Stan Hywet Hall and Garden Magazine - Fall/Winter 2008 - (Page 14)

F e at u r e : d e c k t h e h a l l Filling the house with Music The Music Room was a hub of activity during Seiberling family holiday celebrations, and this year, the stunning space will continue that tradition with a series of performances that will run throughout the season. “Stan Hywet was a country house estate, and at the time it was built, there were certain expectations for a home this massive in size,” says Mark Heppner, the Vice President of Museum Services and a Curator at Stan Hywet. “One of them was entertaining.” As the extended family arrived to spend Christmas at Stan Hywet each year, the room was a frequent gathering spot. “Plays took place in the Music Room,” says Heppner. “And if the family was doing a play, everyone was expected to participate,” he says, adding that Mrs. Seiberling would often send children a script at college, where they would have to memorize their lines while studying for exams. This year during Deck the Hall, music will again fill the air as an all-star lineup of holiday performers takes the stage to make your visit bright. “We tried hard to get a good mix of performers this year,” says Judy Mills, a longtime volunteer at Stan Hywet who arranged the musical acts. Here are a few highlights from this year’s schedule: ❆ The Saint Cecilia Choral Society is one of the oldest choral groups in Summit County, and of particular significance because Gertrude Seiberling was a founding member. ❆ The Stow Bell Ringers will ring in the season with a festive performance. ❆ Cantores Cleveland is a group of classically trained musicians who perform selections of early music from chant to late Renaissance. ❆ Several groups from downtown Akron’s High Street Christian Church are set to perform, including the Chancel Handbell Choir and the Madrigal Choir in full period costume. Performances are scheduled for Sunday and Tuesday evenings between November 30 and December 28. Visit www.stanhywet.org for a complete schedule. —JP 14 to experience how the house would have looked during the Seiberlings’ Christmas celebration then. Family photos, including their Music Room performance of the Dickens’s classic A Christmas Carol, will be on display, and Christmas home movies will play in the Great Hall. Other touches include the Dining Room table setting showcasing the Seiberlings’ golden wedding anniversary china (from 1937 and made by Crooksville Pottery of Ohio), and guest rooms complete with open trunks and clothes laid out to make it seem like holiday visitors are at Stan Hywet. New this year, live music from bell choirs, madrigal groups and other holiday ensembles will take the stage in the Music Room on Sunday and Tuesday evenings (see Filling the House with Music). Other additions include the cuddle barn (where children can pet baby animals) and the lighting of the recently replanted London Plane Tree Allée — a 500-foot stretch of London Plane trees, azaleas and rhododendrons that extends off the south side of the house. Still, Campbell says, the staff and volunteers are careful never to let the true character and beauty of Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens get lost in the event’s hustle and bustle. “This is where the Seiberling family came together year after year to share Christmas, and it’s still a place where families can come together and experience the spirit of the season,” she says. “For the holidays, there’s no more beautiful backdrop.” The evening hours for Deck the Hall are now 5–8 pm. Please visit www.stanhywet.org for details. stan hywet hall & gardens Magazine http://www.stanhywet.org http://www.stanhywet.org

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Stan Hywet Hall and Garden Magazine - Fall/Winter 2008

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