September 23, 2019

Music of the Bay Overlooking the Bay

The Chesapeake Music Festival at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) this past Saturday was a huge success, bringing together dozens of artists from all around the Bay watershed to share their original and traditional songs and stories inspired by the Chesapeake. Hundreds gathered on a hilltop overlooking a panoramic view of the Rhode River to listen to groups like the Jubilee Singers from the Washington Revels singing the spirituals and work songs of African-Americans who worked the water, and the original songs of the mother-daughter duo of Thelma and Erika Peterson who sang about their small waterman’s village on the southern tip of the Delmarva peninsula.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

The event was part of the Smithsonian Year of Music, hosted by SERC and Arundel Rivers Federation, and sponsored by Four Rivers Heritage Area, the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, Aveda, Baird Financial, Bay Weekly, Bay Ridge Wine & Liquors, The Brick Companies, the Folklore Society of Greater Washington, Pirate’s Cove Restaurant in Galesville, SweetWater Brewing Company, WRNR 103.1 FM and Michael and Debbie Wagener. Thanks to the more than 40 volunteers who made the event such a great success.