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!


JASNA Syracuse Assists with JASSYL Summer Concert

The date, time, and place for the Jane Austen Singing School for Young Ladies (JASSYL) summer concert have now been confirmed:  It will be held Sunday, July 22, at 3:00 pm, in the Dobson Fellowship Hall of the First Presbyterian Church of Skaneateles, 97 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles. (This is the same location as for last year's summer entertainment; above, Lt. Kyle Cherchio and Miss Emily Short during last year's dancing.) As always, Dr. Joanna Manring and her Young Ladies are working hard on a program of Regency music and readings.  Several Young Gentlemen will again be joining the Young Ladies for dancing, and JASNA Syracuse Co-Coordinator Lisa Brown is once more acting as dance mistress.  And Syracuse Regional Coordinator A. Marie Sprayberry has assisted in selecting the readings and will help Joanna introduce the concert as usual.  Free will donations to support the work of JASSYL are encouraged.  All are welcome, and we hope to see you there!

Now's a Great Time to Join JASNA!

If you're not presently a member of JASNA at the national level, here’s a reminder that now is a great time to join or rejoin JASNA, and to start receiving Persuasions (see the preceding post) and all the other benefits of membership!  The JASNA membership year officially runs from September 1 to August 31--but if you join between July 1 and August 31, you'll receive an extra issue of JASNA News (the Society's thrice-annual newsletter) and otherwise be enrolled through September 1, 2013. To join, or to find out more about joining, you can go to the JASNA national website's "Membership" section.  Remember that joining JASNA at the national level automatically makes you a member of the JASNA Syracuse Region--this is our one and only regional membership requirement at present.  So join JASNA today and let the world know you're a Janeite!

Persuasions #33 Has Arrived!

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, the Official Spokescat of JASNA Syracuse, can't wait to see what's in Volume 33 of Persuasions--and neither should you!  The newest issue of JASNA's hard-copy journal was put into the post this past week and, as you can see, has already reached your Regional Coordinator's home.  Volume 33 includes many papers that were originally presented at the 2011 JASNA Annual General Meeting in Fort Worth--and the "Miscellany" section includes a short paper titled "When Did Darcy Fall in Love?" by JASNA Rochester's own Leo Rockas.  So don't hesitate to plunge in!  Any JASNA Syracuse Region members who haven't received the issue by mid-July should contact Marie directly (see "Contact Us" in the right column).

Box Hill Photos

Despite the steady rain on Saturday, June 9 (at least there was no agonizing period of indecision as to whether to hold the picnic indoors or out!), members of JASNA Syracuse, JASNA Rochester, and the Colgate JABC-CNY enjoyed good food and good company at the home of Syracuse Regional Coordinator A. Marie Sprayberry.  Below, Rochester RC Celia Easton shares a joke with Lisa Brown, Co-RC for both Syracuse and Rochester.

And Marie shares another with Edith Lank, JASNA Rochester's co-founder.

In honor of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, hats were the order of the day--although (from bottom, clockwise) Samantha, Aniela, Sheila, and Sandra demonstrate that some attendees did a better job of keeping them on all afternoon than others!  (Sandra's bonnet was one of her own stunning creations; see the April 1 post on the Regency fashion show for another example.)

The picnic provided an opportunity for Upstate Janeites from far and wide to meet, many for the first time.  Here, Carolyn and David (from Geneseo) chat with Nadia and Jason (from Verona).

The high point of the afternoon was the ceremonial.  Toasts were drunk to both the Queen and Jane Austen.  And in a very proper demonstration of loyalty to the Crown, "God Save the Queen" was sung by the assemblage, followed by three hearty huzzahs for Her Majesty!