Orion Barber’s Pathway  

We moved to South Street in 1972.

1972 or 1973: A Medieval Christmas brought out an over-flowing house, most in appropriate costume: I was the giant Blunderbore, Paul Stockwell  the doctor, and Edgar Sather the dragon in the Mummers’ Play.

These were the lay-led years for ASC. Bob MacLean was the church coordinator, and for a time lived at the church.

Cathy Stockman was the choir director; she was also one of the founders of the Music School, and managing director of the BMC: she staged several productions there: musical plays such as Noye’s Fludde [I got to be the voice of God]; Joseph and His Many-Colored Dreamcoat [our son Caleb was Joseph]; and King Philip’s War, written by Cathy and Russ Stockman [our son Nathaniel was a warrior].

The BMC held all its concerts in the Big Room, and many great musicians performed there, such as flutists James Galway and Jean-Pierre Rampal, many keyboardists and vocal soloists.

We held Community Forums with paid speakers; we married gay and hetero couples.

In our earliest days, one fairly regular attendee was Huebner Wellman, a Communist and a member of the international brigade that fought Franco’s forces in Spain.

Much later, we also experienced tragedy and trauma when a Brattleboro police officer fatally shot a psychotic man who was threatening to kill himself in our presence.

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