Musicians from Around the Globe Gather to Celebrate Maritime Traditions
Mystic, Conn. (May 30, 2014) – Musicians from around the world will come to Mystic Seaport to celebrate the musical traditions of the Golden Age of Sail at the 35th annual Sea Music Festival, Thursday through Sunday, June 12-15. The Festival is the premier sea music event in North America.
This year’s roster includes music from Great Britain, The Netherlands, Portugal, Canada, and the Caribbean, along with singers from across the United States. The weekend’s festivities include daytime and evening concerts, special performances for children, instructional workshops, a scholar’s symposium, and a unique opportunity to witness sea music at work aboard the Museum’s historic vessels.
More than 20 individuals and groups will perform at the Festival. A highlight for 2014 will be the Barrouallie Whalers from the island of St. Vincent, who still sing the songs sung as islanders rowed whaleboats to hunt blackfish (pilot whales) 50 years ago. The Whalers are the last practitioners of a unique Eastern Caribbean musical tradition that accompanied their whaling activities.
All workshops and daytime concerts in the Festival are included in regular Mystic Seaport admission. Museum admission is good for two days upon ticket validation (visit must be made within one week of purchase date). Special tickets are required for evening concerts and can be purchased by calling 860.572.0711, or at the Museum’s main entrance. Weekend passes are also available. College students will be admitted into the Festival for the youth rate upon presentation of a current student ID.
For more information, including ticket packages, musicians’ bios, and a schedule of performances, visit mysticseaport.org/seamusicfestival
Returning this year is an evening sea music “contra dance,” a style of partnered folk dancing traditional to New England. The dance will be held Saturday evening from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Mystic German Club’s Frohsinn Hall, located directly across the street from the Museum’s main entrance on Route 27. There is an $8 admission fee for the dance.
In addition, the annual Music of the Sea Symposium, hosted in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the University of Connecticut at Avery Point, will be held on Friday and Saturday, June 13-14. The Symposium, which features presentations of themed papers by some of the country’s leading maritime music scholars, explores the interaction between sea, music, and song. The first day of the symposium will be hosted Friday, June 13, on the maritime campus of the University of Connecticut at Avery Point in Groton, Conn. Admission is free. The Symposium continues Saturday, June 14, at Mystic Seaport in the Greenmanville Church. Museum admission is required. For further details and a list of Symposium presenters and topics, visit mysticseaport.org/smfsymposium
This event is made possible by the Friends of the Sea Music Festival, who raise funds each year to generously support sea music at Mystic Seaport.
About Mystic Seaport
Mystic Seaport is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929, the Museum is home to four National Historic Landmark vessels, including the Charles W. Morgan, the last wooden whaleship in the world. The Museum is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. Admission is $24 for adults and $15 for children ages 6-17. Museum members and children 5 and under are admitted free. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/.
