Academy Hilltones

South Church 4 pm

St. Johnsbury Academy's select mixed a cappella vocal group known as the Hilltones sing a delightfully eclectic program ranging from sacred to contemporary. Director Alan Rowe thinks of these talented singers as the "Academy's vocal ambassadors" with their performances at schools, churches, service clubs, and lodges, plus an annual appearance at the Vermont Madrigal Festival in Burlington. A major mark of Hilltones' excellence is sharing the stage in this year's Christmas concert with Counterpoint, Vermont's premier professional vocal ensemble.

Pina Antonelli Website

South Church 6 and 8 pm

Pianist Pina Antonelli has received coast to coast recognition, having performed in major concert halls both here and abroad. She has held recitals aboard the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth II and been a guest of royalty around the world. A senior music critic of the New York Times had this to say upon hearing Antonelli play at his home: "The talented Pina-Madonna face, ivory fingers, musical brain-has phenomenal technique, great freedom and personality in her style…and represents the Golden Era of playing." Antonelli's programs with their trademark crowd-pleasing blockbusters leave her audiences on their feet in enraptured applause. Come hear the music she can bring from the fine Steinway concert grand at South Church.

Laurel Askren & Jesse Proia

Fuller Hall 6 pm

Dancer Laurel Askren and visual artist Jesse Proia collaborate to reveal the balance one seeks to find between the masculine and feminine elements present in the natural passing and renewal of the seasonal cycle. In Jesse’s visual explorations through sculptural set design, he looks to ecological cycles in a contemporary context. In Laurel’s performance she pays witness to the body, movements, and physical actions as they cycle and evolve with nature. Both artists explore the network of relationships between internal and external cycling; Askren and Proia combine micro and macro perspectives on human relation to the environment. Through non-traditional depictions, both of nature and of contemporary body movement, the two artists ask the viewer how modern humans affect the earth, and how the modern earth affects the body.

Banjo Dan & the Mid-nite Plowboys Website

North Church 10 and 11 pm

Welcome to New England bluegrass at its best. Since the 1970s, Banjo Dan and the Mid-nite Plowboys have consistently delivered some of the finest, most dynamic and most original bluegrass music ever heard in this corner of the country. With countless performances under their belts and an extensive catalog of acclaimed recordings, the Plowboys have developed a large fan base and a reputation as top-notch entertainers. It's a reputation built on soulful lead singing, spot-on harmonies, fiery picking, and a stage show full of energy, variety, and humor.

Bayley-Hazen Boys

North Church 7 pm

The Bayley-Hazen Boys take you on a rollicking ride from the hills of northern Vermont down through Americana to the southern Appalachians. Combining their fresh interpretation of time-tested traditional material with a wealth of original songs these two musical veterans from the popular Bluegrass band Gopher Broke blend soulful ballads, tight vocal harmonies, and hard-driving instrumental work into a sound evoking the spirit of the early Stanley Brothers and Bill and Charlie Monroe. The Bayley-Hazen Boys feature Gary Darling on mandolin and Steve Wright on guitar. Come hear a style of music that is becoming increasingly scarce.

Bethel Anabaptist Musicians

St. Andrew's Church 4 and 5 pm

The Bethel Anabaptist Musicians are an ensemble of talented young people who worship God in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord in their hearts. Many of their musical scores take their lyrics directly from the Bible. Come and join in when you are invited to sing along in an old-fashioned hymn sing.

The Bob Amos Band Website

North Church 8 and 9 pm

The Bob Amos Band presents an entertaining mix of folk-rock music, featuring great original material which ranges from rock to pop, from blues to Bluegrass, and from Celtic to country that have made a favorite in the Northeast Kingdom. Singout! magazine has called Bob Amos "one of the most consistently intelligent and interesting songwriters in American music." In addition to Bob's songs, the band also covers some tunes from the likes of the Beatles, the Byrds and Bob Marley. The Bob Amos Band features Bob on guitar, Sarah Amos on percussion, Nate Amos on bass, and Gary Darling on mandolin. All of the band members share in the powerful harmony vocals.

Bobbie & Me & Dr. D.

Universalist Unitarian Congregation 6 and 9 pm

Bobbie Strich and Marvin ("Me") Drake have been performing in the North Country for nearly three decades now, presenting many of their acoustic classics long before they were classics. Their unique guitar styles and vocal harmonies bring these vintage songs to life with an original twist that's sure to appeal to almost any taste in music. They will be joined this year by percussionist David Miller, who they call "Dr. D" and who works so well with the duo that they have a good time as a trio whenever they get together.

Burke Mountain Bandits & Mike Fortier Website

Morse Center Stuart Theater 6 and 7 pm

The Burke Mountain Bandits will rock your night with their unique style and arrangements of country/rockabilly music. Featuring solid backbeats, smooth walking bass licks, "Carl Perkins" style lead guitar, strong rhythm acoustic guitar, smooth vocals, and a splash of fiddle thrown in as they recreate a mixture of country, rock, rockabilly, and honky-tonk tunes including Folsom Prison Blues, Chantilly Lace, Call Me the Breeze, a little Elvis, and a lot of Hank. It's refreshing, fun, foot-stomping, hand-clapping music. Featuring award winning, National Fiddlers' Hall of Fame fiddler, Scott Campbell, Mike Gosselin on drums, and lead singer Mike Fortier.

Kevin Colosa

St. Andrew's Church 10 pm

Equally unusual is the music of Kevin Colosa who plays the Theremin. Invented in 1920 and named after its Russian inventor Léon Theremin, it is the world's oldest electronic musical instrument. Colosa skillfully moves his hands near its two antennas to control oscillators for pitch with one hand and volume with the other. Best known for producing eerie sounds for the soundtracks of scary movies, many people have heard the Theremin's unique music without knowing what they were hearing. Memorable tunes take on a whole new dimension when played on this ethereal instrument.

Paul Connelly

North Church 4 pm

Paul Connelly returns to the choir loft and the pipe organ console where his mother Barbara has directed him in North Church's choir since he was six years old. Now with his degree in instrumental and choral music education from Hope College under his belt, Connelly will be playing a variety of organ works that provide a cross-section of the history of organ music. There will be pieces from each musical era, bringing the listener from the 17th century to the present-everything from Bach to Goemanne-played on North Church's magnificent 2000-pipe, four-manual organ.

Contra Dance

St. Johnsbury School Multi-purpose Room 7:30 - 9:30 pm

Ben Bergstein will call the moves as David Carpenter plays the fiddle and April Werner plays the piano while the lines of dancers move up and down the hall. All the rage in 1800 and still immensely popular, contra dancing is a form of American folk dance where by the end of the evening you are likely to have danced with everyone. Many of the basic moves in contra dancing are similar to those in square dancing, except the dancers form a set of two parallel lines which run the length of the hall. Your feet are never asked to do more than walk to the music, so anyone who can walk can contra dance. Each dance is taught, and dancers are prompted continually as needed. Ben Bergstein has been a teacher and performer of traditional dances of the world for over 40 years and a New England dance caller for 30. He is the founder/director of two group of touring cultural ambassadors-Green Mountain Volunteers and FolKids of Vermont. For almost two decades David Carpenter has been the fiddler-in-residence at Maple Grove Farms where he has entertained leaf peepers from around the world with Vermont fiddle tunes and stories about sugaring. April Werner has performed traditional dance, music and song for many years. She and David have been playing together for contra dancing for many years, both locally and in exotic places around the globe.

Country Corner Squares

St. Johnsbury School Multi-purpose Room 6 - 7:30 pm

Do-si-do and allemande and grand-right-left and promenade and all those happy Western Square Dance moves are demonstrated by the Country Corner Squares. They welcome you to join in the fun. Come as a couple or alone; partners are provided as needed. All the moves are taught by caller Barbara Connelly and friendly veteran dancers. All you really need is a smile. But you don't even need to bring that; you'll be wearing a smile before you know it. You just won't be able to help yourself.

Note: No street shows or boots will be allowed on the dance floor. Bring clean soft soled shoes or sneakers for dancing or dance in your stocking feet.

Dancing Djinn Website

On the street 6:40, 7:40 and 8:40 pm

You'll find Dancing Djinn at the corner of Main Street and Eastern Avenue as you make your way from one venue to another. This group of local fire artists will be dazzling their outdoor audiences with their routines that light up the night. They perform chiefly with fire poi but are expanding into contact staff, double staff, and fire hula hoop. Their work focuses on aesthetics, dance, movement, and theatrics. Dancing Djinn's lineup is Rebecca Aldridge, Charlie Cushing, Blake Unger Dvorchik, Annie Guest, and Isaac Vars.

Derby Line Barbershop Quartet

St. Johnsbury House 7 and 9 pm

Derby Line is a local barbershop quartet that specializes in Tin Pan Alley and Victorian-era classics. The foursome-Ross Fields, Dave Johnson, Chuck Fergus, and John Cogan-may also break out in doo-wop, show tunes, and ballads when the spirit moves them. These gents love that four-part harmony!

Derk & the Avengers

Catamount Arts Cabaret 7 pm

Derk and the Avengers has an ever changing lineup, but one thing is certain: They never disappoint. This small group bends the boundaries of music, and their live shows are mind-bogglingly intense with musical and spiritual energy. Whether on a twisting, turning jam over a simple bass line, or a tight blues or ballad, Derk and the Avengers will get your groove on. Come see them for a hot show. The dance floor will be open!

Donahue Family Singers

St. Johnsbury House 6 pm

Samantha, Sean, and Sarah Donahue-ages 15, 16, and 17-offer a selection of sacred and inspirational songs. Their beautifully pure unison sopranos and close sibling harmonies have amazed unsuspecting audiences. Home-schooled in Stark, NH, the Donahue children have been annual featured performers at the popular Fryeburg Fair.

Family Fun Fair

Academy Fieldhouse 4 - 8:30 pm

St. Johnsbury Academy's Community of Concern turns the Fieldhouse into the Family Fun Fair. It's party time for toddlers to teens with balloon animals, hat-making, and face-painting. Energetic youngsters really get into the giant inflated fun of the Bounce House, Obstacle Course, and Football Toss. So bring the kids to the Fair! It's no fair if you don't!

Fifth Business

Grace Church 4 and 5 pm

Fifth Business celebrates the acoustic sound in music, sometimes reminiscent of pub singing. Kate, Steve and Hannah Davie, Heather Alger, Nick Anzalone, and Stuart Corso place a strong emphasis on vocals. Their songs and tunes range from traditional a cappella singing to more complex arrangements with instrumentation by guitar, fiddle, and button accordion. They draw from musical roots set in American, English, and Celtic tradition, as well as some of Steve's more contemporary compositions. Their trademark comedic sidelines should prevent them from being confused with the (“upstart”) Burlington-based indy rock band of a similar name.

Lewis Franco & the Missing Cats Website

St. Johnsbury School Auditorium 9 pm

Lewis Franco has been a fixture on the Vermont acoustic music scene for many years, entertaining audiences of all ages with clever and occasionally profound lyrics, delightfully tuneful melodies, and a fun-loving presence. The Missing Cats play mostly original swing music of various styles including jive swing, gypsy swing, Latin swing, western swing, even some lounge swing. You name it, they swing it with three-part vocal harmonies, and stunning jazz solos by Will Patton on mandolin and Dono Schabner on guitar.

Stephen Herreid Website

Catamount Arts Cabaret at 9pm and 11pm

Homeschooled, Stephen was encouraged by his large musical family to play guitar. Influenced by the likes of Jim Croce and Cat Stevens, Stephen's music is a combination of the folk-rock sound of the 60's and 70's. Herreid's family-friendly ad-lib comical stage presence balances the heavy-weight perceptiveness of lyrics and the intensity of his voice to reflect the struggles of contemporary relationships and society. His sets will feature other surprise talented local friends.

Karaoke!

Kingdom Recovery Center 5 pm - Midnight

For those who want to make their own music and sing along to karaoke back-ups, the staff and friends of the Kingdom Recovery Center welcome you. "Open Mic" entertainment and poetry reading acts are also invited to share your stuff. Hot cider, coffee, and cookies will be served at Dr. Bob's Birthplace on the corner of Central and Summer Streets.

Kirby Quilters Website

Catamount Arts Gallery 4pm -8pm

With special hands-on activities for kids and quilting demos for New Year's Eve, this exhibit spotlights the work of group member Thea Storz, who just recently finished the "The Great Kirby Documentary Quilt" after three years of work. Storz is showing this centerpiece work and a selection of her own quilts and photos, as well as assembling a variety of group and individual quilts that the Kirby Quilters have completed over the years. One of the most community-spirited organizations in the Northeast Kingdom, the Kirby Quilters was formed in 1976 and has been binding this tiny, rural community together with stitches and fabric ever since, while at the same time sharing the art of quilting and community. Refreshments will be served, and tickets for the Kirby Quilters' 2009 raffle quilt: "All Aboard the Kirby Flyer," will be on sale.

King of Silly Website

St. Johnsbury School Auditorium 4 and 6 pm

Ever wondered what former radio personality Todd Wellington has been up to? The answer will be revealed when he and his alter ego as the "The King of Silly" take the stage. Reports are that The King will feature something rarely seen over the last decade: new material! According to undisclosed sources, he's spent most of the last year working on new forms of silliness in the fortified bunker that lies under his Happy Vista Acres Ranch in Lyndon. "Who knows what he's been doing down there," said friend and former on-air foil, Steve Nichols. "But I hear his new production team includes a theoretical physicist and a crate of pickles." Rumors that he's in talks for a run of 50 shows at London's 02 Arena cannot be confirmed.

Kingdom County Comic Theater

Catamount Arts Cabaret at 4pm and 5pm

Teens and adults are again invited to enjoy the original sketch comedy and improvisation by a troupe of local young people directed by the Kingdom's own movie mogul, Jay Craven. Kingdom County Comic Theater's bold material mimics the style of Monty Python, Duck's Breath Mystery Theater, and Saturday Night Live.

James Lamar Website

St. Johnsbury School Auditorium 5 pm

Children's musician James Lamar began his songwriting while serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Botswana, Africa. His focus is on fun songs for the whole family. He incorporates important messages about healthy choices and character development into his lively, energetic music.

The Magic of Ishkabibble

Professor Marvel's Magic Show Website

Bob Shelley the Hypnotist Website

Fuller Hall 4, 7, and 9 pm

Three different shows, one great performer. Bob Shelley, aka Professor Marvel, aka "Ishkabibble" earned his nicknames with 30 years of entertaining with comedy, magic, and hypnosis, appearing on stage and television across North America. His ridiculously funny magic show has become the longest-running performance of its kind. His hypnosis and magic are always a fast-paced mix of comedy, music, zany stunts and visual gags—hilarious fun for the whole family. Bob Shelley's magic and hypnosis shows at First Night Rutland were so popular that they had to open the balcony of the spacious Paramount Theater every time he performed—five years in a row. Bob Shelley is the most requested professional variety entertainer from here to New York State to Montreal and on into Quebec and Ontario!

"The Magic of Ishkabibble" at 4 pm will be geared to the younger crowd.

"Prof. Marvel's Magic Show" is a show at 7 pm for general audiences.

"Bob Shelley the Hypnotist" will have people of all ages laughing at themselves at the 9 pm show.

Maple Leaf Seven Website

Streeter Hall Dining Room 7 - 9:45 pm

For more than 30 years, the Maple Leaf Seven has been bringing their Dixieland style jazz well north of the Mason-Dixon line. These seven musicians-Jim Torres, Ron Ducham, Marty McRae, Sally Fishburn, John Goodrich, Gary Aubin, and Phil Brown combine clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano, tuba/bass and drums to perform a broad selection of jazz favorites. But it isn't just the sound of New Orleans. Their first set will be devoted to swing for your dancing pleasure. Then traditional jazz, contemporary songs, spirituals, and gospel hymns are added to the pot with that unique Dixie spice to make Maple 7-sweetened gumbo for a cold winter night.

Cody Michaels Website

South Church 10 pm

Hardwick-based piano soloist and composer Cody Michaels will celebrate the season with his newly released "Winter Suite." Formerly a park ranger, Appalachian Trail caretaker, and farm hand who "played piano on the side", it was during a long walk on the Appalachian Trail in 1997 that Michaels vowed to devote the remainder of his life to music. His jazz pianist father introduced him to the piano at the age of three. He studied classical, but his diverse influences and intuitive approach foster a style that defies genre. His unique, passionate musical expressions inspire comparisons to the likes of Beethoven, George Winston, and Keith Jarrett. Many also note the remarkable degree to which his highly textured sound evokes spirituality and the wonders of nature. Says Michaels, "The piano is a way to connect with the mystery of creation and every song is a prayer."

Ashley Miles

Universalist Unitarian Congregation 7 pm

Ashley Miles is a 12-year old local girl who loves to sing and play guitar. Country music is her specialty, but she sings any song that appeals to her. For the last two years she has been named New Hampshire Country Music Association "Female Vocalist of the Year - New Country" in her age category and recently won the North American Country Music Association International "Future Star of Tomorrow" award. Come hear this young Colgate Country Showdown contestant so you can say you "heard her when…"

Moore Family

St. Johnsbury House 8 pm

Mom and three daughters have been making music together for over two years. They are a favorite at the St. Johnsbury House where they entertain monthly for the Good Living Senior Center crowd. You will be treated to folk music, old and new, played on mountain dulcimers, guitar, mandolin, fiddles, tin whistles and often accompanying their moving and lively vocals.

Motel Brothers Website

Catamount Arts Cabaret at 8pm and 10pm

Hailing originally from America's Rustbelt, singer-songwriter James Bentley cut his musical teeth in Nashville. He now brings his roots influences, raw vocals, and gritty, thoughtful songs to Vermont, where Bentley has found poetic inspiration in the hearty folk and solemn peace of the Northeast Kingdom. Eric "Nord" Segalstad was reared in the icy fjord lands of Norway, where he made a name for himself as a virtuoso mandolinist and guitarist with the jazz-fusion quartet, Chai. Nord's blend of tender picking and driving twang mark his on-the-edge playing style. The Motel Brothers' live repertoire includes original acoustic tunes-inspired by the world we see and the deep traditions of country music, folk, and the blues songs and a few instrumentals. Listen also for occasional covers by Johnny Cash, Ryan Adams, Steve Earle, the Rolling Stones, the Hackensaw Boys, and Old Crow Medicine Show.

Movie - The Men Who Stare at Goats Website

Catamount Arts Theater #1 at 4pm, 6pm, 8pm and 10pm

A reporter (Ewan McGregor), trying to lose himself in the romance of war after his marriage fails, gets more than he bargains for when he meets a special forces agent who reveals the existence of a secret, psychic military unit whose goal is to end war as we know it. The founder of the unit has gone missing and the trail leads to another psychic soldier who has distorted the mission to serve his own ends. This adaptation of the Jon Ronson book also stars George Clooney, Kevin Spacey, and Jeff Bridges, and course, a goat.

Rated R; running time: 94 minutes

Movie - Soul Power Website

Catamount Arts Theater #2 at 4pm, 6pm, 8pm and 10pm

Though the eyes of the world were on "The Rumble in the Jungle" in 1974, their ears should have been on Zaire '74, the mammoth music festival that took place in the shadow of the battle between Mohammad Ali and George Foreman. This documentary takes the stellar cut footage from When We Were Kings and chronicles the concerts from big names such as James Brown, B.B. King, Bill Withers, and Celia Cruz. Though Zaire '74 might have been overlooked in favor of the legendary fight, Soul Power still packs a serious punch for music fans.

Rated PG-13; running time: 93 minutes

Not the Best

Universalist Unitarian Congregation 8 pm

Three friends making music around the woodstove in a cabin in the hills of Vermont decided that having fun was much more important than being perceived as anything fancy. From that day forward they have been known as Not The Best. And they have a lot of fun playing an eclectic blend of music from old time, toe-tapping fiddle tunes to bluegrass and folk, with even a little bit of country thrown in, blending their multi-instrumental talents with their beautiful harmonies. Paul Amey on fiddle, mandolin, guitar and vocals, will occasionally, if prodded enough, even tell a story or two. Tom Bishop plays old-time banjo, big bass fiddle, harmonica and baritone vocals. Samantha Fixter finger-picks her guitar, and plays big bass fiddle, hammer dulcimer, and sings.

Planetarium Show - Once Upon a Blue Moon Website

Fairbanks Museum 6, 7, 8 and 9 pm

December 31, 2009 is the day of the second full moon of the month. That rare phenomenon of the calendar is called a "blue moon." How often does that happen right on New Year's Eve? The odds must be astronomical! In any case, a blue moon sounds like an auspicious night to explore other astronomical phenomena. Be forewarned that the Rotary Planetarium's seating capacity is only 45. So reserve your place by presenting your First Night button at the Fairbanks Museum on or before New Year's Eve.

Pumpkin Hill Singers

Grace Church 8 pm

For over 30 years the Pumpkin Hill Singers have delighted a loyal following with their eclectic mix of music from many times and places. Director Susanne Terry and poet Steve Parker are married to each other and to their music. Together they have produced a collection of homegrown songs that tell a variety of wistful, witty, and winsome stories. Over the years, the singers of Pumpkin Hill have changed, with only a couple of charter members still in the group, but the signature four-part harmonies have grown sweeter with age. The "Pumpkins" are accompanied by Ellen and Jeff Gold on guitar and woodwinds, David Hare on percussion, and special guest Bill Tobin on harp.

The Rêves Website

Morse Center Stuart Theater 8 and 9 pm

The Rêves is a five-man alternative rock band based out of Lyndonville with Jake Machell on lead vocals, accompanied by Iain Brown, Sonny Edwards, Freddie Losambe, and Zach Ummer. The Rêves was built using musical clay and the musicianship of members from previous bands and groups including: Liquichicken, Call Kettle Black, Point of View, and the Pittsburgh Zombies.

Rubato

Catamount Arts Cabaret 6 pm

Rubato is an instrumental duo featuring Bill and Walker Storz. Following an impressive debut at Lyndonville's Cafe Sweet Basil about a year ago, they have played at some of the finest local music venues. No matter what their fervent fans have come to expect, Rubato always surprises. Mixing blues and jazz standards with rock, soul, Latin, and "associated hokum," Rubato defies genres and labels. This band is a great choice to see in an intimate venue such as Catamount Cabaret.

St. Johnsbury Drum Ensemble

St. Andrew's Church 9 pm

Originally getting together for their own enjoyment and the spiritual companionship of drumming, they have become an exciting performance group known as the St. Johnsbury Afro-Caribbean Drum Ensemble. Local "conguera" Linda Warnaar has been drilling her dedicated group of drumming aficionados to welcome the new year with the driving rhythms of the Caribbean, including powerful Haitian chants.

Benny Sharoni Quartet Website

South Church 7 and 9 pm

The son of émigrés from Chile and Yemen, tenor saxophonist Benny Sharoni grew up on a kibbutz in Israel, and was heavily influenced by Latin and African-based music and rhythms. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1986 to study jazz performance at Berklee School of Music, and has been a mainstay on the U.S. and international jazz scenes ever since. His music is an energetic blend of straight ahead bop with Latin infusions.  The repertoire includes standards from the American Songbook as well as melodic original tunes.  Benny is currently touring to promote his critically acclaimed latest CD "Eternal Elixir".

He brings with him to St. Johnsbury Rusty Scott on piano, Dmitri Gordeski on acoustic bass, and Steve Silverstein on drums.

Mark Shelton Website

St. Johnsbury School Auditorium 11 pm

A dynamic performer with astounding vocal prowess. Mark Shelton's "Golden Classics Crooner Tour" brings to life the hit songs of Bobby Darin, Roy Orbison, Ricky Nelson, Perry Como and other greats, with incredible precision. Shelton has received international acclaim for his impersonation of "The King," Elvis Presley, and his royally entertaining late show is the crowning touch for First Night 2010.

Sidrak & Bakkus Website

Morse Center Stuart Theater 10 and 11 pm

St. Johnsbury Academy grads Nate Amos and Ryan Murphy, veterans of the bands Catamaran and The Manix, have joined with Josh Huntsberry and Bovice Brown at UVM to become the alternative rock band Sidrak & Bokkus. The band has polished both a universally appealing sound and an uncanny ability to portray emotion in a style that consistently attracts both younger and older audiences across the map. Even though they're still young as a band, S&B shows a level of musical maturity far surpassing others of their generation. And though the name may seem unconventional at first, the songs and performances will undoubtedly have the phrase "Sidrak and Bokkus" burned into the collective brain of the musical world as we know it.

Len Solomon Website

St. Johnsbury School Auditorium 7 and 8 pm

Leonard Solomon's one-man variety show interprets the great musical classics on some of the most bizarre homemade instruments ever seen or heard, including the "Majestic Bellowphone," conceived and constructed in his basement, and then taken to Harvard Square where it became a classic street act.. No description can adequately convey the goose-honking and train-whistle cacophony of the Majestic Bellowphone or the sweet piping of the miniature organ, the Callioforte, with symphonic compositions arranged by the inscrutable Mr. Solomon for Dog Whistles and Bicycle Horn. Solomon's classical music training is obvious, as is his eccentric genius as he rounds out the show with a polished ball-juggling routine. The Bellowphone Show has appeared several times on national television, and in venues from Jordan Hall, Boston, to theatres in Singapore and Japan.

Swing dance lesson

Streeter Hall Dining Room 6 pm

Michelle Decker and Phil Ciotti will be teaching a beginner lesson East Coast Swing lesson for the fourth consecutive year at First Night in St. Johnsbury. You can learn steps to swing to the music of the Maple Leaf Seven following the lessons. Michelle and Phil host monthly ballroom/Latin dance lessons with a variety of instructors from Vermont and New Hampshire teaching East and West coast swing, cha cha, waltz, foxtrot, rumba, Texas two-step, salsa, and Argentine tango. An open dance with a variety of DJ'd music follows the lessons. (For more information regarding these events, contact Phil Ciotti via email pjciotti@yahoo.com or by phone 748-3044.) Dancers are advised to bring sturdy and sensible shoes.

The Tessellations

St. Andrew's Church 7 and 8 pm

Linda Warnaar's new group is The Tessellations. Linda sings all original songs that blend Latin, jazz, and funk rhythms, with Micah Carbonneau on bass and Alex Wolfton on trumpet. Warnaar has family roots in jazz: her grandfather and, after him, her father were big-band trumpet players and directors of the same swing band. She credits playing the trumpet as how she learned to sing, Her jazz sensibilities show in her music. In addition to her expressive voice, Warnaar's main instrument is the guitar. Both drummers, Warnaar and Carbonneau have been collaborating on various musical project for ten years. Trumpeter Wolfton is a college student who plays with a maturity well beyond his years.

Bill Tobin Website

Grace Church 9 pm

On the harp, Bill Tobin makes the sweetest sound this side of, well, you know, the place with all the beautiful harp music. He was a recent participant in the Edinburgh International Harp Festival where, as he said, the music seemed "to lift me to another level beyond where words can describe." Something similar happens to audiences when they hear Tobin's own highly regarded contemporary compositions that range from ethereal meditative pieces to lively jigs. Tobin also plays his arrangements of well-known classical and sacred music. For this music Tobin has won numerous awards in harp competition, including the New England Scottish harp championship. An outdoor enthusiast, Bill's music is often inspired by the peace and joy that is found in nature.

Thrive Dance Company

Fuller Hall 5 pm

For this year's First Night performance, Thrive Dance Company is proud to welcome guest performer Emily Frazier.  Thrive show features new choreographies by Laurel Askren, as well as evolving pieces from the company's repertoire. Askren and McGregor infuse modern dance with jazz, lyrical, and hip-hop tones to create collaborative movement collections of time, rhythm, and shape.  Askren's new movement explores the transitory dynamic between woman and her mother identities; Thrive weaves a web of development from infancy to adulthood and from dreamworld to conscious movement in the waking world.  McGregor's choreographies integrate percussive action within pulsing circular waves of motion to show gravity as effected by different styles of movement.  The company continues to expand and explore themes of stylistic movement integration to present a unique eclectic mix of motion.

Vermont Intaglio

Gatto Nero Studio 4 pm - Midnight

Bill and Kim Darling welcome you to Gatto Nero.  Located at the corner of Eastern Avenue and Thaddeus Lane, Gatto Nero is Bill and Kim's intaglio printmaking studio and gallery. Intaglio is a fine art printmaking process in which a metal plate is covered with an acid-resistant ground, which is then drawn into with a pointed instrument, exposing the surface of the metal. A chemical bath erodes away the exposed metal, creating incised lines. The plate is then inked and delicately wiped and printed on a damp paper on an etching press. The pressure forces the paper into the incised areas, producing rich and three dimensional lines. Many of the prints in this exhibit of work by Vermont printmakers employ a multiple and complex layering of techniques including engraving, aquatint, drypoint, and mezzotint. You have to see the work to appreciate its beauty, and you have to see it done to understand the process. A tour of the show and demonstration of intaglio will begin at 6 pm.

Windrose

Grace Church 6 and 7 pm

Popular "Eye on the Sky" weatherman Mark Breen is the "bass-line" for this quartet featuring the lush treble vocals of Becky Canedy and Pat Webster, joined this year by Sandi Breen, the newest member of the group. Their harmonic arrangements, both a capella and accompanied by Mark's guitar, bring a distinctive sound to their range of music, from Celtic to contemporary, and from ballads to Broadway. Don't miss their original tune, "You Melt My Chocolate," keeping you warm on a winter evening of entertainment. Windrose's unique choreography and prop comedy make them one of First Night's favorite perennials.

YAK (You Already Know)Website

Fuller Hall 8 and 10 pm

They call themselves YAK, which stands for You Already Know. YAK is a group of young men who grew up with each other and became the self-proclaimed "world's greatest street dance crew." They usually perform on the streets of Boston, showing off their "styles" such as breakdance, hip-hop, house, krump, rave, popping and locking. With skills forged in the heat of one-on-one "cypher" competitions, street dancers are continuously challenged to elevate their style and technique to a higher level to amaze and amuse. They started in New York City, and now that they've moved to the Greater Boston area Vancedance, Josh, Jabbar, Arkee, Gino, Christyles, Patricks, and Slim still refer to themselves as the boys of "New Yak City," (which is, as you already know, the way they say it in Boston.)

New Year's Fireworks Finale

Academy Gym Midnight, 2008

Gather in front of the Academy Gym to welcome the New Year with hundreds of other First Night revelers. This year's Finale includes the traditional raising of our big lighted ball at midnight. We would never "drop the ball" at First Night. The "count-up" touches off a spectacular aerial show of bright lights and color accompanied by loud bangs and booms by North Star Fireworks. Everyone is welcome to this town-wide celebration of the New Year!! No button required for the Finale!