Berkshire Bach Society Hosts Exploration of Bach's Spirituality

11:56AM / Monday, January 20, 2025Print Story | Email Story

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Berkshire Bach Society (BBS) will present the third event in its quarterly BBS Portals series, Bach and God: Troubling Voices, featuring musicologist Michael Marissen.

The program will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24, at the Kellogg Music Center on the campus of Bard College at Simon's Rock in Great Barrington, and at 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 25, at The Koussevitsky Arts Center at Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield.

Marissen, an expert on the music and religious beliefs of Johann Sebastian Bach, will explore the foundations of the composer's spirituality and the social norms of Lutheran Germany. Drawing on his books "Bach & God and Bach Against Modernity," he will discuss revelations that shaped his understanding of Bach, with musical examples illustrating his findings. The event includes a discussion and audience Q&A hosted by BBS Artistic Director Eugene Drucker.

Tickets for Bach and God are $35 for nonmembers and $30 for BBS members. For more information, visit www.berkshirebach.org/events.

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Pittsfield Holiday Inn Closure Continues; Layoffs Reported

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:24AM / Thursday, October 29, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — More than a month after the Holiday Inn & Suites abruptly closed its doors, reports have emerged of employee layoffs.

The hotel has been closed since Sept. 25, when the last of its three elevators broke down. The 101 Restaurant & Bar, located inside the hotel, has also been a casualty of the closure, temporarily shutting its doors while repairs are underway.

Now, The Berkshire Eagle reports that 20 hotel employees across all departments have been laid off and it remains unknown when the hotel will reopen amidst ongoing issues with the building. The Holiday Inn & Suites declined to comment to iBerkshires' inquiries.

According to The Eagle, hotel facilities manager Pete Leidt said approximately five employees remain on staff and expressed hope that those who were laid off could return when the hotel reopens.

When the elevator stopped working, emergency medical technicians and firefighters assisted more than half a dozen people with mobility disabilities down the stairs, Building Commissioner Rian Dowd previously told iBerkshires.

"So with the no working elevators, we shut the building down," she said.

The central downtown, 12-story hotel has nearly 180 guest rooms. Massachusetts requires public multi-level buildings and facilities to have elevator access.

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