Name: Our Annual Christmas Holiday Season Luncheon Event — Welsh Society of Western New England (WSWNE)
Start: 2023-12-02T11:00:00-0500
End: 2023-12-02T15:00:00-0500

To attend, PLEASE REGISTER BY SATURDAY, NOV. 25 DEADLINE.

Our annual Christmas Holiday Luncheon will be held Saturday, Dec 2, 2023 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. - at the historic Storrowton Tavern, West Springfield, MA on the grounds of the Big E (Eastern States Exposition).

And because Dec. 2 is the first day of a free weekend of “Yuletide at Storrowton Village”, you will have from 3:00 - 4:00 (closing time) to visit the historic buildings, all decorated for Christmas.

See driving directions (with GPS caution) below.

11:00 a.m. Social Hour Meet friends old and new; enjoy cheese and crackers, crudités, and fresh fruit in our private room decorated in the Christmas tradition. Cash bar available. This year, our social hour will include live Celtic harp and flute accompaniment by the duo Stringwynde, our featured post-luncheon musical program presenters.

Stringwynde: Darhon Rees-Rohrbacher and Melanie Chirignan Photo submitted.

12:00 noon Festive Luncheon, complete with the popping of British Christmas crackers! See menu below program description.

Our 2023 Holiday Season Program features a special concert of seasonal music, including Welsh and other Celtic tunes, performed by the duo Stringwynde.

Stringwynde is the versatile duo of harpist Darhon Rees-Rohrbacher and flutist Melanie Chirignan.

Darhon will discuss various types of harps, including the iconic Welsh triple harp, and their significance to Welsh music. She will also provide commentary about some of the pieces Stringwynde will be performing.

Harpist, Darhon Rees-Rohrbacher, is of Welsh heritage, a WSWNE member and a long-time leadership member of the Welsh Society of the Capitol District, Albany, NY . She has studied in Wales and some of her earliest harp lessons were with the famous Welsh triple harpist Robin Huw Bowen. She took third place in the solo soprano competition of the Royal National Eisteddfod of Wales in 1987. She has conducted many a “Gymanfa Ganu” over the years and continues to study the Welsh language regularly. Darhon has also composed and published many arrangements of Celtic music for solo harp as well as for flute and harp.

Flutist, Melanie Chirignan, joined Darhon in late 2017 to form their duo, Stringwynde. Melanie earned her bachelor's in music performance and music education graduating magna cum laude from SUNY Fredonia and her master’s degree in flute performance at the Hartt School. She has performed solo and in combination with a variety of duos, chamber ensembles, and symphony settings. Currently, she is recording an album of flute and guitar music by women composers with guitarist Scott Hill. Melanie has collaborated extensively with Quintocracy, Stringwynde, jazz bass legend Nat Reeves, traditional Irish harpist Hailey Hewitt, even the Philadelphia Fife and Drum Corps, among others.

MENU

Garden Salad with Bread Rolls

Choice of Entree: (all served with Twice Baked Potato and Green Bean Almondine)

CAPE CODDER - Chicken Stuffed with Cranberry bread stuffing with a demi-glace
BROILED SALMON
YANKEE POT ROAST
VEGETARIAN: EGGPLANT ROLLATINI - - stuffed w. spinach, basil, ricotta cheese, topped with marinara sauce and Asiago cheese
CHILDREN’S MEAL : Chicken Fingers and Fries (instead of baked potato & squash)

Dessert: Apple Crisp; and COFFEE or TEA

Cost: Members $34 Guests: $37 Children $18 … by advance paid reservations

To attend, please submit BOTH the RESERVATION FORM (with meal choices) and your PAYMENT by SATURDAY, NOV. 25 DEADLINE. If you have questions, please use our contact form.

Please Join Us Saturday, december 2, 2023, 11:00 - 3:00 PM

Paid Reservation Deadline: Monday, November 27, 2023

Reserve Your Place Today

First submit the form below, then mail your check, payable to WSWNE,

c/o Annie Rodgers, WSWNE Treasurer, P.O. Box 463, Chicopee, MA 01021

Note: Payments to the Welsh Society of Western New England are not tax deductible, Your canceled check will be your receipt.

Name

All items marked with * are required

First Name

Last Name

Email

Names of others for whom you are making this reservation

We will produce name tags for everyone in advance

Number of each entree for your party

Number of Cape Codder Chicken

Chicken Stuffed with Cranberry bread stuffing with a demi-glace

Number of Salmon

Number of Yankee Pot Roast

Number of Vegetarian Eggplant Rollatini

stuffed w. spinach, basil, ricotta cheese, topped with marinara sauce and Asiago cheese

Number of Children's Meals

• Children must be 12 or younger • Chicken Fingers and Fries (instead of baked potato & squash)

Cost Totals for your party

MEMBERS @ $34 = Total

All household members living at member address are considered members.

$

Guests (Non-Members) @ $37 = Total

$

CHILDREN @ $18 = Total

$

TOTAL PAYMENT based on the above

• Be sure to record this amount for making your payment by check (credit card payments not possible at this time). • This form will not be visible after you click the submit button

$

Questions or Comments?

DRIVING DIRECTIONS -

Storrowton Tavern is on the Big E (Eastern States Exposition) grounds. Enter via Gate 1.

• Using GPS to reach Gate 1, enter “Big E Gate 1” or 1761 Memorial Ave, West Springfield, MA 01089,
but NOT 1305 Memorial Ave (the business address on their website and Google search result).

• Without GPS:

From the North Take I-91 South to Exit 5B, Columbus Avenue,
- turn right over Memorial Bridge to traffic circle , second exit, to
- MA-147 West, Memorial Avenue to Big E Gate 1 (about 1.6 miles on the left).

From the South Take I-91 North to Exit 3, to US 5 North, to MA-147 West Exit to
- MA-147 West, Memorial Avenue to Big E Gate 1 (about 1.6 miles on the left)..

Enter Big E Grounds via Gate 1.

Go straight past an information booth.

Then turn left onto Hampden Ave (between buildings) then right onto the Avenue of States (with parking on both sides).

Storrowton Tavern arch - walk through to the main entrance at rear of building.

Storrowton Tavern will soon be seen on the left. Walk through the wooden arch with Storrowton Tavern sign above; follow the brick path around the side of the building to the main entrance at the rear of building.