Karen Somerville
Carpe Diem Arts has joined forces again with Brookletts Place Talbot County Senior Center in presenting a popular monthly concert series—this time in the virtual mode and in partnership with the Talbot County Free Library. The performances are scheduled on the fourth Friday of the month at 4 p.m., February through June of 2021, and will be presented via Zoom and Facebook Live. Mark your calendars for a stellar winter-to-spring line-up! Links to view these performances can be found at CarpeDiemArts.org/brookletts-place or facebook.com/carpediemarts2you/live.
Kicking off the 2021 series on Friday, February 26, will be a celebration of Valentine’s Day and Black History Month with Karen Somerville, one of the Eastern Shore’s most acclaimed performers, delighting audiences with a “contemporary soulful sound and surprising jazz licks and blues blends.” Joining Somerville will be Kathy Bullock, another legendary singer and musical force and long-time professor at Berea College in Kentucky. Bullock will be accompanied by her son Phillip whose rich baritone voice is reminiscent of the great Paul Robeson.
The March 26 concert will feature the duo “Rakish” with violinist Maura Shawn Scanlin and guitarist Connor Hearn will celebrate Irish American Heritage Month, and renowned jazz, blues, and gospel singer Lea Gilmore will offer songs to honor Women’s History Month.
On April 23 Egyptian singer Maggie Yacoub will share her diverse musical palette to celebrate Arab-American Heritage Month, and Shore chanteuse Chris Noyes will serenade us with a marvelous medley of songs in celebration of Earth Day.
The May 28 concert will feature the award-winning recording artist Patricia Shih with a Chinese song in honor of Asian-American Heritage Month, along with a sing-along selection of American favorites. Caron Dale will then lead us on a memorable musical journey in celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month, and no doubt there will be a nod to Mother’s Day as well!
The grand finale of the series will be on June 25 in celebration of Caribbean-American Heritage, with Grammy Award winners Dan and Claudia Zanes. Juneteenth (June 19) will also be honored with Revels’ Jubilee Voices, featuring director Andrea Blackford and her husband Harold, along with James Harkless, sharing songs and stories from the African-American experience of struggle and perseverance, trials and triumphs.
The Heritage concert series is made possible by the generous support of the Brookletts Place/Upper Shore Aging Fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, Talbot County Free Library, Talbot County Arts Council with revenues provided by the Maryland State Arts Council, and by individual contributors to Carpe Diem Arts and Brookletts Place.
For more information on the Virtual Heritage Concert Series, visit www.CarpeDiemArts.org/brookletts-place.
lesleyoleary says
Please include my email on events.