Obit: Mystic Sea Music Festival

Subject: Obit: Mystic Sea Music Festival
From: EBarnacle
Date: 11 Jul 21 - 11:16 PM

The word came down a couple of days ago. The festival appears to be dead. The Seaport bean counters have decided that it does make sense to expend money and labor on a music festival that does not draw enough of a crowd to make a profit.
It might make sense if they were to look at the salary levels of the top people.
We understand what these sand pounders do not. Music was a major part of the maritime culture and integral to the Seaport's educational mission.
Does anyone have ideas for a replacement venue in the Northeast?

Subject: RE: Obit: Mystic Sea Music Festival
From: RTim
Date: 12 Jul 21 - 12:04 PM

There has been much talk on Facebook and privately about the end of the Festival, and many people have had their say. There is still much to be decided, mainly, how much money is left that was donated to the Festival by The Friends of The Festival and the newer Stan Hugill Endowment - both worthy efforts to try and fund the Festival in the future. The questions are - can this money be recovered and go toward a new Festival on some other site or not.
I believe a committee of interested parties are trying to convene to ask questions on a way forward. To my knowledge this group has not met as yet, and when things are clearer - I am sure there will be a communication to the community and some idea how to move forward.

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: Obit: Mystic Sea Music Festival
From: GUEST,Julia L
Date: 12 Jul 21 - 10:37 PM

Some of us here in Maine think that Rockland would be a good place. The Sailpower and Steam Museum at Sharp's wharf is expanding and Rockland already hosts other festivals and is hospitable to same. Plenty of sea-faring heritage there. Just a thought- Julia

Subject: RE: Obit: Mystic Sea Music Festival
From: EBarnacle
Date: 13 Jul 21 - 12:59 PM

Bob Zentz has suggested a site in Virginia, possibly the Mariner's Museum. There are a couple of other midAtlantic locations also worth considering.

Subject: RE: Obit: Mystic Sea Music Festival
From: mg
Date: 13 Jul 21 - 02:55 PM

close to airports would be good

Subject: RE: Obit: Mystic Sea Music Festival
From: GUEST,John from "Elsie`s Band"
Date: 14 Jul 21 - 05:46 AM

Thank the Lord we had the opportunity to enjoy our visit some years back. Such a shame the Mystic venue is no longer viable. To me it is the perfect place for a sea music festival.

Subject: RE: Obit: Mystic Sea Music Festival
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 Jul 21 - 04:12 PM

One does wonder if the powers that be at Mystic will ever realize that they have really done something outrageous by slicing off the connection between the Museum and traditional style sea songs.

We do have our memories of some great singing that they can't take away. And I have thousands of photos!

Charlie Ipcar

Subject: RE: Obit: Mystic Sea Music Festival
From: EBarnacle
Date: 14 Jul 21 - 05:46 PM

There is another important issue that we have been missing.   Without the regular activities and demonstrations that were normal, what will happen to the vessels themselves? It appears that Mystic is reverting to its earlier style of the 50's and 60's where the vessels were allowed to molder at dockside, neglected.
One advantage of having demonstrators and docents working with the vessels is that, as things begin to deteriorate, they get noticed and addressed. How many times will vessels like the Morgan and others be allowed to deteriorate to the point where they need total restoration?
The Australia is a perfect example She went completely to rot. There are those who will argue she should not have been accepted in the first place.
Entropy is deterioration and is as inexorable as gravity. Neglect is not benign, specially with things made of wood, fiber and ferrous materials.

Subject: RE: Obit: Mystic Sea Music Festival
From: Bill D
Date: 14 Jul 21 - 05:57 PM

It makes me wonder exactly who is in charge.
"The Bean Counters" sounds like a committee, but there's usually a person pushing these things. Do any of the regulars have any idea of where the pressure to give up began? (not that knowing would help)

I was only able to attend twice, but it was a wonderful experience each time.... some, like Charley Ipcar, posted images that made me 'almost' feel there again.

Subject: RE: Obit: Mystic Sea Music Festival
From: Jon Bartlett
Date: 14 Jul 21 - 11:23 PM

Of course the ships must be saved. I understand there are one or two quite good harbours between Maine and South Carolina: perhaps NautiMudcatters can make enquiries? We'd take them here in Princeton in a heartbeat, but it would mean cutting a 290 km channel from here to the open sea, since the Columbia's no use, with all the dams and such. Plus of course we'd need a whole series of locks to get them up to our 4,000 ft elevation town.

Seriously, I grieve at this news, and I hope alternative "digs" can be found.

Jon Bartlett

Subject: RE: Obit: Mystic Sea Music Festival
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 15 Jul 21 - 02:38 AM

How many visitors to US include a visit to Mystic Seaport Museum as part of their iteniery, not to attend the festival, but because they know of its existence because of the festival. How will taking a venue OFF the map increase revenues?

Subject: RE: Obit: Mystic Sea Music Festival
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 15 Jul 21 - 05:56 AM

Surely the songs are something that should be kept alive alongside the ships. Without the sailors and songs, the ships are inanimate objects.

And the cost of maritime festivals and performers is modest compared to other festivals. Perhaps wider sources of goodwill and funding could be explored.

Subject: RE: Obit: Mystic Sea Music Festival
From: Susan of DT
Date: 15 Jul 21 - 06:39 AM

I received a letter from the VP of Advancement, saying

"Presently, it does not appear that the Sea Music Festival will return in it’s traditional format for the foreseeable future."...

"We have been working to bring back chantey staff and will continue to do so. Several offers have been extended but people have either moved on to other jobs or have schedules that are not aligned with our current needs. We will continue to work to bring more performers back on staff but it will be quite some time before we can get back to anything resembling the pre-Covid model."...

"We are working on a long weekend of music in October which we hope will be appealing to all of you but is in no way intended to replace the Sea Music Festival that you have so long enjoyed."

So they are not giving up on sea music totally and, presumably, will have chanteymen working the sails daily. The ships should be in no worse shape than they were before.

The festival probably spent more money than it needed to. While it was nice to have high paid and distant performers from other continents, it was not essential. Most would be happy (I've discussed this with others) with the loved more local performers.

Subject: RE: Obit: Mystic Sea Music Festival
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Jul 21 - 09:13 AM

The shipyard monitors the vessels on a daily basis. The Charles W. Morgan will be hauled soon for scheduled work. All three large vessels are on rotation for scheduled work every few years. Please, don't fear monger about the condition of the ships. Rigging the Morgan & the Conrad will probably not happen in the long run.

Subject: RE: Obit: Mystic Sea Music Festival
From: EBarnacle
Date: 15 Jul 21 - 08:43 PM

Guest, if I had not seen it happen elsewhere, I would not worry about it happening at Mystic. I hope I will be proven wrong.

Subject: RE: Obit: Mystic Sea Music Festival
From: RTim
Date: 16 Jul 21 - 01:19 PM

Some progress has been made to create an alternative...Tim Radford

This is the bulletin board for the relocating Sea Music Festival in Connecticut. While a website will be forthcoming, this is an easy way to stay up to date. On 13 July 2021, Joseph Morneault called together a committee of interested persons to relocate the annual Sea Music Festival, now that the traditional venue has been rendered unavailable to the event, and motion is now underway for a venue yet to be officially named until all the paperwork is done. Committee members include but are not limited to AJ Wright, Bonnie Milner, Geoff Kaufman, and myself. You may reach out to me at any time with your questions as we move forward and begin to get things put into place.

see - https://www.facebook.com/Connecticut-Sea-Music-Festival-102434795461889

Subject: RE: Obit: Mystic Sea Music Festival
From: GUEST,Jon Bartlett
Date: 16 Jul 21 - 01:30 PM

Good news indeed!
Jon

Subject: RE: Obit: Mystic Sea Music Festival
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 16 Jul 21 - 03:55 PM

Time & tide & plague wait for no ship, sea music or museum. T'was ever thus.

Ebarnacle: ...if I had not seen it happen elsewhere,…

From the Elissa to the Point Counterpoint II, sit right back and you'll hear tale...

Current Mystic Chairman of the Board is the son-in-law of a Nassau Bay Street Boy. Check your watch and wallet every time he leaves the room! Seriously, Mike Hudner could teach a post-graduate course on keeping derelict hulks afloat whilst maximizing shareholder value.

But ya know how it goes – win some – lose some – some, like the Braer, get called on account of hurricanes - Lyr Req: The Islands (Ralph McTell).

$64 question is… who will be the shareholders fifty years from now?

Subject: RE: Obit: Mystic Sea Music Festival
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 21 Oct 21 - 10:20 PM

The Maritime Music & Tradition Society is pleased to announce that the first Connecticut Sea Music Festival will be happening in the town of Essex, Connecticut. We are excited to be working with the Connecticut River Museum for our main stage, as well as several other venues throughout the town center.

We hope to see you there on the second weekend of June, 2022!

Maritime Music and Tradition

Subject: RE: Obit: Mystic Sea Music Festival
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Oct 21 - 03:08 AM

Oh, this is such good news (and a very good response to the Board of Directors at Mystic).

May the Connecticut Sea Music Festival live forever!!

-Joe-