Thank Lee Blumberg for (last year) purchasing for the Festival
those fine speakers, which actually belong to the department that puts on the Sea Music Festival.

I'm glad to hear that the digital recordings were made. The decision
about whether to produce a CD for sale can be made at a later time.

I suspect it isn't so much about 'budgetary reasons' as much as just
not having much left of the sea music staff which had the skills to
perform the actual production--- it would have to be contracted out at
this point.

I chose not to be at this year's festival, so have no first-hand
education on any behind-the-scenes issues.

But I believe it's possible to enjoy and appreciate the event while
still having serious concerns about the direction the Seaport
management as regards maritime music. The two are not mutually
exclusive, and expression of concerns, grave concerns, should not
be construed as being ungrateful for what we still have.

While the event is still 'unique and special,' it is at risk of
become less unique, and less special; there is an investment in
maritime music at Mystic Seaport which is as much at risk from
being mis-managed as would be a vessel whose maintenance had
been seriously delayed, deferred, and deemphasized.

Pointing that out may not be nice, or make those who point it out
quite so popular as playing the perhaps more satisfying role of
'the nice guy' but it doesn't help resolve the emperor's wardrobe,
failure, either.