Evince Magazine February 2023

by Paul Seiple

by Paul Seiple

by Josh Lucia

by Dave Slayton

Editorial Director / Paul Seiple editor@evincemagazine.com

Contributing Writers

Barry Koplen, Linda Lemery, Josh Lucia, Paul Seiple, Dave Slayton, Mack Williams

Art & Production Director Demont Design (Kim Demont)

Finance Manager Cindy Yeatts (1.434.709.7349)

Advertising

by Linda Lemery

by Barry Koplen

by Mack Williams

For ad information contact a marketing consultant listed below.

Lee Vogler Director of Sales and Marketing (434.548.5335) lee@evincemagazine.com

Kim Demont Graphic Design, Marketing (434.792.0612) demontdesign@verizon.net

evince\i-’vin(t)s\

1: to constitute outward evidence of 2: to display clearly; reveal syn see SHOW

Deadline for this and all other stories, articles, and calendar items is Tuesday, February 14 at 5:00pm for the March issue. Please send calendar info to demontdesign@verizon.net.

Editorial Policies

Evince is a free monthly magazine about Arts and Culture in Danville and the surrounding area. We reserve the right to accept, reject and edit all submissions and advertisements.

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“The youth learn how to work together, collaborate on projects, write a song, respect each other, and express themselves while showing their creativity.”

Bryant Hood

An

CEO / Publisher / Andrew Scott Brooks

On the Cover: Bryant Hood and Zavion Ni’jay Davis. Photo by Von Wellington Photography.

BBryant Hood didn’t have the opportunities to attend youth-centered programs while growing up in Danville. “It was never presented to me,” he said. After graduation, Hood had the choice to go to California or Philadelphia. “I chose Philadelphia because it was on the East Coast, and I had never spent the night away from home as a child. As I witnessed the streets of a larger city, I decided to return to Danville with dreams of owning my own music store.” He made the dream a reality. After being bought out by a partner, Hood embarked on a journey to form a production company. He also opened an independent community center. “With no resources, I was able to draw the community together for one common cause to unify all citizens.”

Hood took a break from community service to learn more about operating a business by managing 2 nightclubs. But the desire to do good in the community remained strong within him. “I wanted to return to my passion for helping the community, which later lead me to starting the Stayhood Foundation,” he said. The idea

An Ace

the City’s Youth

by Paul Seiple

was fueled by Hood looking back on some things he missed out on as a child. He wanted to ensure today’s youth have better opportunities. “This drive kept me inspired and the amazing citizens of Danville have been instrumental in the growth of this foundation.”

The ACE (Arts, Culture, and Edutainment) Academy came to being as the first program from Hood’s Stayhood Foundation. He said, “We wanted to present an after-school program that gives youth the ages of 10–15-yearsold an opportunity to gain a portfolio in music, writing, fashion, and photography.”

The ACE Academy is an eightweek course for 10 participants that meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays. “The youth are required to write an essay on why they want to be in the program. We have additional mentors who assist with the program that we call ACE Influencers or A.I.s,” Hood added. The program allows participants to experience working within in each creative field. “Above that, the youth learn how to work together, collaborate on projects, write a song, respect each other, and express

themselves while showing their creativity,” Hood said.

He envisioned the ACE Academy to create an outlet for kids to broaden their horizons and explore the positive activities they can carry with them as they grow into adults. Hood added, “It also helps to keep them from getting involved with activities that can be detrimental to their growth. The socialization aspect plays an important role as well.”

He drew on personal experiences as he put The Academy together. “Growing up, we had men in the communities who would always advise us to do better and not to get involved in negative actions that come from being in the streets. My mother became ill with brain tumors when I was 8-years old. The constant trips back and forth to the hospital took a toll on me. Fortunately, my sister and brothers kept me on the right track.” Hood made a promise to his mother before she succumbed to dementia. “I told her I would do all I could to be involved in the community by helping the elders and the youth.”

The program has impacted to date 12 participants. “We decided

that by having 10 youth at a time we can give more attention to their individual development.” The ACE Academy is exploring, adding more mentors. “This will allow the Academy to have more youth per course.”

There is an opportunity to become an ACE Influencer for those wanting to help shape our area youth. The process is simple. “These individuals will be required to fill out a form that explains what field they would like to assist in,” Hood added.

Hood would like to see the ACE Academy grow into a full program of expanded curricula hoping to build character throughout the area. He also wants the program to provide resources to help participants with entrepreneurship and ways to give back to the community. “As the youth complete the program, they can return as an ACE Influencer. We want to see our youth excel in society, use the skills provided to encourage them more in education and be all around awesome students and citizens moving forward,” Hood concluded.

photo provided by Ace Academy

for

Often, I’m asked to write biographies for people who have led interesting lives. Their desire to share their life stories leads them to mention an experience that was a milestone, something so unique that, in their opinion, everyone would be interested in reading about it.

I never disagree.

But, also, I never write their story for them. To explain why I don’t, I mention companies that write biographies for people at a cost of thousands of dollars. They’re easy to find on the Net.

Even then, it’s neither an easy nor an inexpensive task. If you’d like an analogy, consider the most tempting cake you’ve ever seen in a bakery. Although you’ve baked cakes for years, you have no idea how to duplicate the one you were more than willing to purchase.

What I’m about to tell you is how to write your own book, one step at a time. Please don’t think this method will be a shortcut. Instead, think of it as a map that only you can construct because only you know where it will begin, where it

will end, and how to get to where it’s going.

I do have one bit of advice: don’t be afraid to begin. The phrase ‘take baby steps’ comes to mind. If you think of your book as a project that you have complete control over, you will enjoy every step of the process.

All you’ll need to begin is a composition book with dividers and BIC pens in different colors. Five or six dollars should be your total initial investment. In your composition book, make sure to list your name, address, and telephone number in case you want to travel with your ‘book’.

Also, have a secure place to store it. As simple an instruction as that may be, that place will become somewhere you will look forward to returning to. Indeed, as your mind and your heart begin to construct your book, you will discover that the storage place has become special too.

There will be times when you will race to get to it, to jot down your thoughts and ideas before you forget them.

And that’s a good sign you have internalized your story, that it is part of your conscious life’s work. In fact, once you have begun, you may want to keep a small notepad with you to jot ideas that come suddenly, often as revelations.

Then congratulate yourself as you transfer them to your composition book because ideas are fleeting and easy to lose. That’s why some people use recorders for their thoughts since they come so unexpectedly.

What’s exciting about the process is that you will get the sense that your mind is unlocking secrets, that it’s uncovering layers of your life that hadn’t been ‘visited’, layers that may have been neglected and treated as insignificant until you shifted your focus to writing a book — about you!

In time, you will sense that you are creating an almost sacred space where secrets and very private thoughts and ideas become highlights. You may regain the sense that your life has been a treasure trove of experiences that are finally getting the close

by Barry Koplen

examination they deserve.

To begin:

1. Divide your composition book into special sections.

2. As you get more involved, you may create new sections, headings for new sets of thoughts and ideas.

3. Initially, you might use categories such as:

a. Biography

b. Timeline

c. Characters, all the people you want to create or include

d. Unusual and important events

e. List of chapters

f. Special items that may be woven in and out of your story

g. Titles to consider… this will change many times as you write

h. Illustrations? They may be useful.

i. Ideas that have yet to find their place in your book

4. Enjoy every moment of this process. Return to it whenever you want.

And treat it with respect for the treasure that it is and will be!

February Calendar of Evince

Abbreviation Key

• DMFAH = Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History, 975 Main St. 434.793.5644

www.danvillemuseum.org

• DSC = Danville Science Center, 677 Craghead Street, 434.791.5160 www.dsc.smv.org

• HNT = The Historic North Theatre 629 North Main Street, 434.793.SHOW (7469)

• IMPotters, 406 Lynn Street. 434.448.4677. www. impottersclayworx.com

• RBA = Ruby B. Archie Public Library, 511 Patton Street, 434.799.5195

www.readdanvilleva.org

• WC = Wednesday Club, 1002 Main Street in Danville.

Ongoing

Attic Sale Donation Drop Off:

DMFAH Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm; Sat-12-5pm; Sun 2-5pm no clothes, no electronics furniture accepted with appointment davidc522@ comcast.net 305.766.2979.

Ruby B. Archie Public Library

Programs - Don’t miss all the may programs offered at the Library. Mad Scientists - Geology 101, Adult Arts and Crafts - Pop Up Ground Hog & Paper Flower Bouquet, Youth Dungeons and Dragons, The Write Stuff Writer’s Group, Overbooked: Teen Book Club, Tween Craft Night - Yarn Painting, Whodunit Book Club, Little Explorers Storytime, Book Babies, LEGO Brick Engineers, Pal-entine’s Day, Puzzlers Club, After Hours Laser Tag, Storytellers: Creative Writing 101, Maker Mondays, Tree House Tuesday.

February 1

The Wednesday Club. Jenny Cole - Training With Love and Leadership. 3:45 pm. W.C.

February 1 (thru 22)

Beginning Clay I & II (Session 1)Learn hand-building basic forms, wheel-throwing, and the use of studio equipment. Tuesdays & Wednesdays 5:30-7:30pm. IMPotters.

February 3 (thru 24)

Danville Science Center Exhibits

Hands-On Harley-DavidsonExplore the history and mechanics behind one of America’s most iconic motorcycle brands. Ages 3-12.

Go! - Highlights the intersection between the physics of machines and the biology of the human body.

Water - Discover history trapped in ice, experience clouds first hand, uncover life found in a droplet, plunge to the depths of the ocean, learn about water usage from a towering wall of 2,000+ water bottles, enter a room of rain and don’t get wet, and more.

Crescent Crossing - Trainthemed exhibit introduces families to important science, technology, engineering, and math fundamentals, such as creativity, problem solving, and cause and effect. Ages 5-.

Friday Night Wheel Try-it - Try pottery wheel throwing. 5:306:30pm. IMPotters, February 3 (thru March 10)

Glow In The Dark Sports - Volleyball, basketball, and indoor soccer. Ages 5-13. 6-9pm.Squire Recreation Center. 434.799.5150.

February 4

Adventure Hike Series: Hanging Rock. Gradually build hiking skills by starting at a beginner level hike and then ending on a challenging hike. Bring lunch and water. Ages 12+. Registration required. 7:30am-3pm. City Auditorium. 434.799.5150. Ring Making. 11am-12pm. Main Street Art Collective. Visit Facebook for info.

Sips for Service - Wine tasting, food pairings & raffle. Danville After House Rotary. 5-7pm. Smokestack Threatre.

Karaoke & Wine Night - with Matt Doss. 6pm. Homeplace Vineyard. 434-432-9463.

Cabin Fever Music Series - Wright Avenue. 7pm. Community Market. 434.799.5200.

Classical Concert in SchoolfieldConcert featuring Beethoven’s “Ghost” Trio Op. 70 No. 1 and Grieg Violin Sonata No. 3. 7:30-8:30pm. Schoolfield Village. Eventbrite.com.

February 4 (thru March 25)

Danville Winter Farmers’ Market –Baked goods, crafts, soaps, jams, jellies, meats, eggs, honey and seasonal produce. Saturdays, 9am1pm. Danville Community Market.

February 5 (thru 26)

Board Games at the Brewery - Enjoy a big selection of games or bring your own. 12-8pm. Ballad Brewing.

February 6

George Washington Carver and Friends. Presented by Bright Star Children’s Theatre. This show introduces students to incredible scientists, entrepreneurs and groundbreakers from Black History. 5:30-6:30pm. RBG.

February 8

The Wednesday Club. Anne MooreSparks - Our Growing Community and the Chamber’s Role. 3:45 pm.

February 10 & 24

Indoor Rockwall. Registration required. 6-8pm. Glenwood Community Center. 434.799.5150.

February 11

Noodle/Soup Bowl MakingMake a handmade noodle or soup bowl made from from slabs of clay. 10am-12pm. IMPotters. Danville Storytelling Festival Family-oriented “artistic social bridge” - bringing communities together and celebrating how we are all connected using the rich tradition of storytelling, performances, and activism. 10am-2pm. Ballou Park Nature Center. danvillestorytelling.com. Wax Warmer Making - Roll out slabs of clay and stamp or texture to make the warmer and the little bowl. 2-4pm. IMPotters.

L.O.V.E. - A Live Music and Entertainment Experience. Love songs and love themed entertainment. 3pm & 7pm. Prizery - 434.572.8339.

February 12

Live Music - Down East Boys. 10am-2pm. Timberlake Baptist Church. 434.799.0134.

February 13

Czech National Symphony Orchestra - CNSO will presents classical music concerts. 7:30-10pm. George Washington Auditorium. Danville Concert Association.

February 14

Stream Into The V.O.I.D. - Virtual

interactive live astronomy presentation highlighting the month’s celestial happenings. 12pm. DSC.

February 18

Barn Quilt Painting. 11am-13pm. Main Street Art Collective. Visit Facebook for info.

1 Dream One Team 2023 GalaThe Gala will raise money for scholarships to support high school athletes as well as Danville Church & Community Tutorial Program, which provides after-school tutoring and enrichment activities to promote student success. 6pm. Institute for Advanced Learning and Research.

Murder and Merriment - Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre. 7pm. Prizery - 434.572.8339.

February 19

Wedding Expo - Come experience and interact with some of the industry’s most talented wedding vendors. 1-5pm. Cottontail Weddings & Events. Eventbrite.com.

February 24

Empty Bowls - Back in-person with delicious soup, silent auction and a selection of handmade pottery bowls. $20/Person, $25 week of event. 11am-2pm. God’s Storehouse. 434.793.3663. Timberlake’s Got TalentSolo or groups talent show. Ages 10-19. 6-10pm. Timberlake Baptist Church. 434.799.0134.

February 24 & 25

The Mountaintop - A fictional depiction of Dr. Martin Luther King’s last night. 7:30pm & 3pm. Prizery - 434.572.8339.

February 25

Coffee Pour Over Making - Make an adorable pour over from slabs of clay, then dried and bisque fired. 10am-12pm. IMPotters.

February 28

Beer or Coffee Mug MakingFunctional beer or extra large mug made from slabs of clay. Add textures or stamps. 10am-12pm. IMPotters.

UPCOMING:

March 2

Mark Nizer - 4D - Outrageous comedy antics and expertly crafted juggling feats. 7pm. Prizery - 434.572.8339

March 11

Love My Dog 5K - 5K run/walk to benefit the Danville Area Humane Society. Race begins on the Riverwalk Trail at 2 Witches with turnaround at the statue past Robert Woodall Nissan. 10am2pm. 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Company. DAHS - 434.799.0843. Live Music - Tate Tuck. 7-11pm. Golden Leaf Bistro - 434.791.3191.

Eden, North Carolina native, Jamil Winfield, cannot think back to a time when he wasn’t acting. But the 35-yearold father of Kloe and Polo has regularly taken to the stage only in the last four years. “As a kid, I would watch TV and movies and wish I could do those things. I would act it out with the show,” Winfield said. The Last Dragon by Barry Gordy is his favorite movie. “It’s a timeless classic. I’ve loved it since I was a kid.”

The desire to act never waned. Winfield dreamed of fulfilling the roles of actors he had watched on the screen. “Becoming an actor was the only way to do that,” he added.

Winfield prepares for a role with, “practice, practice, practice.” He often reads lines until places are called. “I’ve learned to go over the script. After that, I deep-dive into the backstory of who my character really is, and then I go back through the script and try to

Action! Inside the Method of Acting Jamil

Winfield

by Paul Seiple photo courtesy of Smokestack Theatre Co

full steam ahead.” Winfield said he doesn’t have a specific dream role but would love a part in an action movie. “I’ve always been an athlete, so I feel that would be a perfect role for me.”

For aspiring actors, Winfield offers this advice. “Go for it. When you let go of whatever you might be holding on to and just go for it, the sky’s the limit.”

Winfield is looking at 2023 as a year of personal and family growth. He hopes to expand his acting abilities and those of his children who act with the Smokestack Theatre Company. Speaking of growth, he is looking forward to Smokestack’s future, too. “I feel with having our own space and being able to make our stage how we want, it leaves us with more options in the long run. I really want to see what’s next in the journey Smokestack is on as well.” Winfield concluded.

figure out my ‘whys’ — like why is he saying this or why does he move there after such-and-such and not before?” Once Winfield has a solid grasp on his role, he answers those questions to build out the character. “Then I run lines over and over again,” he added.

Knowing your character is only one trait in nailing the role. Next comes winning over the audience. Winfield said to make your audience believe in the role, you first have to believe in it. “You have to ‘be that’ in that moment. If you’re not, people will see through it, or it won’t come off quite right.”

So far, Winfield’s favorite role has been Glenn Cooper in Neil Simon’s Rumors. “It was the opening show for Smokestack Theatre Company’s building. It was also my first role in a stage play in 14 years. I was just extremely grateful at the shot. Everything worked out great and now there’s no looking back —

Guitar Women Blues

by Paul Seiple

Music grabbed the ear of a young Gail Ceasar as she spent Saturday mornings listening to bluegrass sessions at Poky’s Music in Gretna, Virginia. Those porch gettogethers shaped Ceasar’s future. She had to pick up the guitar and churn out her own music.

“I saw all my cousins and uncles playing. I had an Uncle Joe who played and then Cousin Pete. They played in church and around here. It made me want to learn how to play,” Ceasar said. Pete Witcher, a Pittsylanvia County native, taught Ceaser how to play. She followed the footsteps of her family of musicians and began performing in church. “When I got good enough, I started playing around my cousins. Me and Pete would play together. We played the blues a lot,” she added.

Ceasar’s been strumming the guitar for over 28 years. Just the sound of music inspires her. Delving deeper, growing up in Virginia, listening to the songs from her heritage became the soundtrack for Ceasar. She calls her style “a mix of blues and bluegrass, a little bit of gospel music.”

The first blues song Ceasar wrote was called “Guitar Woman Blues.” It would also become the name of her recently released debut album. “It’s a lot of songs that I’ve played over the years. A lot of songs that I like to play around

the house,” she said about the record.

It’s remarkable that Ceasar has been able to focus on creating a record. She lost her Pittsville home to fire one morning in the summer of 2022. Ceasar and her mother investigated a hint of smoke in the air to find flames raging from underneath the house. The fire put Ceasar’s livelihood in jeopardy. Her two guitars and an amplifier were destroyed.

She reached out to the Music Maker Foundation, which is an organization that helps to keep the roots of American music thriving. Quoted from musicmaker.org, “Since 1994, we have served over 500 musicians whose work spans the entire history of American music: blues, gospel, folk, singer-songwriter, Appalachian string band, and Native American.” In a call, Ceasar told Music Maker about her loss. The Foundation “provides financial grants to those who face a crisis.” Music Maker supplied Ceasar with a Martin, a Fender American Stratocaster, and a Fender deluxe reverb amp. She was back in business.

After a successful release of Guitar Woman Blues, Ceasar will perform at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. on February 26. “I’m really looking forward to it. I plan to play a couple of songs from the new album.”

Scene: The two are chatting at a table in the living room on a sunny afternoon.

Plant: So, tell me about the nature of love.

Linda:… Where do you get these inquiries?… Who are you?

P: I’m Plant, who you adopted several months ago. But you knew that. And I’m curious about what you think.

L: The fact that I’m talking with a curious plant — that actually talks back — messes with my mind. Inquiries like this take time to answer.

P: Tick-Tock. We don’t have all day.

L: Why are you asking?

P: The calendar month of February includes Valentine’s Day, a celebration in a society that seems stressed almost beyond the metaphorical holding of 10 lbs. of rocks in a 5-lb. bag. I imagine that, because of multitasking and other factors, some life stresses individually flow over into relationships.

L: There was at least one St. Valentine who was a Christian martyr. This eventually led to cultural celebrations of St.

The Nature of Love

(Plant Story)

by Linda Lemery

Valentine on what became known as Valentine’s Day.

P: That doesn’t tell me much about the nature of love.

L: It’s complicated.

P: Try reframing it. Try summing up “love” in one word. A different word.

L: You don’t let up, do you, Plant?… Challenging.

P: Really? That’s the single word out of your entire English language brain bank that you use to describe love?

L: No, Plant. That was my description of the task, not the definition itself. You’re so impatient.

P (rolling its eyes, if a plant had eyes to roll) …Pray, do continue.

L: Well, according to Wikipedia which I had to consult in great haste thanks to you, the Greeks identified six kinds of love: Agape (God for humans, humans for God), Eros (romantic), Philautia (self-love and monitoring one’s own happiness to raise effectiveness of self-help and support groups), Philia (friendship), Storge (natural or instinctual affection [e.g., parent, child, and family relationships; friends; pets

and owners]), and Xenia (guestlove; hospitality; how people treat others). Storge may also cover other things like someone’s favorite activity (e.g., someone who says he or she loves golf or whatever).

P: That sounds so… academic.

L: Well, theory has nice, discrete categories; real life is blurrier. I’m still working on the single-word reframing.

P: How’s the brain bank processing going?

L: I’m tempted to say the word is “connection.” Unfortunately, that implies a serial kind of plug-in to just one thing at a time. We live in a multitasking society. So, better yet, let’s use the term “connectedness” which has a higher-level, parallel processing kind of vibe, implying a sentient model which simultaneously connects to different parties in different ways.

P: Connectedness. Hmmm. That extends beyond current to potential, meaning future, correct?

L: Sure. For example, we humans have space in our lives for a spouse, children, pets, friends, respect for ourselves and others, and a reverence for a higher

being all at the same time. We connect with all of them simultaneously, but differently. Likely, we’ll still have that space in the future, assuming that life and the climate crisis cooperate.

P: This still feels esoteric, though that last is more down to Earth.

L: Well, at this point, Earth is all we have. Maybe we’ll have more landscape if we can ever establish a colony off the face of this rock we call home. Plants will be essential there.

P: And to think that in some previous conversation, you were complaining about me spinning off on tangents…

L: But seriously, those six categories have something else embedded in their common bedrock — caring. They’re all based on caring about others; in Philautia, implicit is the fact that we cannot care for others to the fullest extent without taking care of ourselves.

P: Much to think about.

L: There’s much more to love than this, but it’s a start.

About the author: When she’s not trying to make sense of her conversations with Plant, Linda Lemery llemery@gmail.com wishes readers Happy Valentine’s Day. She welcomes reader comments.

Movies You Missed from 20 years ago

by Josh Lucia

Daredevil

(6/10 Rating)

Released February 14, 2003

Streaming on HBO Max. For rent/ purchase on all major platforms.

Genre: Action, Crime

Rated PG-13: Action/Violence and Some Sensuality

1h 43m

A pre-MCU take on “The Man

Without Fear,” Daredevil came out less than a year after the very successful Spider-Man. It is a darker film, edited down from an initial R rating about a blind lawyer that trains to become a vigilante in Hell’s Kitchen. A toxic waste accident blinds him at a young age, while providing his remaining sense with enhancements and superhuman abilities. This movie gets a lot of hate. I dare say, it is not as bad as you remember. It certainly has some weak spots and according to many reviews, the Director’s Cut is a much better film. I plan to check that out, but this review focuses on the theatrical release. Daredevil stars

Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock aka “Daredevil.” Affleck is good in this role, and you can see how he would come to play Batman years later. The supporting cast is not as good, however. In fact, Jennifer Garner would go on to reprise her role in the spin-off Elektra two years later, which in my opinion is responsible for leaving viewers with a bad memory of Daredevil. It is easy to lump the two movies into one memory, but Daredevil is a far better, more competent movie. It is not great. The music is terrible and reminiscent of the early 2000s. Some of the dialogue is too cheesy for the dark tone, and there is just a lot that does not work. I was surprised to see Jon Favreau, later responsible for kicking off the MCU. Colin Farrell is just fine as the villain and Michael Clarke Duncan certainly has the look for Kingpin, but does not really deliver anything special. We do get a Stan Lee cameo, some decent fight scenes, and overall, well done darker comic style. It is worth a rewatch, but your time

might be better spent watching the Charlie Cox series on Disney+ (formerly created for Netflix), which is soon to be continued as an eighteen-part limited series called Daredevil: Born Again.

Also check out: Poolhall Junkies (5/10), Dark Blue (6/10), Gods and Generals (5/10), Old School (8/10), The Life of David Gale (8/10), Cradle 2 the Grave (6/10) (follow @ jlucia85 for these reviews and more)

Histories of civilization and wine are intertwined. A case in point is the wine region of Bordeaux, France. From there, both red and white blends are sought by wine admirers worldwide, and they are referred to as Bordeaux Rouge (red) and Bordeaux Blanc (white). If you have an English friend like me, you may hear them refer to red Bordeaux as Claret. Also, if you are in a wine shop looking at the blended red wines, you may see a label reading “Claret.”

Here is where history comes into play. Bordeaux was once part of a region called Aquitaine. In 1151, Henry Plantagenet, the future Henry II of England, married Eleanor of Aquitaine. With her came the Aquitaine region (you may recall the movie Lion in Winter, Peter O’Toole plays Henry, and Katharine Hepburn plays Eleanor of Aquitaine.) During this time, the Aquitaine, including Bordeaux, is English. Later, this region was conquered by the French. Still, while it was under English control, a relationship developed between the area and England. Bordeaux wine was imported to England, and the English developed a liking for it. Also at this time, Bordeaux wines

History Through a Wine Glass

were very light in color because of the wine-making process used then. Clairet means “clear” in French (with the “t” silent). The English angelized “Clairet” into “Claret” (with the “t” pronounced). Thus, the English, called red, blended wine from Bordeaux, Claret.

You can call this blended red wine Bordeaux or Claret and it will probably be a blend that includes these grape varieties; Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (the dominant grape varieties), Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, and Malbec.

Here is another movie reference. In the last scene of the James Bond movie Diamonds Are Forever, Bond suspects that a waiter serving him Bordeaux wine is an assassin. He asks the waiter if he has any Claret. The waiter says no. Bond replies Bordeaux is Claret. A fight breaks out between the two, and Bond wins, of course. You never know when a bit of historical knowledge, or wine trivia, will come in handy.

Cheers! (Or should I say, Sante!)

by Dave Slayton

photo by Dave Slayton

Disturbance from the

“Upper Room”

by Mack Williams

Something which occurred at a recent Sunday Service at Danville’s First Presbyterian Church had all of us “looking above,” not just spiritually, but visually!

That morning, Rev. Jackson Weller, Minister of Discipleship, was preaching. Jackson sometimes also preaches the youth sermons, but that morning, there was an unusual dearth of youth, so the moment for young disciples was skipped. If I had been thinking fast enough, I would have suggested that some of us older, “rowdier” male members of the choir go down front to sit, listen, and of course, respectfully fidget as members of the “young at heart” (and behavior).

In his sermon, Jackson was vividly describing the “hubbub” going on in the separate gentile courtyard of Jerusalem’s ancient temple. He spoke vividly about the sellers and their various wares, remarking upon how exciting it must have been to be there in the midst of it all.

The more Jackson described the raucousness of those ancient men, the more I imagined myself being there, and suddenly, I heard them. Their “antiphonal cacophony” seemed to originate from somewhere beyond the sanctuary ceiling’s beautiful molding.

I turned to a fellow choir member and said, “You know, until now,

I’ve always thought of ‘The Upper Room’ as a quiet, contemplative place.”

Not long afterwards, a hammering noise could also be heard; and being a “child of the 1950s-60s, I naturally thought of Peter, Paul, and Mary, (“If I Had a Hammer”).

Then, as coincidence would have it, our choir sang an anthem titled “The Work of Christmas.” Its lyrics dealt with the fact that long after the Nativity and the Three Wise Men’s return to their homes, the work of the church goes on throughout the year. At anthem’s close, the shouts and hammering from “Above” stood out again. I remarked to that same fellow chorister, “Listen! The ‘work’ of Christmas continues!”

By that time, I remembered there had been an earlier announcement concerning some weekday work going on in the second-floor music area. But that weekday work had spread into Sunday morning.

During the benediction, those “second-floor sounds” persisted. But following the benediction, they seemed to be overwhelmed by the rising volume of the post-service, congregational “background noise” of “Good to see you.” and “How has your week been?”