New York Polyphony Performs at Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts
This holiday season, I hope you're able to take a break from the hustle and bustle and enjoy a lovely Christmas concert with family and good friends.
This weekend, I went to Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts near my home in Katonah, New York for a most enjoyable performance. My nephew, Christopher Herbert, performed with his group, New York Polyphony, an amazing a cappella vocal quartet that sings both early and new music. Before the concert, I hosted a small holiday gathering for 15-guests at my farm. I planned a delicious menu with Chef Pierre of PS Tailored Events - we had Dungeness crab with potato waffle accompanied by an endive salad. Our entree was risotto with black truffle and chanterelles. And for dessert, Pavlova with buttermilk ice cream and whipped cream. It was a perfect day for all.
Here are some photos and a clip of New York Polyphony's performance at the end - enjoy.
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- The day was overcast, but quite mild for this time of year. All my guests arrived right on time for a 1pm lunch.
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- The menu included a delicious risotto with Perigord black truffles and chanterelle mushrooms. As you may know, black truffles, Tuber melanosporum, or French black truffle, is a species of truffle native to Southern Europe and named after the Périgord region in France. Chanterelle is the common name of several species of fungi. They are the among the most popular of edible wild mushrooms and come in orange, yellow or white.
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- We set my Brown Room dining table with a woodland village holiday themed centerpiece.
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- My longtime housekeeper, Laura, and I work on these decorations together – I love the deer and tiny village houses.
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- Here is a view from one end of the long dining table. The Damask napkins are decorated with fanciful bucks, and Christmas tree place cards decorated each place setting. We also served silver ice buckets filled with homemade potato chips.
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- If you caught my segment on The Wendy Williams Show last week, you may have seen me make these whimsical place cards. I used my Cricut Explore Air 2 Martha Stewart Edition from Michaels. It is such a fun machine for anyone who loves to craft. https://www.michaels.com/
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- In the kitchen, Chef Pierre and his sous chef, Kevin, prepare the final details of the day’s lunch. You can see them waiting for guests to arrive behind this beautiful trio of holiday trees.
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- Here is Kevin plating the first course on these gold-rimmed appetizer plates.
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- The meal began with Dungeness crab on a bed of mustard and frisee.
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- The crab was accompanied by a salad of Roquefort cheese, poached pear, endive, candied pecan, and a honey-lemon vinaigrette dressing.
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- For our entree, the risotto – here is my plate. It was so delicious – I ate every bit.
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- My grandnephew, Silas, also loved it – he is an excellent eater.
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- And for dessert, we had this gorgeous Pavlova with buttermilk ice cream and whipped cream.
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- Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert named after the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova – ours was served with bright orange citrus slices.
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- I also made a big batch of chocolate chip cookies – my daughter Alexis’s Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip cookies from my “Entertaining” book (1982). Holiday parties should always include at least one kind of homemade cookie.
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- Later that afternoon, eveyone headed to Caramoor. Here is the gated entrance to the Rosen House at Caramoor.
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- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Rosen House is used for symphonic, opera, chamber, American roots, and jazz performances. Go to their web site to see a list of their events. https://www.caramoor.org/
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- The house is a two story stucco building with a red tiled roof in a variety of asymmetrical gable and hip configurations. The Caramoor estate became a center for the arts and music following the World War II death of the son of its owners, Walter and Lucie Rosen. The couple donated the property in their son’s memory, and it quickly became an established summer festival venue.
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- Outside the Rosen House is this Italian marble garden bench from the 20th century. The carved seat and backrest end in winged lion arm supports.
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- This is the decorated Spanish Courtyard. This area is used in the warmer months and holds about 500-visitors.
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- Here is the Music Room stage inside the Rosen House.
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- Above are 16th century French and Swiss glass windows. Nine of these windows were made especially for the Music Room.
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- This is one of a pair of early 17th century Giltwood carved winged angel wall candlesticks.
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- This 16th century coffered ceiling is from a palace in southern Italy, carved in a design of squares and crosses with rosettes in the center.
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- The Music Room also has seven Italian red velvet and metal thread embroidered and Damask valances with curtains on its windows.
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- This is the Spanish alcove within the Music Room. It features a Gothic 16th century ceiling from an inn near Toledo, Spain. Two folding chairs from the same period are on either side of a 17th century Italian table. The Rosen family regularly gathered in this room.
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- Here I am with my nephew, Christopher. It was so nice to spend some time with him – both our schedules are very busy. (Photo by Gabe Palacio for Caramoor)
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- And here is the New York Polyphony quartet – Chris, baritone, along with Geoffrey Williams, countertenor, Steven Caldicott, tenor, and Craig Phillips, bass. http://www.newyorkpolyphony.com/
Here is a clip I took from the New York Polyphony performance. It was such a beautiful concert. I encourage you to see them perform - visit their web site for a listing of upcoming events.
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