Our initial collaboration came about when Choir Directors Kristina Martin (First Congregational Church, Rockport), Kathleen Adams (Annisquam Village Church), and Mark Nelson (St. John’s Episcopal Church) brought their children’s choirs together for the Middle Street Walk. A vision for the camp was born when North Shore Mission Hub urged us to pilot a program further engaging the community, offering support for the first three years. With a goal to foster pride in the rich cultural heritage of Cape Ann through music, dance, literature, we launched our 2016 CAAA-Music and More camp, celebrating Dogtown and ‘the environs.’ Our staff included Pastor Anne Deneen and Eva DiLascio from St. Paul Lutheran, Rose Sheehan from Gloucester UUC and Jay DiPrima from St. John’s. The following year, camp featured the story (and a mini-musical) of Joan of Arc…inspired by Anna Hyatt Huntington’s iconic statue in Gloucester.
Building a repertoire to make ready for our Quadricentennial celebrations in 2023, our staff this year included Kristina Martin, Kathleen Adams, Eva DiLascio and Mark Nelson. Though each of us shared many roles in shaping today's event, it is Kristina’s choral mastery that led to the innovative musical programming, while Eva shepherded our campers with bell ringing and musical literacy. Kathleen connected us with cultural landmarks (City Hall's bell tower, New Deal Murals, and a visit with our Mayor; Cape Ann Museum’s maritime diorama, paintings, and fisheries exhibits; and a tour of Gloucester's public sculptures with Morgan Faulds Pike, creator of the Fishermen's Wives memorial), and Mark provided behind-the-scenes support and materials while supervising the creation of an entire school of fish! We were ably assisted by Toni Rose Babson, student aide, and Suzanne Brown, our webmaster and photographer.
Most importantly, the delightful, thoughtful, young artists/musicians made our week a success:
Thanks to:
• The Shalin Liu Performance Center for the opportunity to sing in this fabulous hall today
• Mayor Safatia Theken-Romeo and the staff of the Gloucester City Hall along with bell tower keeper Maggie Rosa and WPA murals specialist Susan Erony
• Cape Ann folksinger, Daisy Nell who taught us her Cape Ann song, “A Heartbeat from the Ocean"
• Education specialist Sarah Flanagan & the Cape Ann Museum
• Morgan Faulds Pike, Sculptor
• St. John's Rector the Rev. Bret Hays and the Music Guild for providing space and funding; St. John's parishioners for providing snacks.
• Candy Connelly, Liaison to the North Shore Mission Hub
• The North Shore Mission Hub of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
This is the final year of support from the North Shore Mission Hub. Our hope and dream are to continue (at least) through the 400th anniversary of the founding of Cape Ann in 2023. You can help us continue this program by sending a tax deductible check to "St. John's Church," 48 Middle Street, Gloucester with "CAAA-Music Guild" in the memo line.
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