Victorian Chautauqua Features Live Music
Since it first came into fashion in New York along the shores of Lake Chautauqua, music has played an important role in attracting audiences to Chautauqua resorts and events. The Victorian Chautauqua in Mountain Lake Park, Maryland, will be no exception, as they announce the musical guests performing over the two-day event on July 10 and 11, 2021. Whether it's jazz, hammered dulcimer, banjo, recorders, or soft rock, audiences will experience a wide range of musical styles.
Jazz guitarist Dan Baker, who hails from Washington, Pennsylvania, will perform unique arrangements of songs ranging from John Coltrane to John Lennon. With two one-hour performances, Baker plans to infuse stories of how jazz entered the music scene and grew in popularity in the US and abroad. As varied jazz styles took hold it emerged as a popular form of mainstream music.
A group of Methodist ministers and businessmen founded Mountain Lake Park. To honor the founders and follow historical traditions, Sean and Debbi Beachy will lead an old-fashioned hymn sing with keyboard and vocals, respectively.
All performances will occur under tents or near the Historic Ticket Office and Mountain Lake Park Historical Association Museum. One event is scheduled indoors at the original Assembly Hall, one of the first buildings constructed in 1881 along the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad line. Marsh Mountain Consort's Renaissance Ensemble will perform early music on recorders and de gambas at this unique venue.
Betty Mattingly and her son Tom, who will be playing the hammered dulcimer and banjo, will provide an ever-popular and regional sound. The mother-son duo plays frequently at the Mary Browning Senior Center in Oakland, a neighboring town. They capture the mountain music culture authentically suited for this event.
Guests will experience Mountain Lake Park at its very best during the Victorian Chautauqua with four venues within the registered historic district. The Thomson Rest Home for Deaconesses, the original Assembly Hall, and the new Leo Martin Memorial Park will come alive under three large tents just as it was in its founding years.
The featured closing performance for the weekend will be the beloved band Buffalo Run. The group performs original music from a decades-long assembly of accomplished local musicians. Many of their songs capture events and cultural aspects that describe the region. The band took its name from a nearby river where they often play and record. Band members are thrilled to be attending the Victorian Chautauqua, stating they wish every event had the ambiance of the Victorian Chautauqua.
All musical performances are family-friendly and free to attend. Along with music will be lectures, historical character portrayals, a Model T car show and demonstration, authentic tintype photographs, food, vendors, historic property tours, and more. Visit vc-mlp.com for a full schedule and details of performances.
