Mass. To Lose House Seat

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The state is one of 10 that will lose representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives following Tuesday’s release of Census data.
 
State officials were expecting the loss, the first since 1992, and legislative leaders recently formed a redistricting committee. There will now be nine representatives, down from 10.
 
The state joins Iowa, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Michigan, New Jersey, Illinois, Louisana with states that will lose one representative; New York and Ohio will both lose two.
 
Texas gained the most seats with four. Washington, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Georgia and South Carolina all gained one seat and Florida two.
 
The Bay State's population did increase, but at a slower rate than other states. The population increased by 3.1 percent to 6,547,629. The data also shows that the state is the fifth most dense in the country.
 
U.S. Rep. John W. Olver, D-Amherst, in a statement, vowed that the long-anticipated announcement does not curtail his plans to run for re-election in 2012.
 
"The loss of a seat in Massachusetts was expected. The Census Bureau released some interim population data over the last decade, and all of the academic models predicted that Massachusetts would likely lose a seat," said Olver. "Given this announcement, the Massachusetts Legislature must now re-apportion the state into nine congressional districts of equal population instead of 10.  

"No one can know what the extent of district changes will be until the Legislature finishes its job, but some districts will inevitably undergo significant change as all of the remaining nine will have to add population. Specific redistricting options will be weighed and considered by the Legislature, and the final decision on what to do rests with the Legislature alone."
 
The 1st Massachusetts District, which covers nearly the entire western half of the state, could get larger. Urban areas in the central part of the state could be added and the redistricting will have a major impact on federal funding. 
 
Berkshire Middle Register of Deeds Andrea F. Nuciforo Jr. has requested a series of local hearings to ensure that the interests of small cities and towns are fairly represented in the redistricting process. Nuciforo, also a Democrat, announced last year that he will challenge Olver.

The changes could also affect the number of state representatives in the western end of the state.
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Classical Beat: Enjoy Great Music at Tanglewood, Sevenars Festivals

By Stephen DanknerSpecial to iBerkshires

As Tanglewood enters its fourth week, stellar performances will take center stage in Ozawa Hall and in the Koussevitsky Shed.

Why go? To experience world-class instrumental soloists, such as the stellar piano virtuoso Yuja Wang. Also not to be missed are the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, as well as visiting guest ensembles and BSO and TMC soloists as they perform chamber and orchestral masterworks by iconic composers Purcell, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Wagner, Prokofiev, Richard Strauss, Vaughan Williams and Ives.

In addition to Tanglewood, there are also outstanding performances to be enjoyed at the Sevenars Music Festival in South Worthington. Both venues present great music performed in acoustically resonant venues by marvelous performers.

Read below for the details for concerts from Wednesday, July 17-Tuesday, July 22.

Tanglewood

• Wednesday, July 17, 8 p.m. in Ozawa Hall • Recital Series: The phenomenal world-class piano virtuoso Yuja Wang presents a piano recital in Ozawa Hall.

• Thursday July 18, 8 p.m. in Ozawa Hall • Recital SeriesLes Arts Florissants, William Christie, Director and Mourad Merzouki, Choreographer presents a performance of Henry Purcell's ‘semi-opera'/Restoration Drama "The Fairy Queen."

• Friday, July 19, 8 p.m. in the Shed: Maestro Dima Slobodeniouk leads the Boston Symphony Orchestra in a program of Leonard Bernstein (the deeply moving, jazz-tinged Symphony No. 2 ("Age of Anxiety") and Brahms' glorious Symphony No. 3.

• Saturday, July 20, 8 p.m. in the Shed: BSO Maestro Andris Nelsons leads the Orchestra in a concert version of Richard Wagner's thrilling concluding music drama from his "Ring" cycle-tetralogy, "Götterdämmerung." The stellar vocal soloists include sopranos Christine Goerke and Amanda Majeske, tenor Michael Weinius, baritone James Rutherford, bass Morris Robinson and Rhine maidens Diana Newman, Renée Tatum and Annie Rosen.

• Sunday, July 21, 2:30 p.m. in the Shed: Maestro Nelsons leads the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra (TMCO) in a program of Ives (the amazingly evocative "Three Places in New England"), Beethoven (the powerful Piano Concerto No. 3 with soloist Emanuel Ax) and Richard Strauss ("Also sprach Zarathustra" — you'll recognize its iconic "sunrise" opening).

• Tuesday, July 22, 7:00 p.m. in the Shed • Popular Artist Series: Beck, with the Boston Pops, Edwin Outwater, conductor.

For tickets to all Tanglewood events, call 888-266-1200, or go to tanglewood.org.

Sevenars Music Festival

Founded in 1968, Sevenars Concerts, Inc., presents its 56th anniversary season of six summer concerts, held at the Academy in South Worthington, located at 15 Ireland St., just off Route 112.

• Sunday, July 21, at 4 p.m.: Sevenars is delighted to present violist Ron Gorevic, returning to Sevenars after his stunning Bach recital in 2023. This year, Gorevic will offer a groundbreaking program including music of Kenji Bunch, Sal Macchia, Larry Wallach, and Tasia Wu, the latter three composing especially for him. In addition, he'll offer Bach's magnificent Chaconne in D minor and Max Reger's 3rd Suite.

Hailed by The New York Times, Gorevic continues a long and distinguished career as a performer on both violin and viola. Along with solo recitals, he has toured the United States, Germany, Japan, Korea, and Australia, performing most of the quartet repertoire. In London, he gave the British premieres of pieces by Donald Erb and Ned Rorem. He has recorded for Centaur Records as soloist and member of the Prometheus Piano Quartet, and for Koch Records as a member of the Chester String Quartet.

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