*Rain or Shine
Performance: 6:30 pm / Doors: 6:00 pm.
Celebrate Independence Day weekend with a moving musical journey across the American landscape—from its Indigenous roots to the many cultures that have shaped its sound. Set against the backdrop of the Atlantic at the historic Hammond Castle Museum, this outdoor performance features a rich blend of The Firebird Pops strings and brass, led by conductor Brendan J. Kenney.
The program includes a special appearance by Elke Jahns-Harms, making her Firebird debut on Native American flutes. Returning vocalists Fred C. VanNess, Jr., and Mara Bonde join us once again to bring powerful and poignant selections to life. (Scroll below to read their bios!) Enjoy this celebration of heritage, unity, and freedom, right by the sea.
Please note: There are no assigned seats. Light refreshments will be available for purchase. In the event of inclement weather, this performance will occur in the Great Hall
*This ticket grants you access to the Firebird Pops Orchestra performance, which will be held outside on the ocean-facing lawn, as well as access to the Museum Shop. At the time of this event, the Museum will be closed to tours. If concert ticket holders wish to tour Hammond Castle Museum prior to 2:30 pm on the day of their ticketed performance, Self-Guided Tour tickets may be purchased in the Museum Shop at a 20% discount. Proof of purchase of the Sea to Shining Sea performance will be required. The Museum and Museum Shop close promptly at 3:30 pm.
All proceeds from this program support additional programs and ongoing Museum restorations. Hammond Castle Museum member savings apply.
About Our Guest Performers:
Soprano Mara Bonde has thrilled audiences in diverse venues with her electric stage presence and musical artistry. Her voice has been described as having & sweet purity of tone (Boston Herald) and & (The Boston Globe). Equally at home in both classical and popular styles, Mara is no stranger to the world of symphony pops. She has been the guest artist for Holiday Pop concerts with the Boston Pops, the Rochester Philharmonic, the Naples Philharmonic, and with the Baton Rouge, Lansing, New Haven, Syracuse, and Charlotte Symphony Orchestras. Other orchestral engagements have taken her to the Firebird Pops, Waltham Philharmonic, South Florida, Utah, San Diego, Stamford, Ridgefield, Waterbury, Cape, Cape Ann, Melrose, Quincy and Nashua Symphony Orchestras, the Handel & Haydn Society, and Boston Baroque.
Her stage repertoire includes both opera and classic music theater roles; a few favorites are Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music (Reagle Music Theatre), Mrs. Page in Sir John in Love (Odyssey Opera), Sarah Brown in Guys & Dolls (Reagle Music Theatre), Marian in The Music Man (Greater Lowell Music Theater), Lilli Vanessi/Kate in Kiss me Kate (Commonwealth Opera) and Adina in Elisir amore (Sarasota Opera). Mara has also graced the stages of Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Omaha, Glimmerglass Opera, Utah Opera, Light Opera Oklahoma, Opera Company of North Carolina and the Artist Series of Sarasota in works ranging from Mozart to Mollicone, and Sullivan to Sondheim. This season Mara returns to Boston Lyric Opera covering the role of The Farmer in The Seasons and as ensemble in Carousel. Mara was a National Semi- Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (first place winner Rocky Mountain Region) and the first prize winner in the Bel Canto Vocal Scholarship Award. Mara also performs regularly alongside mezzo-soprano Sandra Piques Eddy pianist Brian Moll as a member of Concerts 4 Good, a musical outreach ensemble bringing music where it’s needed most: to the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network, Mclean Hospital, Boston Medical Center, Bay Cove Human Services…and more. Mara is thrilled to be back performing with the Firebird Pops Orchestra in repertoire near and dear to her heart!
Elke Jahns-Harms performs regularly on classical and Native American flutes in the Boston area, where audiences have found her music “transportive”, “healing”, and “deeply moving”. She holds a Master of Music in flute performance from Appalachian State University, where she was
a winner of the Annual Concerto and Aria Competition, and a PhD in International Relations from The Fletcher School at Tufts University. She is passionate about sharing the arts with wider audiences and using the power of music to connect and heal. Elke’s work often combines her life-long interests in music, poverty alleviation, and peacebuilding. She currently teaches International Development Aid at The Fletcher School, and
previously taught Music and Social Change at The New England Conservatory.
On the side, she teaches and presents through a variety of community education programs. Elke first heard a Native American flute twenty-five years ago while living in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and was immediately hooked. Her flutes were carved by
Cherokee flute maker and performer Hawk Littlejohn, who used native woods to make his flutes, combining techniques he learned from his grandfather with modern equipment to create magical instruments. Hawk believed that “if you’re playing from your heart, the song is a prayer”. Elke has lived in Central and South America, East Africa, and Antarctica, and has found music to be a crucial means of connecting with people wherever she goes. Her flutes are among the first items she packs on her travels.