On Saturday, May 10, the Calvert Marine Museum will host an array of talented musicians as part of the annual Solomons Maritime Festival. Heading up the roster is famed maritime musician Tom Lewis, live on the museum’s outdoor stage from 1:00-2:00 p.m., and on the museum grounds for impromptu concerts all day.
Tom’s repertoire—from traditional shanties to songs fashioned out of his own seafaring background—recruits his audience for a voyage by turns reflective, dramatic and humorous. Now resident in Canada’s Rocky Mountains, Tom was born in Northern Ireland and that Celtic heritage is obvious in his clear, strong voice, evoking quiet sorrow for a fisherman lost to the sea just as honestly as it powers out a shanty “to be heard above the gales.”
Tom will be joined by local songstress Deanna Dove who performs throughout the region with her “Songs of the Chesapeake,” also available on her CD, “Chesapeake.” The festival also features the harmonies of the Fathers and Sons barbershop quartet, soulful gospel by the young but accomplished performer Andre Jones, and traditional bluegrass from the Jack Tippett Band out of St. Mary’s County. Also from St. Mary’s, Fortunes Turn offers acoustic string music and sweet harmonies, as does Loafer’s Glory from St. Leonard.
The Solomons Maritime Festival is open from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons. In addition to music, there will be traditional crafts, food demonstrations, home crafts, storytelling, boat rides, and more. For other events and specific performance times, check the web site: www.calvertmarinemuseum.com.