Zoe Muth Highlights Second Week of Music Festival

CAPE MAY – The Cape May Music Festival’s 24th season, presented by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC), fills the nation’s first seaside resort with three weeks of world-class orchestral and chamber music performances, jazz, American classic country, Irish and brass band music,through June 13.
Highlights of the festival’s second week of concerts include the following:
On May 30, at 8 p.m. making her Cape May debut, Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers performs at Cape May Convention Hall, Beach Avenue at Stockton. Muth has been called Seattle’s Emmylou, and when you hear her sing, it may be hard to believe she was born and raised in the Great Northwest. The combination of her inventive songwriting, true-blue twang, and rock solid country band, the Lost High Rollers, has led critics to call her one of the best up and coming interpreters of classic country music. General admission is $25, seniors $20 and students $10.
On June 2 at 8 p.m., Girsa performs traditional Irish music in a free concert at Cape May Convention Hall, Beach Avenue at Stockton. “Girsa” means young girl in Gaelic. This group’s precocity and passion combine impressively on their self-titled debut recording, which sold out its first run of a thousand copies in less than two months. “This music is simply exquisite…these young ladies have a refreshing sound that shows a deep, abiding respect for the tradition,” according to renowned Irish fiddler Brian Conway. McDermott’s Handy opens for Girsa and brings their strong vocals backed by a wide array of traditional Irish instruments to the stage. Admission is free. This concert is co-sponsored by the City of Cape May.
On June 4, at 8 p.m., The New York Chamber Ensemble performs a baroque program entitled, “A Musical Offering for BACHcombers,” featuring harpsichordist Bradley Brookshire at the Episcopal Church of the Advent, Washington and Franklin streets. The program consists of J. S. Bach’s Violin Sonata in E Major, Rameau’s Pièces de clavecin en concerts, J. S. Bach’s Trio Sonata and Two Ricercares from “A Musical Offering,” Purcell’s Incidental music to Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” and Telemann’s Quartet in D Minor. General admission is $20, seniors $15 and students $5.
In addition to the concert series, the Cape May Music Festival features Bach’s Lunches at the Carriage House Café & Tearoom located on the grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St. Join members of the Bay-Atlantic Symphony for an intimate concert of favorites from the classical repertoire. Before the concert, enjoy an elegant Tea Luncheon while overlooking the lovely garden. The music festival’s second week includes a Bach’s Lunch offered on May 29 at 12:30 p.m. Other Bach’s Lunches will be offered on Wednesdays, June 5 and June 12. Tickets are $30 and reservations are limited to 50 people.
The Cape May Music Festival is winner of the 2012 People’s Choice Awards for “Favorite Music Festival,” administered by the Discover Jersey Arts program of ArtPride New Jersey. Now in its fifth year, the People’s Choice Awards honor the work of arts organizations over the past year and the devotion of their fans. More than 60 nonprofit arts groups were nominated by members of the arts community in 14 categories. With nearly 7,000 people casting their ballots, winners were chosen from all over the Garden State and announced Feb. 5.
The 24th annual Cape May Music Festival is presented by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) with funding by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the Frank & Lydia Bergen Foundation. For further information or to purchase tickets call 609-884-5404 or order online at www.capemaymac.org. To purchase tickets for Cape May Convention Hall concerts, call 609-884-9565 or go online at www.capemayconventionhall.org.