Division launches At Home Concert Series
As part of a growing effort to bring Delaware’s historic places, stories and artifacts to life online, the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs (HCA) has introduced a new digital feature highlighting local music and historic sites across the First State: The At Home Concert Series, now live on HCA’s YouTube channel.
The first concert in the series, a solo, half-hour performance by singer/guitarist Mike Miller, was recorded live in the historic courtroom of The Old State House in Dover. The series will continue with additional concerts featuring artists from around the region performing in historic venues across the state.
“History and the arts go hand-in-hand and we have a great tradition of playing host to local musicians and performers at Delaware’s historical sites,” said HCA Director Tim Slavin. “The At Home Concert Series makes that relationship even stronger and allows for more Delawareans to connect with our shared history digitally.”
The series is a partnership between HCA and the Delaware Friends of Folk, a Dover-based nonprofit that supports folk music and folk musicians on the Delmarva peninsula and throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. As part of the partnership, the Friends of Folk identifies musicians and groups to perform in the series, and the division provides the performance space and audio/visual expertise for recording the concerts.
In his introduction to the series’ inaugural concert, John Kidd, president of the Friends of Folk’s board of directors noted, “We are in the midst of a very strange situation and artists are suffering along with everyone else. What we are going to try to do with this series is to bring some artists into your computer and let you see what people are doing locally.”
The At Home Concert Series is the latest collaboration between the two organizations. Annually since 2014, HCA has worked with the First State Heritage Park and the Friends of Folk to present The Old State House Concert Series, a set of free live performances held in The Old State House on the second Friday of each month between October and March.
In response to the coronavirus state of emergency, the division has been developing new ways in which Delawareans can engage online with First State history. This included the launch of the Delaware Digital History Museum, available on the HCA website, which provides a wide variety of electronic opportunities to experience Delaware history remotely.
Stay tuned to the division’s YouTube channel for additional performances in the At Home Concert Series. Information on The Old State House Concert Series, tentatively scheduled to resume in the fall, will be posted on the Friends of Folk website.
For press reports about the At Home Concert Series, go to the following:
Throwback Thursdays
WBOC TV, Salisbury, Md.—June 11, 2020
Historical and Cultural Affairs launches At Home Concert Series
Cape Gazette, Lewes, Del.—June 7, 2020
Best Bets: Despite stalled season, Freeman Stage moving forward
Delaware State News, Dover, Del.—May 28, 2020