We will win!

Greetings my Friends, and YES, it has been a tumultuous week in the Claflin Hill biosphere!

I will be writing a more expansive and fully transparent message in the next day or two about the circumstances that led to the cancellation of our March 8 concert – a decision that was extremely difficult to come to, but one that was suddenly and urgently needed in order to insure the viability and continuance of this amazing cultural edifice that we have been building together for the past 25 years.

Is this how we wanted to celebrate our Silver Anniversary??  No.

Do we want to celebrate the Golden Anniversary in another 25 years?   YES!

Simply put, in the last several weeks, as we daily monitor our fiscal health, we have reached a point where any further liabilities would exponentially outweigh the total capital value of Claflin Hill as a company and put us on the path to total insolvency.  By cancelling this one concert, we can take a moment to re-set and to rally together to ensure the future and to make a “fresh, New Day beginning” as we move into the next 25 years of Claflin Hill.

This week has indeed been a pivotal life moment for us as an organization and me personally.

On Wednesday evening, I was contemplating a total ceasing of operations and the loss of everything we have worked for our entire working lives. 

On Thursday morning, I came to the decision that by removing this one amazing concert we were all looking forward to performing and sharing, we could move forward and begin that final effort towards Legacy.

Since our announcement on Thursday afternoon, the outpouring of emails and messages of concern, support and “What can I do?” have been flooding in and I know that we will be Victorious.

This un-wanted, un-planned and unforeseen “tremor” in the “Force of Claflin Hill” is our moment.

It is our “wake-up call” – our challenge to rise and to be triumphant together, as vibrant and healthy communities can be.

I would like to introduce to you all, our CHSO Family, to a recent friend of Claflin Hill – Maxine Jonas and her husband Nate Tedford.

Maxine discovered CHSO only recently through her friendship with one of our CHSO cellists.   She became a season ticket holder this year and has been attending all of our concerts with numerous friends – coming all the way from Charlestown, MA – where, by the way, she could avail herself of great concerts in her own neighborhood!

She emailed me Thursday morning before the public announcement had been sent out.

Her words below say everything I could ever want to say about what Claflin Hill has always aspired to be and is. 

Her words, and those of so many who have called and emailed me over the past two days validate and reinforce the mission of CHSO and my life.

Maxine writes:

"I love how music brings people together - people of all cultures, ages, health conditions, and walks of life. Novices or erudites, concertgoers feel their own humanity and essence when listening to music; they only need to be present and be themselves to be touched by its magic. 

When I attend Claflin Hill concerts, I live music in four dimensions; it feels so rich and magnificent. Claflin Hill offers us not only the beauty and emotions of music, a fulfilling mix of bold, interesting, or comforting pieces interpreted by the highest quality musicians, but it also offers us a community. At Claflin Hill we feel welcome, we recognize our neighbors, artists and audience members interact with and care about each other, and rules are simple in a historic building that bestows its warmth for a memorable time of togetherness and enchantment. 

This human dimension combined with the highest caliber of performers is why I drive from Charlestown to Milford to experience productions by a first-class symphony orchestra in ways I never enjoy in more anonymous and transactional downtown venues. 

As a teacher, I value fellow human beings, learning opportunities, and quality of work. Claflin Hill speaks to all three and thus resonates with me and means so much to me. 

I hope we can continue for many years to look forward to Claflin Hill concerts spiritedly and intensely, and I wish to express my gratitude explicitly to Claflin Hill for the joy and new dimension it brings to my life. That’s why it is important to my spouse Nate and me to stand by Claflin Hill this year, when they need our support just as much as we need them.

I hope we can help and many others will want to help too.”

Maxine and Nate’s generous Gift of $10,000 is our Challenge. 

Here today, with their commitment, we launch The Claflin Hill Legacy 25 Campaign – which will take us to the completion of our Anniversary Season AND secure the future.  It is a Campaign that we SHOULD be doing during this celebratory year, and our situation makes it ever so more essential at this moment.

I know we will be triumphant together – hey, we’re Americans, and we love a good fight!!!

Thank you and God Bless.

“I felt a tremor in the Force, as if thousands of voices cried out, and then became louder and louder.” 

Paul Surapine, Founder, Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra