts or risque performances. At
1504-445: A mayor, a council member representing their ward and four at-large council members. The mayor has the power to appoint department heads and members of city boards, subject to approval by the city council. The current mayor of Leominster is Dean J. Mazzarella . Mazzeralla was sworn in on January 3, 1994, and is serving his sixteenth (16th) term as mayor. He is the longest running mayor in Leominster history. Public education in
1598-608: A memoir Early Years which was published posthumously in 1985 by Peter Lang. Meredith Kirkpatrick edited several books of the writings of Ralph Kirkpatrick entitled Ralph Kirkpatrick: Letters of the American Harpsichordist and Scholar (University of Rochester Press, 2014) and Reflections of an American Harpsichordist: Unpublished Memoirs, Essays, and Lectures of Ralph Kirkpatrick (University of Rochester Press, 2017). Kirkpatrick died in Guilford, Connecticut at
1692-502: A more rugged terrain defined by scattered hills. The most prominent hills are both the North and South Monoosnoc Hills in the western part of the city. The South Monoosnoc Hill is the highest point in the town at 1,020 feet. In the 19th century, the south hill was quarried for granite used in home foundations. West of the two hills lies the No town Reservoir and Leominster State Forest. To
1786-446: A number of years. In 1938, G. Schirmer, NY. published his edition of Bach's Goldberg Variations , which includes extensive discussion of ornamentation, fingering, phrasing , tempo, dynamics, and general interpretation. In the late 1930s he began his research on Domenico Scarlatti and he published his acclaimed biography of Scarlatti in 1953. It has been translated into German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese. He also published
1880-461: A particularly "open house" of a sex show, Ruby Smith said, "People used to pay good just to go in there and see him do his act."( sic. ) An obese African-American female impersonator did her drag show at a buffet flat at 101 W. 140th Street. The elite of Harlem "called on the police to close the brothels and buffet flats. ... " that were using such home concerts as covers for illicit sex. In 1957, short story writer Walter Ballenger described
1974-478: A performance by a noted artist on their pipe organ. Dependent on the taste of the host, these house concerts generally included very little "legitimate" organ music, and consisted mainly of arrangements of popular tunes, operatic overtures, and transcriptions of orchestral works. Several prominent organists such as Archer Gibson worked almost exclusively playing house parties. On December 6, 1897, Norwegian romantic composer Edvard Grieg and his wife Nina Grieg ,
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#17327913577792068-428: A potluck, whether to have one show or present a series, and the choice of musicians. Common in the historical past, but now unusual in the age of large concert arenas, a house concert is almost invariably described as an "intimate" experience. A true house concert needs to be distinguished from a smaller musical ensemble , recital at a high school, or modern chamber music concert, which may sometimes be called
2162-593: A separate town. The town of Leominster was officially incorporated on June 23, 1740. Around the time of the Civil War , Leominster was a major contributor in the Underground Railroad . The Emory Stearn Schoolhouse and the John Drake home, led anti-slavery campaigns and helped house fugitive slaves . In Leominster's early existence, the town was primarily a small farming community, but towards
2256-604: A sneaking suspicion that they just want to listen. Folk music singer-songwriter Carrie Elkin says of house concerts: ... they are the bread and butter of our existence because so many of the Cactus Cafe type venues have closed. If you want to go on tour and play every night, the house concerts can fill up the whole [run]. We're really lucky. It's so refreshing to go to a venue and get a home cooked meal. The idea has also taken off in England. It's not that big but we've done
2350-668: A stop in North Leominster on its Fitchburg Line . Local bus transportation is provided by the Montachusett Regional Transit Authority , also known as the Montachusett Area Regional Transit or MART. This service operates in Leominster, Fitchburg, and Gardner. Fitchburg Municipal Airport , a public airport in neighboring Fitchburg , serves as the air-hub of the area. However no major airlines have used
2444-472: A weekly community paper . On the Scene Magazine serves greater Leominster as a monthly entertainment publication. Leominster Access Television (LTV) is the city's public access television station providing residents with local programs and meetings. The station broadcasts the annual Leominster-Fitchburg Thanksgiving football game every year. Leominster is home to two radio stations. WCMX /1000
2538-578: A whole new appreciation for the recorded versions. She would also add commentary and asides to many of the songs, which made them funnier and applicable to that particular concert. ... At the break, people paid their money, bought her CDs, and generally gushed about the concert. ... All in all, I would definitely go to a house concert again. Marian says she enjoys them the most, and I can see why. They bring people together for one night, often complete strangers, which can sometimes facilitate more lasting friendships. In addition, you get to hear live music and support
2632-707: A wide variety of other articles, including plastic sunglasses , selling 20 million pair in 1937. The new technology would pay great dividends for the plastic industry in the city and the country. Soon the city would be coined the "Pioneer Plastics City" for its important history in the plastics industry. Leominster was also the home of Tupperware , founded in 1938 by Earl Tupper . His "wonderbowl," with its airtight "burping" seal became popular after Brownie Wise convinced him to demonstrate and sell Tupperware at home parties. Leominster also boasted large manufactures Standard Tool Company, Selig Manufacturing Co. Inc, C.E. Buckley, Inc. (manufacturer of religious articles) and
2726-574: Is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts , United States. It is the second-largest city in Worcester County, with a population of 43,222 at the 2023 census . Leominster is located north of Worcester and northwest of Boston . Both Route 2 and Route 12 pass through Leominster. Interstate 190 , Route 13 , and Route 117 all have starting/ending points in Leominster. Leominster is bounded by Fitchburg and Lunenburg to
2820-599: Is a 167-acre open-space reservation managed by the Trustees of Reservation . The reservation includes the Doyle Conservation center which houses the trustees Central Massachusetts headquarters, conference meeting rooms, and serves as an event venue. The city is also home to the 4,300-acre Leominster State Forest , a popular hiking destination. Within the state forest are Crow Hill Pond and Paradise Pond, both popular summer picnic and swimming getaways. During
2914-588: Is a daytime-only religious radio station with Leominster as its community of license (it is based at the Twin City Baptist Temple in Lunenberg, however). On FM, there is a community radio station: WLPZ-LP /95.1, which was founded in 2017 and is managed by city resident Sonny Levine, with an all-volunteer staff. Commuter rail service from Boston 's North Station is provided by the MBTA with
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3008-466: Is a huge focal point for the city. The Leominster High Blue Devils Football is one of the most successful high school football programs in the state including a record 12 State Super Bowl titles. The Leominster Blue Devils main rival is the Red Raiders of Fitchburg High School. The two football programs have played every year since 1894, and have played 112 consecutive Thanksgiving Day Games , and
3102-472: Is a world of difference between experiencing the vibration on your body and not. Once you know the feeling, you tend to get addicted to it. I can even say you might not be able to enjoy other concerts. House concerts are not new, yet have had a recent resurgence in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Folk music , country music , and blues music have long histories of performances at people's homes and backyards. Most people's only experience of music
3196-619: Is held every June at Doyle Field. The festival includes live entertainment, concessions, musical presentations, and a band concert by the Starburst Orchestra and fireworks, drawing over 8,000 visitors each year. The Leominster "citizens of the Year" awards are also presented to one man and one woman resident during the festival. In September, Leominster hosts the Johnny Appleseed Festival in celebration of
3290-505: Is not very loud, and so is not a candidate for Carnegie Hall . It is an intimate instrument, perfect for the player himself, or for a very few listeners. ... " In the period of the Renaissance and Baroque , especially in the 16th century, all secular music was performed in a chamber of the nobleman's home, and thus called chamber music . Only in the 17th century did it come to mean either secular or religious music , and only in
3384-435: Is presented in someone's home or apartment, or a nearby small private space such as a barn, apartment rec room , lawn, or backyard . Logistics considerations of holding a concert in a contemporary home include audience capacity, collecting cash or donations, whether the proceeds will be split with the host, marketing and whether to publicize the venue, the equipment or sound system, to provide refreshments or to hold
3478-672: Is second to only Needham and Wellesley for oldest high school football rivalry in the state. They also have an ice hockey team that plays at the Wallace Civic Center. Legendary Leominster football players and coaches include Lou Little , Ronnie Cahill , Shane Fallon , and Frank Novak . The Wachusett Dirt Dawgs of the FCBL played at the Baseball Field at Doyle Field six summers from 2012 to 2017. Leominster currently hosts New England Football League semi-pro team,
3572-399: Is the city's main public library. Established in 1856, the public library moved from different locations until a permanent structure opened in 1910. In order to secure finances for the new structure, a library trustee applied for aid from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie donated $ 27,500, citing only if the town would appropriate 10 percent of that amount annually for the support of
3666-399: The purpose of the show is to collect money to pay for rent, or is paid by a donation. In fact, calling it a donation may prevent zoning issues that a host is operating a business such as a cabaret illegally or without a license. Traditionally, there is little or no sound system , so performers may play and sing acoustically , or perform or act without a microphone. Since at least
3760-520: The Fitchburg and Worcester Railroad that ran through the center of town. By the 1850s, paper mills, piano makers, and comb manufacturers had established factories along the Monoosnoc Brook and Nashua River. While the earliest settlers in Leominster were primarily of British ancestry, many immigrants soon gathered to work in Leominster's expanding factories. The first group of immigrants
3854-410: The 1970s, however, extension cords , mult boxes , and other equipment innovations have enabled such performers to hook into a sound system, either inside or outside a house. Nonetheless, the musicians "use just enough equipment to make for a complete experience without being too loud for the neighbors." Refreshments, if any, are usually either a " pot luck " brought by the listeners, or provided by
Ralph Kirkpatrick - Misplaced Pages Continue
3948-660: The Bennett School, Lincoln Preschool at Samoset and Priest Street School. Leominster is also home to two private schools, St. Leo Catholic School and St. Anna Catholic School. St. Leo's School is part of Leominster's St. Leo Parish, while St. Anna's School is part of St. Anna Parish; both are affiliated with the Diocese of Worcester. Post-secondary education opportunities include the Leominster campus of Mount Wachusett Community College and Fitchburg State University in neighboring Fitchburg. The Leominster Public library
4042-536: The Bronx adjacent to the Cross-Bronx Expressway. It was not the actual "Birthplace of Hip Hop"—the genre developed slowly in several places in the 1970s—but was verified to be the place where one of the pivotal and formative events occurred. Specifically, DJ Kool Herc: extended an instrumental beat (breaking or scratching) to let people dance longer (break dancing) and began MC'ing (rapping) during
4136-617: The Central Mass Sabercats. The Leominster Dek-Hockey Center hosts youth dek-hockey games for the town of Leominster and Fitchburg. It is located in North Leominster off of Route 2 near North Leominster station of the Fitchburg Line . Leominster operates under a mayor–council form of government in which the mayor holds sole executive power. The city is divided into five wards and voters select
4230-712: The Central Massachusetts Repertory Theater has performed at the Congregation Agudat Achim synagogue in Leominster. The Leominster Art Association promotes the arts in Leominster from their home on Route 13. Every spring, the Association holds a three-day exhibition of local art downtown at St. Leo's Church. At the exhibition, a high school senior from Central Massachusetts is award a $ 500 scholarship annually to continue their art education The Starburst Festival
4324-887: The Double Concerto for Harpsichord, Piano with Two Chamber Orchestras by Elliott Carter , and the Set of Four for Harpsichord (or Piano) by Henry Cowell . Both the Carter and Cowell pieces were inspired by Kirkpatrick and dedicated to him. He also performed and recorded the Manuel de Falla Harpsichord Concerto and played the piano in a recording of the Stravinsky Septet. In addition to his biography of Scarlatti published in 1953 and his book Interpreting Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier: A Performer's Discourse of Method published posthumously by Yale University in 1984, he also wrote
4418-521: The Fitchburg & Leominster Railway trolley cars were stored and maintained in this area. It now has buses. A granite marker showing the birthplace of Johnny Appleseed can be found on Johnny Appleseed Lane. As of the census of 2000, there were 41,303 people, 16,491 households, and 10,900 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,430.3 inhabitants per square mile (552.2/km ). There were 16,976 housing units at an average density of 587.9 per square mile (227.0/km ). The racial makeup of
4512-476: The Recreation Department's main offices. Doyle Field, located downtown on Priest Street, is the city's main athletic complex, including eight tennis courts, a soccer field and track, baseball field, playground, combination football-soccer stadium, and clubhouse. Dedicated in 1931, Doyle field opened with a seating capacity of 6,200 and temporary bleachers for nearly 10,000 spectators. In 2005,
4606-644: The South Bronx in the early 1970s. The New York Times has identified 1520 Sedgwick Avenue "an otherwise unremarkable high-rise just north of the Cross Bronx Expressway and hard along the Major Deegan Expressway " as a starting point, where DJ Kool Herc presided over parties in the community room. On August 11, 1973, DJ Kool Herc was a Dee Jay and Emcee at a party in the recreation room of 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in
4700-555: The United States and Europe from the 1930s to the early 1980s, in recital and with major orchestras. He continued performing even after he became blind in 1976. He resumed performing in 1977 with a semi-private recital at Versailles as well as a public recital at the Frick Collection in New York. He gave one of his last recitals at the first Boston Early Music Festival in 1981. During the 1960s, Kirkpatrick made recordings of
4794-406: The United States, especially California, Texas , Brooklyn , New York, and Boston , Massachusetts. There have been house concerts across America, in such places as Springfield, Ohio , Bozeman, Montana , outside Phoenix, Arizona , Vermont , Sisters, Oregon (near Bend, Oregon ), New City, New York , and Covington, Georgia . More recently, they have been reported in many places around
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#17327913577794888-629: The Whitney Carriage Company, which was once the largest manufacturer of baby carriages in the world. In 1956, the plastic pink flamingo lawn-ornament was invented in Leominster for Union Products. The famous lawn-ornament was designed by Don Featherstone , and was modelled after pictures of flamingos in National Geographic. Although the Great Depression slowed the plastic industry in Leominster, it
4982-572: The advent of recorded music, the organ was the only instrument able to provide a real approximation of orchestral music under the control of one performer, with sufficient volume to entertain a group of people. In Great Britain and Europe, and especially in America, a wealthy person's home was not considered complete without a pipe organ . The AEolian Organ Company in particular catered almost exclusively to this clientele. Many house organs were of modest size, with two manuals and 10 to 20 stops; however,
5076-422: The age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. Of all households 27.9% were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.05. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under
5170-462: The age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 44,893, and the median income for a family was $ 54,660. Males had a median income of $ 41,013 versus $ 30,201 for females. The per capita income for
5264-635: The age of 72. Kirkpatrick was an elected member of both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society . On April 2, 1999, the asteroid 9902 Kirkpatrick is named in his honor. His brother, Clifford Kirkpatrick [ fr ] (1898-1971), was a sociologist. His niece, Meredith Kirkpatrick, wrote a biography of him [1] . Leominster, Massachusetts Leominster ( / ˈ l ɛ m ə n s t ər / LEM -ən-stər )
5358-476: The airport as a scheduled location in approximately half a century. Freight train service is provided by CSX via the Fitchburg Secondary . This service moves rail cars to and from local businesses, such as Teknor Apex, a plastics plant, and WIN Waste Innovations, a garbage collection service. House concert A house concert or home concert is a musical concert or performance art that
5452-529: The area of Leominster—which takes it name from the Herefordshire town of Leominster in England , was first founded as part of the town of Lancaster . The European settlers and native people lived peacefully for a number of years, until the start of King Philip's War in 1675. The violent war between the native Indians and early settlers killed hundreds of people and drove off the inhabitants from
5546-594: The area. After the war, Lancaster remained virtually deserted until a new land grant was offered to residents in 1701. To prevent further conflict with the native Indians, the settlers negotiated with Chief Sholan and his nephew George Tahanto of the Nashaway tribe for the land. It would be the only parcel of land to be legally purchased in Central Massachusetts . By 1737, the area of Leominster had gained enough residents to be incorporated as
5640-666: The beginning of the 19th century, the economy quickly shifted into manufacturing. The town became a regional transportation hub around 1800, with the opening of the Fifth Massachusetts Turnpike and the connections of the Union Turnpike and Cambridge and Concord Turnpikes in 1808. However, manufacturing in Leominster was truly made possible by the opening of the Fitchburg Railroad that ran through North Leominster and into Boston , and
5734-507: The city an attractive living destination for commuters to both Worcester and Boston . Nevertheless, Leominster still preserves some of its manufacturing heritage and many plastic manufactures retain establishment in the city. On September 11, 2023, heavy rains caused significant floods , leading to major damage to the city, and a state of emergency was declared. According to the United States Census Bureau ,
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#17327913577795828-483: The city has a total area of 29.8 square miles (77 km ), of which 28.9 square miles (75 km ) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km ), or 2.96%, is water. Leominster is primarily located on a plateau above the Nashua River . The river runs through the eastern proportion of the city and then cuts through the northern part of the city as it meanders towards Fitchburg. Northern and Western Leominster have
5922-627: The city is operated by the Leominster Public School District. Leominster has four neighborhood elementary schools that serve students in grades K–5 (Fall Brook, Johnny Appleseed, Northwest, Frances Drake), two middle schools (Samoset and Skyview) for grades 6–8, and Leominster High School for grades 9–12. Leominster High school is composed of an academic unit and a vocational unit called the Center for Technical Education. The district also operates three preschool programs:
6016-480: The city was $ 21,769. About 7.2% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line , including 12.0% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over. As of 2000, the management and professional fields were the city's largest sector, and employed over 32% of Leominster's workforce. 26.8% of the workforce is employed in sales and office occupations, and 20.2% are employed in education, health and social services. Manufacturing constitutes 25.5% of
6110-416: The city was 81.50% White , 3.70% African American , 0.15% Native American , 2.44% Asian , 0.06% Pacific Islander , 4.32% from other races , and 2.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.00% of the population (7.9% Puerto Rican, 2.0% Uruguayan, 1.1% Dominican, 0.7% Mexican, 0.3% Guatemalan, 0.3% Colombian). There were 16,491 households, out of which 32.9% had children under
6204-613: The city was the Viscoloid Company founded by Bernard Wendell Doyle in 1901. In 1914, the Viscoloid Company pioneered making toys out of pyroxylin plastic, and by 1923 the company was the largest employer in Leominster. Viscoloid would be sold to The DuPont Company in 1925, and renamed the Dupont Viscoloid Company. The second invention to revolutionize plastic production in Leominster was
6298-533: The city's employees. Of workers 84.3% commute alone to the workplace, and 9.1% carpool, while 1.7% use public transportation and another 1.7% walk. The average one-way commute time is about 25 minutes. Soy product manufacturer Nasoya was founded here in 1978 until it was acquired by Vitasoy and relocated in 1998. Leominster has a long cultural history including various theatres, performance groups, exhibits and entertainment events. The Leominster Colonial Band, founded by Italian immigrants in 1910, has presented
6392-630: The clavichord (e.g. Bach's two- and three-part inventions, as well as both volumes of The Well-Tempered Clavier ). He recalled playing a clavichord at a house concert in Hamburg , Germany . He performed and recorded on the fortepiano (especially works by Mozart ) and also recorded several Mozart piano concertos on the modern piano. He toured widely with the violinist Alexander Schneider and they recorded violin and harpsichord sonatas by Bach and Mozart. Kirkpatrick also played modern music, including Quincy Porter 's Concerto for Harpsichord and Orchestra, Darius Milhaud 's Sonata for Violin and Harpsichord,
6486-489: The complete harpsichord works of Johann Sebastian Bach (Archiv). The instruments he used for many of these recordings were ones that had recently been made by the firm of JC Neupert in Bamberg . In the 21st century, such instruments have become known as "revival" style instruments, their features including 'inauthentic' metal frames and robust, heavy construction. These recordings show Kirkpatrick's formidable keyboard technique to full advantage, and, unusually for recordings of
6580-645: The development of modern injection molding . Samuel Foster, a Leominster resident of German ancestry, first worked for the Viscoloid Company, then established his own business, Foster Grant . In 1931, Foster visited Jack Goodman's New York factory and learned about an injection molding machine , invented in Germany in the early 1920s. Foster ordered several of the new machines, and had them secretly shipped via Worcester to his Foster Grant manufacturing factory in Leominster, where his mechanics focused on getting them to work and modifying them. Molding technology made it possible for Foster Grant to make not only combs, but
6674-549: The early 1980s: bins of music that DJ Knuckles played at the Warehouse nightclub was labelled in the store "As Heard At The Warehouse", which was shortened to simply "House". Another South-Side Chicago DJ, Leonard "Remix" Rroy, in self-published statements, claims he put such a sign in a tavern window because it was where he played music that one might find in one's home or house; in his case, it referred to his mother's soul and disco records, which he worked into his sets. Juan Atkins , an originator of Detroit techno music, claims
6768-625: The early 20th century, on Lincoln Terrace, immigrating Italian families began to arrive in the area and built a semi-closed society which existed for many years. The French population built a new church and moved closer to it. Other areas include Morse Hollow, North Leominster , Rice Hill, the Flats, the Bowery, the West Side, and the Car Barn area, located along the Fitchburg border, so-called because
6862-426: The east, lies the Monoosnoc Brook which winds through the center of town and was an important power source for early manufacturers. The city is divided into several small " villages " such as French Hill, a large hill covered in planned blocks of " triple decker " apartment houses located from 1st Street to 12th Street. It is called French Hill because this is where the large immigrant French population took root. In
6956-618: The extended breakdancing. ... [This] helped lay the foundation for a cultural revolution. Basement shows are common within the North American punk rock scene. Robin Goodhue hosted and performed the first basement show in 1978. " House music " may, or may not, have anything to do with house concerts; there is considerable dispute whether the term used for that genre comes from a particular venue (the Warehouse, or House for short),
7050-829: The fall season and city's local hero Johnny Appleseed . Held at Monument Square since 1994, the festival features crafts, booths, entertainment and a parade. The festival boasts over a hundred local booths, and a food court sponsored by local restaurants and multicultural groups. Leominster was formerly home to the National Plastics Center and Museum, until the museum closed in 2008. The Leominster Recreation Department maintains 103 acres of property in Leominster, including numerous parks and playgrounds. Notable parks include Monument Square, Arthur A. Fournier Sr. Memorial Park, Evelyn Hachey Park, Justin DeSantis Field, Bachand Field and Barrett Park, which houses
7144-478: The field went under a huge renovation project to be completed in 2020. The project was broken up into three phases and phases 1 and 2 have been mostly completed through 2012. The renovation has costs $ 5 million through 2012. The renovation includes replacing bleachers, installing new turf, new locker rooms, concessions, press box, entertainment pavilion, ticket booths and expanding seating capacity from 4,572 to 6,912 seats. The Doyle Community Park & Center
7238-529: The first time he heard the term "house music" was upon seeing "we play house music" on a sign in the window of a bar on Chicago's South Side. Chip E. 's 1985 recording "It's House" may also have helped to define this new form of electronic music. Chip E. lent credence to the Knuckles association, claiming the name came from methods of labelling records at the Importes Etc. record store, where he worked in
7332-494: The homes of the richest had organs that rivaled a cathedral organ in size. While many home organs began to have automatic player mechanisms (operating in a manner similar to the player piano roll system) from the 1890s, the highest artistic standard was, of course, a live performer. Members of the upper-class families, such as the Vanderbilts, Carnegies, Mellons, and Schwab had house concerts regularly for their friends to hear
7426-690: The hosts using a bit of the gate receipts. Sometimes, the performers get a meal and/or lodging with the presenters as part of their compensation. Most house concerts are "one-shots", but others are presented as a series, for example, every two to eight weeks over a "season", of anywhere from six to twelve months. Some lesser-known musicians may go on tour with gigs consisting primarily of house concerts. Even notable musical acts, such as Sirsy , may schedule "private party" gigs while on tour. House concerts are conducted "by invitation" (for practical reasons), social media such as Twitter or Facebook, or word of mouth , rather than as "public" concerts like
7520-421: The independent arts. Helping one person achieve success inspires others to take chances. Additionally, you can directly support the artist, instead of a venue taking a cut. I wish more musicians would do house concert tours. At house concerts, "you don't have worry about whether you'll have a good seat since the show is literally in the living room of the home ... at ... trailside Court, New City." This comes with
7614-522: The later half of the 20th century. In recent decades, Route 2 and the building of I-190 have further transformed the city into a more commercial and suburban landscape. The construction of the Twin City Plaza, Mall at Whitney Field and other shopping centers have all contributed to significant commercial growth in the city and have made Leominster one of Central Massachusetts' largest retail destination. Inexpensive land cost has also made
7708-520: The library. In fiscal year 2008, the city of Leominster spent 1.39% ($ 1,183,076) of its budget on its public library—approximately $ 28 per person, per year ($ 34.29 adjusted for inflation in 2021). In 2018, the school district controversially paid $ 10,000 in ransom money to hackers in order to recover its computer systems after they were infected with the WannaCry ransomware and adequate backups were not available. The Sentinel & Enterprise ,
7802-469: The north, Lancaster to the east, Sterling and Princeton to the south, and Westminster to the west. The region was originally inhabited by various divisions of the Pennacook or Nipmuc Native Americans , who lived along the Nashua River . The river provided fertile soil for the cultivation of corn, beans, squash and tobacco. European settlers began arriving in the mid-17th century and in 1653,
7896-415: The term "house" reflected the exclusive association of particular tracks with particular DJs; those tracks were their "house" records (much like a restaurant might have a "house" salad dressing). Recently, Larry Lyon's Americana Unplugged established a house concert-type venue in downtown Davis, Oklahoma featuring folk and Americana musicians from across the globe. House concerts are now held across
7990-453: The time of Beethoven and later were halls built specifically for public concerts. Even into the 20th century, chamber music was performed in home concerts. Ralph Kirkpatrick recalled playing a clavichord at a house concert in Hamburg , Germany after 1929. From the mid-19th century until the mid-20th century, many wealthy individuals had pipe organs installed in their homes. Prior to
8084-518: The time, he observes almost all of the repeats. His performances of The Well-Tempered Clavier were recorded on both the harpsichord and the clavichord . His later Bach recordings used a reproduction French harpsichord by Hubbard & Dowd. As a performer and recording artist, he became best known for his harpsichord performances of the keyboard music of Bach and Scarlatti, but he also performed and recorded works by other composers, including Rameau, Couperin, Handel, Byrd, and Purcell. He recorded on
8178-425: The winter season the forest is open to cross country skiing, snow shoeing and snowmobiling. Local golf courses include Monoosnock Country Club (nine holes) and Grand View Country Club (nine holes). Other courses in the area include Red Tail Golf Course (18 holes), Oak Hill Country Club (18 holes), and Settler's Crossing (nine holes). Leominster High School has a long tradition of excellence in sports, and success
8272-455: The world, from Canada, to South Korea , India and Brazil . A house concert can be a useful step for curing a musician's "performance anxiety", also known as " stage fright ": I ask the client to set up some performance during the course of the treatment if she doesn't have any already scheduled. There is really no other way to measure change than to get the musician out in the world performing. A "test performance" may be as simple as
8366-408: Was a time-consuming and painstaking process, involving preparation of the natural materials such as animal horn, roughing out of a basic form, and finally, individual cutting of the teeth. By 1853, there were already 146 employees working in 24 different comb factories across the town. By the mid-1800s, however, availability of the natural materials used to make combs, such as animal horns and hooves,
8460-663: Was appointed to the music faculty of Yale University and he remained there until his retirement in 1976, the year that he became blind. He was invited to inaugurate the Ernest Bloch Visiting Professorship at the University of California, Berkeley in 1964 where he gave a series of lectures and performances on Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavie r. These lectures were later published in 1984 as Interpreting Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier: A Performer's Discourse of Method. He performed widely throughout
8554-421: Was diminishing rapidly, and an alternative material was needed. The solution would come in a new material called celluloid invented in 1868. The new plastic would revolutionize the comb industry and give Leominster the nickname the "Comb City". The versatility of celluloid would also give manufactures the opportunity to expand to many different products outside of combs. The largest plastic manufacturer in
8648-483: Was house concerts: Listening to live music is something that used to be ubiquitous in our culture, before recorded music was widespread. Concerts were attended, balls were held and there was usually at least one person in each family who knew how to play an instrument. Early music was performed commonly as "house concerts"; even Mozart used the format. The lute , an instrument with a "treasure house of music", works best in very small concerts of early music: "The lute
8742-500: Was not until the late 20th century that there was a full-scale decline in plastic manufacturing. Following the national trend, manufactures were moving out of the cities to cheaper alternatives across the country and overseas. Despite the changing landscape, the population of Leominster would continually rise into the 21st century, surpassing her twin city of Fitchburg in 2000 as the second largest city in Worcester County. The Latino communities of Leominster also saw huge growth towards
8836-551: Was primarily Irish, followed by the French Canadians and the Italians into the early 20th century. These new waves of immigrants caused the population to surge from just 2,069 in 1840 to 19,744 by 1920. On November 2, 1915, Leominster was officially chartered as a city. While many different industries established themselves in Leominster, it was the comb industry that particularly flourished. Construction of combs
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