Thrice powered magic is a concept in fantasy literature and gaming that involves the use of three sources of magical energy to enhance spells and abilities. This type of magic is often seen in games like Dungeons and Dragons and in novels like the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In thri.

Who hijacked Halloween?

When I was a kid, Halloween was a night of freedom, fun, and candy. Our parents never accompanied us. We were neighborhood kids, and this was our community.

Years later, when I had a child of my own, some aspects of the holiday had changed. A parent always accompanied each group of kids. Neighborhoods were more spaced out and the danger from cars increased.

What didn’t change is the excitement my son felt — his costume carefully thought out and prepared. He eagerly waited for dusk and the festivities to begin. I loved hearing the sound of my son squeal with unadulterated glee as we went door to door with our family, including our dog and many others. On Halloween we were ALL family no matter our race, politics, or socioeconomics.

The moms would dress up as witches to greet us with hot cider. At one house a mummy propped up on a bench came alive when we rang the doorbell. This wasn’t some machine, but rather a real person scaring the wits out of us! Cul-de-sacs became block parties. Other adults in our neighborhood stood around bonfires, some enjoying Devil’s Grog or maybe a stogie. The night was a celebration!

As a mother in her 60s who has lived in Connecticut nearly my entire life, I have experienced Halloween as a child, parent, and neighbor. Over that time, I have seen Halloween change from my favorite holiday to another sad example of community fear and division. In the past there were so many children we ran out of candy and had to resort to giving out quarters and apples. As the years went by, we began to have a lot of candy left over at the end of the night. Only a few older teens were trick-or-treating at our house. Eventually, we stopped needing candy altogether; children don’t come to our door anymore.

What’s changed? For one thing, I have! As executive director of a statewide non-profit that speaks out against the injustice of marginalized people, I see up close the societal and human cost of irrational fear and how it erodes the strength of our communities. Such fears lead to public policies that are destructive and ineffective, costing precious taxpayer resources and doing more harm than good.

The Myths

Urban legends abound during Halloween. Some are harmless, but others cause extreme reactions from parents to imaginary dangers. In 1970, the New York Times published an article claiming Halloween goodies could bring “more horror than happiness.” It spread fears of candy-tampering that were fueled by the era’s social upheaval and the sense that neighbors could no longer be trusted. The resulting rumor panic ended homemade Halloween treats for children and led to “safe” spaces at trunk-or-treat events or the malls.

Yet researchers have found zero instances of a stranger killing or seriously injuring a child with Halloween candy, and the Times itself has admitted its mistake. However, other media outlets continue to spread this myth because it “sells papers,” (or drives clicks) which creates more fear, which leads to more mythical stories, which sells more papers.

For the past few decades, the media has focused on another boogeyman in our neighborhoods: the person who has been convicted of a sexual crime (more egregiously known as a “sex offender”). Journalists who create sensationalized stories direct parents to the online Sex Offense Registry. The product-research site Chamber of Commerce erroneously ranks towns on Halloween safety in part based on the number of individuals convicted of sexual offenses living there, despite the fact that the Registry website itself states that being on the Registry is not an indicator of dangerousness.

The research has shown that children are at no higher risk of being sexually harmed on Halloween than any other day. The vast majority of sexual offenses against children are by other children or trusted adults in their social proximity. Additionally, more than 95% of sexual crime is by people who are not on the registry.

For the fathers and mothers who are on the Sex Offense Registry, or have a loved one on the Registry living with them, Halloween is a time to be in your home with lights off and absolutely no exterior decorations. Parents and grandparents on the Registry often have children who would otherwise be trick-or-treating with them. Their children don’t get to participate with the entire family on Halloween. Why are these children being punished?

The Facts

Much as with the persecution of witches, today’s myths cause suffering based on nothing more than feelings of fear and hate. The fear of strangers continues today in mythical poisoned candy, the boogeyman of the “sex offender,” and other false beliefs. Only time will tell who the next group to be feared (and hated) will be. We are all strangers to someone.

As news organizations face pressure to generate revenue, their journalistic integrity will continue to erode. The media can provide a real public service through insightful and well-researched reporting. Or it can also cause real harm through spreading imaginary dangers. The public must hold the media accountable for misinformation if it is to stay well-informed with accurate facts. Until certain media outlets stop their sensationalism and fear mongering, it’s up to the public to be critical about what they are being told. It is easy to give into fear; we create healthier and safer communities by seeking and understanding the truth.

The unvarnished truth is that the real and greatest threat to our children on Halloween is the automobile. Kids are three times more likely to be hit by a car on Halloween than on any other night of the year. By focusing on imagined dangers, communities are failing to take action that could actually protect children.

Our communities need to stop chasing the latest media ‘witch hunt’ and come together as neighbors. We can start by getting more involved in local government and other community organizations. Maybe we’ll even find a way to make Halloween fun again.

Advisor Team of the Quarter

NANCY and RANDY ROBERTSON are truly a testament to the success spouses can find when they combine forces in both personal and professional arenas. While they occasionally need to “table the work conversation at home,” the husband and wife team finds this minor inconvenience worth the tradeoff knowing that they have the luxury of collaborating with a partner whom they can trust to work with integrity and a deep sense of care for their clients. The duo has been working together as advisors at Protected Investors of America (PIA) since 2013, and loves being part of a group of “quality advisors with many different approaches to doing the right thing for clients.”

Nancy first got started in the financial industry in 1993 when she joined her father’s practice. Over the years Nancy developed a deep appreciation for their clients. She was (and still is) passionate that, “our connection is so important,” and encourages other advisors to, “Know your clients. Care about your clients.” She feels one of the most importing things about being in the industry is that advisors don’t lose sight of their clients. In 2005, her father, James “Jim” Lingel, retired and Nancy took over the practice. Since then, her enthusiasm for superior client services has only continued to flourish.

Prior to joining Nancy and PIA, Randy enjoyed a career in marketing. In 2013, he made the unexpected leap into the world of finance. Nancy’s business had grown considerably and was continuing to expand. She needed help. At first, Randy (a skilled technology user) simply couldn’t help but to jump in and upgrade the office systems and processes to make her more efficient. Then, as Nancy jokes, “I slowly roped him in.” First, he helped get her through the 2013 tax season, a time which inspired him to get his Series 6 license. He continued to help in his spare time, until he jumped “all in” as a business partner. Since then, he continued to acquire more industry licenses. Today, he couldn’t be happier that he took the leap to finance. His favorite part about being an advisor is helping clients evaluate their plans and reaching long-term objectives.

In addition to being value-driven, quality-oriented, and service-focused advisors, Nancy and Randy are also full of interesting personal anecdotes and tidbits of information:

Recital with Leslie Howard

Songs of Rachmaninov, Liszt, Rubinstein, and Beethoven.

New Sussex Opera: John Tomlinson and Friends

• Sunday, November 19, 2023
• 4:00 PM 6:00 PM
• Google CalendarICS

https://www.newsussexopera.org/
Ensemble scenes, duets, solos and choruses: some familiar, some lesser known.

Running time approximately 2 hours plus interval

For lovers of opera and of fine singing –
An unmissable treat

St Saviour’s Church, Eastbourne
4 pm Sunday November 19

Bruckner Te Deum

• Saturday, November 18, 2023
• 7:30 PM 9:10 PM
• Google CalendarICS

New Sussex Opera: John Tomlinson and Friends

• Friday, November 10, 2023
• 7:30 PM 9:30 PM
• Google CalendarICS

https://www.newsussexopera.org/
Ensemble scenes, duets, solos and choruses: some familiar, some lesser known.

Running time approximately 2 hours plus interval

For lovers of opera and of fine singing –
An unmissable treat

St Paul’s Church, Chichester
7.30 pm Friday November 10

Téte á Téte Opera Festival 2023: Looking Inward

• Thursday, September 7, 2023
• 6:00 PM 7:00 PM
• Google CalendarICS

Valentin in Gounod’s Faust

• Sun, Jun 4, 2023 10:30 AM Sun, Jun 18, 2023 11:55 PM
• Google CalendarICS

New Sussex Opera

Further details available: https://www.newsussexopera.org/

A Night at the Opera

• Saturday, June 3, 2023
• 7:00 PM 9:00 PM
• Google CalendarICS

Brahms Requiem at SJE Arts Oxford with Orchestra of St. John’s

• Saturday, May 27, 2023
• 7:00 PM 9:30 PM
• Google CalendarICS

Strauss Four Last Songs
Brahms Requiem

Ilona Domnich soprano
Michael Temporal Darell bass

Orchestra of St John’s
John Lubbock, conductor

Royal Academy of Music Final Recital

• Friday, May 26, 2023
• 4:15 PM 5:00 PM
• Google CalendarICS

Piano: Chavdar Mazgalov

Brahms Requiem at Dorchester Abbey, Orchestra of St. John’s

• Saturday, May 13, 2023
• 7:00 PM 9:30 PM
• Google CalendarICS

Strauss Four Last Songs
Brahms Requiem

Ilona Domnich soprano
Michael Temporal Darell bass

Orchestra of St John’s
John Lubbock, conductor

Royal Academy of Music Opera Scenes

• Friday, May 12, 2023
• 6:00 PM 7:00 PM
• Google CalendarICS

Masetto from ‘ Don Giovanni’

Conte Almaviva from ‘Le Nozze di Figaro’

Royal Academy of Music Opera Scenes

• Thursday, May 11, 2023
• 6:00 PM 7:30 PM
• Google CalendarICS

Masetto from ‘ Don Giovanni’

Conte Almaviva from ‘Le Nozze di Figaro’

Lunchtime Recital at St Stephen Walbrook

• Tuesday, May 2, 2023
• 1:00 PM 1:50 PM
• Google CalendarICS

Carmina Burana with Esterhazy Singers

• Wednesday, April 26, 2023
• 7:30 PM 9:15 PM
• Google CalendarICS

Baritone Solo: Michael Temporal Darell

Join the Esterhazy Singers a concert featuring Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana and Ethel Smyth’s ‘Gloria’ from the Mass in D

OperaMakers at the Royal Academy of Music

• Friday, March 24, 2023
• 6:00 PM 7:05 PM
• Google CalendarICS

Working in close collaboration with Royal Academy vocal faculty and young librettists from the Marylebone Theatre, four Academy composers present the premieres of short opera scenes.

A Concert of Italian Opera

• Monday, March 20, 2023
• 1:00 PM 2:05 PM
• Google CalendarICS

Baritone: Michael Temporal Darell

Soprano: Lily Bravery

Soprano: Sophie Benfield

Piano: Daniel Silcock

1pm David Josefowitz Recital Hall at the Royal Academy of Music

Opera Scenes at the Royal Academy of Music

• Thursday, February 9, 2023
• 7:00 PM 8:10 PM
• Google CalendarICS

Dr Malatesta in ‘Don Pasquale’

Bach in Leipzig with Masaako Suzuki

• Saturday, January 28, 2023
• 12:00 PM 1:00 PM
• Google CalendarICS

Masaaki Suzuki director

JS Bach Du sollt Gott, deinen Herren, lieben, BWV 77; Halt im Gedächtnis Jesum Christ, BWV 67; Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht mit deinem Knecht, BWV 105

Music Director of the Bach Collegium Japan, Masaaki Suzuki, opens the 2023 Bach series with a set of three outstanding cantatas from the first cycle of cantatas written during Bach’s time as Thomaskantor in Leipzig.

Annual Baroque Day

• Saturday, January 14, 2023
• 7:00 PM 9:20 PM
• Google CalendarICS

'Prisoner' by Gardner

• Friday, January 13, 2023
• 6:45 PM 7:55 PM
• Google CalendarICS

The Prisoner: An Opera in One Act
Music by William Gardner
Libretto by Matthew Green

Alex Papp conductor
Eleanor Burke director

Emma Warner The Lawyer
Abbie Ward The Guard
William Gardner The Priest
Michael Temporal Darell The Prisoner

'How long have I been here? Pressed between these four walls. '

In a lightless cell, as a prisoner faces his execution, a lawyer and a priest fight for his life and soul, whilst a guard observes their struggle.

After a sold-out run of 'A New England' at Téte-à-Tête Opera Festival last year, William Gardner and Matthew Green bring you their latest one-act opera, 'The Prisoner', a taut psychological drama that questions whether our beliefs liberate or imprison us.

Content warning: violence & death

Opera Scenes at the Royal Academy of Music

• Friday, October 28, 2022
• 7:00 PM 9:30 PM
• Google CalendarICS

Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia

Opera Scenes at the Royal Academy of Music

• Thursday, October 27, 2022
• 7:00 PM 8:00 PM
• Google CalendarICS

Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia

A New England - Téte-á-Téte Opera Festival

• Saturday, September 10, 2022
• 7:00 PM 7:30 PM
• Google CalendarICS

King Alfred: Michael Temporal Darell

Composer/Asser: William Gardner

Libretto: Matthew Green

Conductor: Kieran Crowley

Having overcome a ruthless Viking onslaught, political betrayal by his own brother, a carousel of hideously debilitating diseases, and the indignity of childhood illiteracy, Alfred, King of the West Saxons, seeks intellectual salvation from Asser, a monk from Wales. Now, he has to contend with his greatest challenge yet, as the survival of all England hangs in the balance.

Video of performance can be found using the following link: https://vimeo.com/749662106?embedded=true&source=video_title&owner=8120683

Southrepps Music Festival Young Artist

• Mon, Aug 8, 2022 1:00 PM Sun, Aug 14, 2022 10:00 PM
• Google CalendarICS

After two years of reduced festivals, we are delighted to bring you full a week of world-class music-making. Nestled in rolling countryside a few miles from the North Norfolk coast, this beautiful village will play host to leading stars of international acclaim, making 2022's festival our most exciting yet!

The Southrepps Music Festival was founded in 2010 by Ben Johnson, Tom Primrose and Daniel Goode. The aim was to bring leading artists to make music of the highest quality in a beautiful corner of rural Norfolk. The extraordinary community in the village of Southrepps has played a vital role in the festival, as long-standing music-lovers and newcomers to classical music alike involve themselves in the production of what has rapidly become a much-loved and keenly anticipated fixture in the region's calendar.

Bach in Leipzig

• Sunday, May 8, 2022
• 12:00 PM 1:15 PM
• Google CalendarICS

Iain Ledingham director

JS Bach Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 190; Wer da gläubet und getauft wird, BWV 37; Wachet! betet! betet! wachet!, BWV 70

New Year, Ascension and Advent are combined in this afternoon’s celebratory concert. Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, composed for New Year’s Day, is full of the joy of the motet of the same name. Wer dagläubet und getauft wird, however, is more restrained. Unlike Bach’s other Ascensiontide works, including the Ascension Oratorio, its scoring is comparatively spare. Rather than wonderment at Christ’s Ascension, this cantata explores the steadfastness of faith. Although originally written in Weimar for the Second Sunday of Advent, Wachet! betet! betet! wachet!in its Leipzig version retains its watchful character, but was liturgically performed earlier on in the year

Royal Academy Opera: Triple Bill

• Saturday, March 26, 2022
• 7:00 PM 8:00 PM
• Google CalendarICS

Ryan Wigglesworth conductor (Prologue to Ariadne auf Naxos/WITCH)
Elizabeth Kenny musical director (Lamento d’Arianna)

Polly Graham director

Monteverdi Lamento d’Arianna
Strauss Prologue to Ariadne auf Naxos
Freya Waley-Cohen WITCH (world premiere)

This triple bill centres around stories of women. Monteverdi’s Lamento d’Arianna and the bustling Prologue to Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos both look at the story of Ariadne – who was abandoned by Theseus on Naxos – but from very different perspectives. Monteverdi’s searing vocal writing takes us to the heart of Ariadne’s pain and anger, while Strauss and librettist Hofmannsthal dance around the story with a meta-theatrical narrative.

WITCH, a newly commissioned opera by Freya Waley-Cohen with a libretto by Ruth Mariner, offers two interwoven narratives that reclaim the idea of female agency and desire. This is a magical realist coming-of-age story, set against the backdrop of the historical horror of what it has meant to be a woman fighting for power and freedom.

Royal Academy Opera: Triple Bill

• Thursday, March 24, 2022
• 7:00 PM 10:00 PM
• Google CalendarICS

Ryan Wigglesworth conductor (Prologue to Ariadne auf Naxos/WITCH)
Elizabeth Kenny musical director (Lamento d’Arianna)

Polly Graham director

Monteverdi Lamento d’Arianna
Strauss Prologue to Ariadne auf Naxos
Freya Waley-Cohen WITCH (world premiere)

This triple bill centres around stories of women. Monteverdi’s Lamento d’Arianna and the bustling Prologue to Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos both look at the story of Ariadne – who was abandoned by Theseus on Naxos – but from very different perspectives. Monteverdi’s searing vocal writing takes us to the heart of Ariadne’s pain and anger, while Strauss and librettist Hofmannsthal dance around the story with a meta-theatrical narrative.

WITCH, a newly commissioned opera by Freya Waley-Cohen with a libretto by Ruth Mariner, offers two interwoven narratives that reclaim the idea of female agency and desire. This is a magical realist coming-of-age story, set against the backdrop of the historical horror of what it has meant to be a woman fighting for power and freedom.

BY IRIDE APARICIO

SILICON VALLEY -- Inside the California Theatre, the stage represents ILSESTEIN, the dark German forest where interrupting the silence one hears the zestful cuckoos of the cuckoo birds. It is a magic place. At night, one could see the Sand Man (JAMIE WOODHULL) sprinkling his golden sand on people's eyes, to puts them to sleep soundly. And when people are sleep, fourteen Angels, wearing wreaths on their heads and holding lighted globes in their hands, descend from heaven and stand around them to protect them. From whom? From the evil Nibble witch, ( KERRIANN OTAÑO) who lives there in a ginger house decorated with candies. It is a yummy house but its sole purpose is evil. It is to entice young children to taste its different flavors of sweets, and when they are munching them, catch them and imprison them in a tall cage with mint candy bars, where after they are fattened they will be baked in a black-metal oven, shaped like a man's head with orange eyes, a lumpy nose and a fiery mouth as door. Inside her oven, the baked children turn into ginger human shaped bread figures. that she places on a row and use the row as a fence. Those who survive sleeping in the forest, will be awaken the next day, by the DEW FAIRY (AMY GOYMERAC).

STEPHANIE SANCHEZ as Hansel and KERRIANN OTAÑO as the witch

Traditionally, this opera is presented in Europe during the holidays to introduce opera to children and one reason is that its libretto, written by ADELHEID WETTE was written as a märchenspiel (Marching game for children) and is based on the brothers WILHELM and JACOB Grimm's fairy tale HANSEL and GRETEL which was published in Germany in l812. As an opera, "HANSEL and GRETEL, premiered on December 23, 1893 at the HOFTHEATRE in Weimar and was conducted by RICHARD STRAUSS.

In spite that it is based on a fairy tale story, the opera should not be considered a fairy tale. It has a witty libretto, and some arias are structurally based in the rhythms of the German folk songs, but musically, the work is operatic. We should remember that the reason why ENGLEBERT HUMPERDINCK (1854-1921) wrote this opera, was to try to establish himself as an opera composer.

Born in on September 1, l854 in Siegburg (Rhineland), HUMPERDINCK was the son of a School Headmaster. As a boy, he played the piano at the age of 5 and started composing at the age of 14. His parents wanted him to study architecture, but at the age of 18, he entered the Cologne Conservatory of Music, where he studied music composition, piano an organ. Upon graduation, he began composing, music and óperas but his work was overshadowed by the works of other composers.

After being overshadowed by RICHARD WAGNER, refusing to be an "imitator" like other composers, or write operas in the Verisimo Genre like the Italians, HUMPERDINCK selected his own Genre: a fairy tale. And to make his "opera" appealing to young children, he used German folk songs as models for some of his arias and a story with two children, as his principal characters. And it was in this field, that HUMPERDINCK was finally accepted as an opera composer

Like the Brothers Grimm's book, the opera relates the story of two children: the son and daughter of a broom maker and his wife who are so poor that seldom have enough money to feed them. In the opera their problem is explained immediately, in the first of the three acts,. inside their cottage, as the two hungry children, sing (in English) arias mentioning food, and at the end, trying to appease their hunger pangs continue singing and start dancing .

Opera San José's (OSJ) presentation of the work is magical. Its mere sets, are able to carry the audience back to the "once upon a time world of fairies." As we looked around, the children were giggling, The adults were smiling, everybody in the auditorium looked happy. During the intermission, I asked an Opera Patron, how she felt, about the production, and with the same spark in her eyes as the children, she told me that the performance had managed to bring her back to her childhood.

And the work ran seamlessly on that night. Under the direction of Conductor JOSEPH MARCHESO, the music was played neither too soft or too loud, allowing the voices of all the singers to be heard over the orchestra. Under the stage direction of LAYNA CHIANAKAS, all singers made us believe in their characters.

Designed by LARRY HANCOCK, the sets: the forest, the children's cottage, the witch's ginger bread house, her jail, and her oven outside the house, conveyed perfectly the magic in the fairy tale, with each set resembling a printed drawing on one of its pages

And as we looked at the humble interior of the children's house, the production started and the set came alive when soprano ELENA GALVÁN as Gretel started singing, clapping her hands and tapping her feet on the floor, and Mezzo Soprano TALIN NALBANDIAN tried to imitate what she is doing in her role of her clumsy dancer brother HANSEL. The voice of HANSEL Played that night by Mezzo-Soprano NALBANDIAN, replacing STEPHANIE SANCHEZ that was ill, was full and pleasant, and she played her role as a young boy trying to act tough to impress his sister, believable. On her part soprano Gretel (GALVÁN) handled all her high notes clearly. her performance was seamless.

The best vocalization on that night, however, was given by EUGENE BRANCOVEANU, who played the role of their father. The baritone, vocalized his words clearly and interpreted his arias them in a beautiful timbre of voice. As mother KERRIANN OTAÑO also gave a believable performance as both the mother, and as the witch even riding a bicycle, for lack of a broom that could fly.

Elena Galvàn as Gretel and Stephony Sanchez as Hansel protected by an Angel

And contributed to the ambiance of the story were the costumes of the parents, children and different characters including the Sandman, angels and witch ( created by ELIZABETH POINDEXTER. Perhaps the only things that needed to be changed on that night was the lighting, that in some scenes (the descending of the angels) needed to be brighter

And if not in the usual "and they live happily ever after ending" the story ends on a high note and with "poetic justice" (the good rewarded and the evil punished) And to verbalize the premise in the story, it ends as the father tells all the children: When past bearing is our grief, then God, the Lord will send relief.

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