The courtyard of the Central Library in Copley Square, one of Boston’s most beautiful spaces, is filled with music during free, one-hour concerts throughout the summer. The courtyard hosts music that ranges from jazz to classical and from world to folk.
The concert for Wednesday, June 7 will feature Marco Mares. Marco Mares is a singer-songwriter from Mexico City who showcased his fresh and honest pop sound in his debut album Para Ella (2014). Marco’s interactive performances highlight fun, funky pop mixed with romantic Spanish lyrics. His latest reggae-pop single “Flaquita” (2017), which says love has no size or labels, streamed 130,000 times on Spotify in the first three weeks after its release.
Concerts are moved to the newly renovated Rabb Hall in the event of inclement weather. For more information on the concert series, please click here.
Concerts in the Courtyard are generously supported by Deloitte, providing industry-leading audit, consulting, tax, and advisory services to many of the world’s most admired brands.
WITH ERIC VOGT, MAÎTRE OF THE BOSTON CHAPTER OF THE COMMANDERIE DE BORDEAUX
What builds the various sensations brought by a sip of wine? Why do we fall in love instantly with some wines and viscerally hate others? How do these sensations translate to scientific chemical concepts? These are different questions to which Mr. Eric Vogt, maître of the Boston chapter of the Commanderie de Bordeaux, will reply during this evening of discovery. Guests will enjoy a tasting of 10 wines, courtesy of eProvenance and The Spirited Gourmet.
ROUND 1: UNDERSTANDING ACIDITY AND TANNINS
Guests will have the opportunity to blend their own wine.
ROUND 2: COMPARING CONTRASTING TANNINS TO MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION
Nebbiolo vs. Gamay and Chablis vs. Macon.
ROUND 3: COMPARING GERMAN WINES
Riesling, Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese.
ROUND 4: COMPARING BORDEAUX; YOUNG, ADOLESCENT, MATURE
Château La Reine Perganson – Haut Médoc – 2015
Château Sociando Mallet – Haut Médoc – 2005
La Petite Eglise – Pomerol – 1995
About Eric Vogt and the Commanderie de Bordeaux
Eric Vogt is maître of the Boston chapter of the Commanderie de Bordeaux, and founder and CEO of e-Provenance. Vogt’s love of wine began during his senior year at Harvard. He and his roommate concluded that they knew “a lot about Chinese art and classical music and some of the aesthetics of life, but nothing about wines”—and asked Laurence W. Wylie, Dillon professor of the civilization of France, to teach them.
The Commanderie de Bordeaux is an international organization whose members gather for dinners, events, and trips focused on the enjoyment and promotion of wines of the various Bordeaux regions. Once an all-male bastion with a mysterious membership process, the Boston club has broadened its base under Eric Vogt’s leadership, reaching out to women and enthusiasts under the age of 40.
Source : The Harvard Magazine
About eProvenance
With expertise in wine, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology and the Internet, eProvenance is well on its way to establishing the definitive global database to authenticate the Provenance of the world’s fine wines. eProvenance sensors use RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, along with a secure, online global database to monitor wine shipment temperatures across distribution channels. The resulting data is stored and analyzed in the eProvenance Online Monitoring System (OMS).
Source: Company website
About The Spirited Gourmet
“We carry over 1,300 different wines. Unlike most other shops, we don’t depend on ratings and “best sellers” to make our selections. Each wine we carry has been tasted prior to its selection with only the best values (a wine that drinks better than its cost) making the cut. And while others may offer a wider selection we focus on quality, not quantity.”
The courtyard of the Central Library in Copley Square, one of Boston’s most beautiful spaces, is filled with music during free, one-hour concerts throughout the summer. The courtyard hosts music that ranges from jazz to classical and from world to folk.
The concert for Friday, June 9 will feature Boston Philharmonic. “Passionate music making without boundaries” is an ethos that permeates every performance, every rehearsal, and every note that the Boston Philharmonic plays. Join members of the Boston Philharmonic as they perform chamber and quartet music, taking their passion out of the concert hall to the public as part of their education and community outreach program, Crescendo!
Concerts are moved to the newly renovated Rabb Hall in the event of inclement weather. For more information on the concert series, please click here.
Concerts in the Courtyard are generously supported by Deloitte, providing industry-leading audit, consulting, tax, and advisory services to many of the world’s most admired brands.
A South of France Summer Night with Friends, Pastis and Pétanque
Join the French Cultural Center for an evening of fun for a partie de pétanque on their front lawn! This southern French tradition cannot be experienced without the customary refreshing glass of pastis or lemonade, of course!
La Muse Verte Pastis will be provided courtesy of Heavenly Spirits, an importer specializing in French craft beverages. Heavenly Spirits will be a featured speaker in the fall edition of their Food and Wine Discovery Series.
About Pétanque
Pétanque is a form of boules where the goal is to toss or roll hollow steel balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet (literally “piglet”) or jack, while standing inside a circle with both feet on the ground. The game is normally played on hard dirt or gravel. It can be played in public areas in parks, or in dedicated facilities called boulodromes. Similar games are bocce, bowls and (adapted to ice) curling.
The current form of the game originated in 1907 or 1910 in La Ciotat, in Provence, France. The French name pétanque (borrowed into English, with or without the acute accent) comes from petanca in the Provençal dialect of the Occitan language, deriving from the expression pès tancats, meaning ‘feet fixed’ or ‘feet planted’ (on the ground)
After the development of the all-metal boule, pétanque spread rapidly from Provence to the rest of France.
A South of France Summer Night with Friends, Pastis and Pétanque
Join the French Cultural Center for an evening of fun for a partie de pétanque on their front lawn! This southern French tradition cannot be experienced without the customary refreshing glass of pastis or lemonade, of course!
La Muse Verte Pastis will be provided courtesy of Heavenly Spirits, an importer specializing in French craft beverages. Heavenly Spirits will be a featured speaker in the fall edition of their Food and Wine Discovery Series.
About Pétanque
Pétanque is a form of boules where the goal is to toss or roll hollow steel balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet (literally “piglet”) or jack, while standing inside a circle with both feet on the ground. The game is normally played on hard dirt or gravel. It can be played in public areas in parks, or in dedicated facilities called boulodromes. Similar games are bocce, bowls and (adapted to ice) curling.
The current form of the game originated in 1907 or 1910 in La Ciotat, in Provence, France. The French name pétanque (borrowed into English, with or without the acute accent) comes from petanca in the Provençal dialect of the Occitan language, deriving from the expression pès tancats, meaning ‘feet fixed’ or ‘feet planted’ (on the ground)
After the development of the all-metal boule, pétanque spread rapidly from Provence to the rest of France.
** this event has been rescheduled from June 17
Enjoy a sunset cruise with French flair by Boston’s master chefs while supporting children in need.
The On Board for Kids Sunset Cruise and silent auction support the Cameleon Association, the Sunantha Camila Foundation, and the F.U.S.E School and all proceeds go directly to providing food, shelter, and education for children around the world.
Hors d’oeurves and pastry by
Chef Nick Calais, Brasserie JO
Chef Jerome Berger, La Voile
Chef Sophie Benyamina, Praline Confections
Chef Cyrille Couet, Bistrou Duet
Chef Jacky Robert, Ma Maison
Chef Raymond Ost, Wilson Farms
Boulangerie Paul
Tickets: $125 each, 2 for $240, 5 for $500
Join the French Cultural Center for their first Ciné-Club de l’Alliance of the fall as they screen the critically acclaimed thriller, Elle by Paul Verhoeven.
Isabelle Huppert puts in a Golden Globe worthy performance as Michèle Leblanc. Michèle seems indestructible. Head of a successful video game company, she brings the same ruthless attitude to her love life as to business. Being attacked in her home by an unknown assailant changes Michèle’s life forever. When she resolutely tracks the man down, they are both drawn into a curious and thrilling game-a game that may, at any moment, spiral out of control.
Join the French Cultural Center for an evening of brandy tasting featuring eight Cognacs and Armagnacs, brought to you by Heavenly Spirits.
Christine and Daniel Cooney will lead a fascinating lecture accompanied by a tasting to explore the limits of one’s palate, comparing French brandies and their exclusive characteristics.
GUESTS WILL ENJOY EIGHT DIFFERENT LIQUORS
- Cognac Organic Selection | Distillerie du Peyrat | France
This Organic Selection is 4 to 5 years old. It is very lively, fresh and fruity. - Cognac Petite Champagne VSOP | Normandin Mercier | France
The grapes used are Ugni Blanc and a little Colombard and Folle Blanche, a very rare occurrence in Cognac. - Cep d’Or XO Premium | Jean Fillioux | France
- Cognac Grande Champagne Très Vieux | Jean Fillioux | France
Jean Fillioux is an iconic Cognac house that has been producing Cognacs for 5 generations. - Bas Armagnac Napoléon | Marie Duffau | France
This Armagnac is fresh and lively, with flavors of cocoa, orange rind and cake batter. - Napoleon 100% Folle Blanche | Artez Bas Armagnac | France
Aged a minimum of 6 years, it displays floral aromatics typical of the grape varietal, white peach, dried apricot and orange peel flavors. - Bas Armagnac Hors d’Age | Dartigalongue | France
The Dartigalongue family started to distill in 1813 and is the oldest Armagnac house. - Bas Armagnac 25 years old | Delord | France
This superb blend displays flavors of cocoa, spices, vanilla, raisins, walnut and cinnamon.
About Heavenly Spirits
Heavenly Spirits is a leading importer of artisanal French spirits, such as Armagnac, Calvados, Cognac, whisky, gin, aperitifs and liqueurs. For the past seven years, the company has been recognized as the number one importer of Armagnac in the US, accounting for 26% of all Armagnac sold each year. The Heavenly Spirits portfolio is represented in 30 US states and includes an impressive list of iconic brands.
About Christine and Dan Cooney
Born in the Cognac region of France, Christine spent summers at her grandparent’s farm north of La Rochelle, where she watched her grandfather, Amédée Foubert, run his winery and distill eau de vie from plums and other fruit grown on the farm. In addition to running his own graphic design and marketing companies, Dan has worked as a Professor of Art and Design for over fifteen years, most recently at Bridgewater State University. His art work, mostly paintings, drawings and sculptures are in collections all over the world. After twenty years of working in the wine and spirits industry and another stay in France, the Cooneys relocated to Massachusetts and, in 2008, created Heavenly Spirits.
Le Mois de la Francophonie continues with an evening of literature featuring Québécoise author Marie-Josée Duquette. We will learn about her two latest books; one that explores Boston through the eyes of a foreigner, while the other chronicles the difficult story of losing the father of her child to a cruel disease. This discussion will be led en français (in French).
About Marie-Josée Duquette: Marie-Josée Duquette is a Quebecer who has been living in Boston since 2010. Holder of a Master’s degree in Environmental Science and a DESS in communication-marketing from HEC, she writes articles on a blog that tells the different facets of American life.
Royal Wedding Viewing Party & Breakfast
Fairmont Copley Plaza and Boston Weddings cordially invite you to attend a Royal Wedding Viewing Party & Breakfast on Saturday, May 19, from 6:30–9:30 a.m., to celebrate the marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The nuptials and all the pomp and ceremony will be broadcasted live in the hotel’s elegant Ballroom while guests indulge in a full English (and American!) breakfast, plenty of tea and scones, and wedding cake to commemorate the occasion. A champagne bar will open at 8 a.m. to toast the happy couple as they embark on a horse-drawn carriage procession through the streets of Windsor, offering Bollinger champagne and traditional British cocktails such as Pimm’s Cup and Bramble.
Guests are highly encouraged to arrive fascinator-ready and dress to impress in traditional wedding wear suited for a royal gathering. A raffle at the party will award a grand prize to one lucky attendee – a two night stay in a Junior Suite at The Savoy in London, Fairmont Copley Plaza’s iconic sister property, inclusive of full English breakfast and a traditional Afternoon Tea. A photo experience will be in the room for guests to capture their own royal moments throughout the morning – red telephone booth, life-size cutouts of Royal family members and more!
