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Concert Series

4/29/2022

April 29, 2022

Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,

Now is the time the garden fast-forwards into full life. Mild weather, flowers everywhere, and flowing water are calling like sirens to all of you. We are ready to see you and delighted to welcome you back!

Pulsatilla vulgaris, or pasque flower

I am very pleased to announce the 2022 Minnie Untermyer Concert Series, which will take place this summer in our historic outdoor amphitheater. It will present classical, orchestral, and vocal music, as well as three dance performances. Other offerings will include both jazz and popular standards. A gospel choir from Brooklyn will also be featured, as well as Indian and Persian fare.

The series kicks off with a live piano concert and multimedia reenactment of a 1934 performance by two Jewish female pianists for a Jewish-only audience in Nazi Germany. Interestingly, the sister of one of the pianists had performed in a Beethoven concert attended by Samuel Untermyer in 1927 at Hebrew University in Jerusalem on the site of the future Minnie Untermyer memorial amphitheater, which was dedicated in 1933 under the shadow of the Nazi onslaught. Entitled "Two Pianos: Playing for Life” and performed by two pianists—one Ukrainian, one Russian—the presentation will explore music as a creative response to cultural exclusion, a theme that is sadly resonant today.

Consider taking a stroll through the Lilac Walk, just outside the lower terrace of the Walled Garden. There are many different cultivars, some of them quite fragrant. This time of year is olfactory heaven!

Kind regards,

Stephen F. Byrns
President, Untermyer Gardens Conservancy

Water Water Everywhere

4/8/2022

April 8, 2022

Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,

This is the time of year when the juices really start flowing. A moment of great joy is when all the fountains (at the Walled Garden, the Temple of Love, the Rock and Stream Garden, and the Ruin Garden) are turned on. I am happy to announce that this will take place tomorrow, April 9. This reminds me of my college glee club days when we sang Haydn’s The Creation. Its most dramatic moment is the creation of light: "Und…Es…Ward…Licht!" For us in Yonkers, it is "Und Es Ward Wasser!"

Even more thrilling in the long term is the great progress being made on the construction of our hoop house, also known as The House That Timothy Built, as he did so almost single-handedly. The fans were too big for him to handle alone, so he got some help from the gardeners and a backhoe. It is a huge improvement, allowing for the propagation of plants here on site, and it will also serve the new Ornamental Vegetable Garden and other needs.

With a new season upon us comes a real need for volunteers. The Conservancy is already blessed with devoted volunteers, but more are needed, especially to greet our many weekend visitors. If you are interested in knowing more about this important service, click here .

Early April means it's daffodil season. A ton of them are now blooming on Daffodil Hill, below the Temple of Love arbor.

Behind the scenes, the gardeners are tending 15,400 plugs and annual seedlings in the municipal greenhouses. We had a scare recently when the thermostat failed during very cold weather, and we were hours away from losing them all. The quick action of the City of Yonkers Parks Department saved them!

We’ve been dreaming up an engaging roster of tours and classes this year. Below is a look ahead at our events during the next six weeks. It is not too early to buy tickets, as events often sell out. This is our next event:

Kind regards,

Stephen F. Byrns
President, Untermyer Gardens Conservancy

Concert Series

Water Water Everywhere

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