Another Successful JASSYL Concert, and Wedding Bells!

From "Donna Della" to "My Love She's But a Lassie Yet," and through the two dances "Take a Dance" and "Jack's Maggot" (remember that in Regencyspeak a "maggot" is a clever and fanciful dance, not a fly larva!), the Jane Austen Singing School for Young Ladies (JASSYL) summer concert on July 22 was another notable success.  More photos from the dress rehearsal (in addition to the one above) can be found at this link. Two videos from the concert itself can be found on JASSYL's blog, and still photos from the concert should be posted both there and on JASSYL's Facebook page shortly.

And JASNA Syracuse extends its very best wishes to JASSYL director Dr. Joanna Manring, who is marrying her "Mr. Darcy"--Steve Davis, a faculty member at the University of Kentucky--today!

Join Rochester's "Janeiacs"!

Lisa Brown, in her capacity as Co-Coordinator of JASNA Rochester (as well as JASNA Syracuse), announces an exciting new venture for Rochester to which Syracuse members are also welcome:  the "Janeiacs"!

Lisa explains that the Janeiacs (rhymes with "maniacs") are JASNA Rochester's version of JASNA New York Metro's Juvenilia group, but without age restrictions; all ages are welcome. They like to think of themselves as "Action Janeites."   The Janeiacs plan day trips and activities that take place outside of Rochester's monthly meetings at Barnes & Noble in Pittsford.   Their first two expeditions were to the JASNA Syracuse discussion of JA's villains in Binghamton in May, and to the Syracuse-Rochester-Colgate Box Hill party in Syracuse in June.

This month's trip is to the picturesque village of Skaneateles for lunch and a boat ride, to be followed by the Jane Austen Singing School for Young Ladies (JASSYL) concert.   The Janeiacs are traveling by car pool and will need volunteers to drive. The cars will fill up on a first come/first serve basis.

The car pool will leave Rochester at approximately 9 am and will return around 7 pm.  Syracuse Region members are invited to join the Rochesterians in Skaneateles or at any other convenient point.

The lunch location will be Elderberry Pond, an organic restaurant near Skaneateles that is a favorite with many Syracusans.  The boat cruise to follow will be a Mid-Lakes Navigation tour of Skaneateles Lake.   For details about the concert, see our two previous blog posts.

Please contact Lisa (see "Contact Us" in the right-hand column for her info) to ask questions or learn further details. 

No scheme could have been more agreeable to Elizabeth, and her acceptance of the invitation was most ready and grateful.   "My dear, dear aunt,'' she rapturously cried, "what delight! what felicity! You give me fresh life and vigour. Adieu to disappointment and spleen. What are men to rocks and mountains? Oh! what hours of transport we shall spend! And when we do return, it shall not be like other travellers, without being able to give one accurate idea of any thing. We will know where we have gone -- we will recollect what we have seen. Lakes, mountains, and rivers shall not be jumbled together in our imaginations; nor, when we attempt to describe any particular scene, will we begin quarrelling about its relative situation. Let our first effusions be less insupportable than those of the generality of travellers.''

Finally, thanks to Edward R. Voytovich (Syracuse Coordinator A. Marie Sprayberry's Regency Beau) for providing Jane Austen with the "very pretty landaulette" shown in Marie's photos!

JASSYL Concert Update and Rehearsal Photos

As announced in our third June 30 post, the Jane Austen Singing School for Young Ladies (JASSYL), with assistance from JASNA Syracuse, will present a summer concert of music, readings, and dance in the Dobson Fellowship Hall of the First Presbyterian Church, 97 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles, on Sunday, July 22, 2012, at 3 p.m. The concert is open to the public.  Admission is free, but free will donations to support the continuing work of JASSYL are accepted.

Alas, one correction to the earlier post is necessary:  Due to various conflicts in various busy Young Gentlemen’s schedules, no Young Gentlemen will be participating in the dancing this year.  Although this does seem a bit as if the militia has left Meryton, our Young Ladies--unlike the sillier lasses of Meryton--are “still able to eat, drink, and sleep, and pursue the usual course of their employments.”  Certainly they are not “drooping apace” in these lively rehearsal photos!

The Young Ladies appearing in the summer program will include the Misses Chloe Strang, Imogen Olson, Julia Hearn, Maddie VanRiper, and Maria McLean (all JASSYL “veterans”), and the Misses Mary Lambdin, Allison Lambdin, Carolina Toledo, Meg Lovier, and Aggie Woodbury (first-time participants).  The accompanists will be Mr. Jimmy Dransack, violin; Ms. Sophie Hearn, flute; and Mrs. Claire Howard, piano.  Ms. Susanne Marshall and Miss Christina Marshall will act as sewing mistresses to the Young Ladies.  

As it was last year, English country dancing is being taught to the Young Ladies by the Co-Coordinator of JASNA Syracuse and JASNA Rochester, Miss Lisa Brown.  (Miss Brown also took the photos that appear here.)  And JASNA Syracuse Regional Coordinator Ms. A. Marie Sprayberry has helped to select the readings and will introduce the concert.

So we hope you’ll join us in Skaneateles on the 22nd for an afternoon of Regency entertainment, in the spirit of “health, good humour, and cheerfulness” that always pervades a performance by JASSYL!