The 22nd Annual Cape May Music Festival’s First Week of Concerts Kicks Off with Irish Music

CAPE MAY – The Cape May Music Festival’s 22nd season, presented by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC), with funding provided through a PNC Arts Alive grant, returns to the nation’s first seaside resort with three weeks of world-class orchestral and chamber music performances and a world traditions series beginning on Thursday, May 26. Thanks to funding from PNC Arts Alive and many other donors, MAC is able to bring in renowned musicians, soloists and ensembles for its springtime musical tradition through Wednesday, June 15.
Kicking off the 22nd annual Cape May Music Festival’s concert series is The Pride of New York, a new Irish-American super-group comprised of some of the best known players on this side of the Atlantic: Brian Conway (fiddle), Billy McComiskey (button accordion), Joanie Madden (flute, whistle) and Brendan Dolan (keyboards). Between them, they have won four All-Ireland championship awards, recorded multiple solo albums and logged countless miles touring across the U.S. and abroad. The Scotsman newspaper called them “Musical lions of the Big Apple’s Irish music scene.”
Opening for the Pride of New York is McDermott’s Handy, which is a husband-wife Irish duo. Kathy DeAngelo and Dennis Gormley have been performing traditional Irish music together in the Delaware Valley as McDermott’s Handy since 1979. These talented multi-instrumentalists bring strong vocals backed by Celtic harp, fiddle, guitar, flute, whistle, bouzouki, banjo, mandolin, bodhran, bass and keyboards. The concert will be at 8 p.m. at Star of the Sea Church, Washington Street Mall at Ocean St. General admission is $25, seniors $20, and students $10.
On Sunday, May 29, the Atlantic Brass Band performs a free outdoor concert at Rotary Bandstand, Lafayette St. and Lyle Lane, at 8 p.m. The 35-piece Atlantic Brass Band is an authentic British-style brass band and a charter member of the North American Brass Band Association. Based out of Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey, the band has made a name for itself as an ensemble dedicated to a high level of musicianship and spirited performances throughout the Delaware Valley. Yorkshire-born Herb Roselle formed the band in 1984 and it is now led by conductor Salvatore Scarpa, a graduate of Rowan University and the Eastman School of Music, and winner of the New Jersey Musician of the Year. The Atlantic Brass Band, a longtime Cape May favorite, will be presenting a rousing concert of American music, perfect for a Memorial Day celebration!
The New York Chamber Ensemble returns to the Cape May Music Festival under the artistic direction of Alan R. Kay with the program entitled “String Fever” on Tuesday, May 31 at the Episcopal Church of the Advent, Washington and Franklin streets. The New York Chamber Ensemble has been acclaimed by audiences and critics alike for its innovative programming and virtuoso performances. The evening’s program will feature guest artist Renee Jolles on violin. Jolles has been hailed as a “real star” by The New York Times for her New York concert debut in Alice Tully Hall and is a concertmaster of the world-renowned, Grammy Award winning, conductorless Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. The group will perform two mini-concerts at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. The first mini-concert will include Dvorak’s Terzetto and Wolf’s Italian Serenade and the second mini-concert will feature Mozart’s Viola Quintet in C major. General admission is $10 per mini-concert or $20 for both, seniors $7.50 per mini-concert or $15 for both, and students $2.50 per mini-concert or $5 for both.
Get a taste for the 22nd annual Cape May Music Festival when members of the Bay-Atlantic Symphony perform a mini-concert during the Bach’s Lunch on Wednesday, June 1 at 12:30 p.m. First enjoy a Chef’s Choice Tea Luncheon at the Carriage House Tearoom and Café located on the grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St. You’ll delight in a Victorian tradition of freshly baked tea breads and scones, a selection of tea sandwiches and delicious desserts while overlooking the lovely garden. Afterwards; you’ll be privy to an intimate concert with members of the Bay-Atlantic Symphony. Musicians from this impressive ensemble with national recognition will perform favorites from the classical repertoire. Tickets are $30 per person and reservations are limited to 50 people. Bach’s Lunches are presented by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) with support from PNC Arts Alive and sponsored by the Priester Family Foundation (Sue Priester) and John and Sylvia Baer (in memory of Fred and Sarita Kuhner). ‘
The Cape May Music Festival is funded in part by PNC Arts Alive, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State. PNC Arts Alive is a five-year, $5 million investment from The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding through The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC), that supports visual and performing arts groups with the goal of increasing arts access and engagement. For more information on PNC Arts Alive and the grant recipients visit www.PNCARTSALIVE.com. The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey promotes health, well-being, and quality of life in New Jersey’s communities.
The 22nd annual Cape May Music Festival is presented by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC), a multifaceted not-for-profit organization committed to promoting the preservation, interpretation, and cultural enrichment of the Cape May region for its residents and visitors. MAC membership is open to all. For information about MAC’s year-round schedule of tours, festivals, and special events, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278, or visit MAC’s Web site at www.capemaymac.org. For information about restaurants, accommodations and shopping, call the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May at 609-884-5508.