Alistair Anderson Appears At Mystic Seaport 9/14/13

[Pam B]

Concert announcement: Alistair Anderson appears at Mystic Seaport

 

Mystic Seaport presents Alistair Anderson, master English concertina and Northumbrian pipes player in concert at 7:00 p.m. on September 14, 2013. The performance will be held in the Tom Clagett Boat Shed on the Seaport grounds. Tickets are $20 ($15 Seaport members) and proceeds will benefit the 35th annual Sea Music Festival to be held on June 12 - 15, 2014.

The concert will be followed by a chantey sing at Frohsinn Hall (aka the German Club) at 54 Greenmanville Avenue in Mystic, CT, just across the street from the main entrance of the museum. Libations are for sale by the German Club.

If you haven’t seen Alistair play, he is a marvel to watch and hear. The concertina in his hands seems to take on a life of its own:

Alistair Anderson is internationally recognized as the master of the English Concertina and a fine performer on the Northumbrian Pipes.

"He is a treat to watch... His involvement and delight in the music are infectious... Beautiful music, played with skill, taste and affection.” fRoots

This will be a night to remember. Call 860-572-0711, ext. 4210 for reservations and directions or go to https://tickets.mysticseaport.org/mainstore.asp?vid=1&cid=1102

for tickets online. Doors open at 6:00 and the Galley Restaurant will be open until concert time for your dining convenience.

[David Barnert]

The Mystic Seaport folks are hoping that as many people as possible buy their tickets by Friday (Sept 6) to make it clear that the expense is justified for setting up for the concert, paying gate personnel, and hiring a sound man.

 

The message distributed doesn't specifically say they will cancel if a minimum is not met by that date, but that seems to be the implication.

[JimLucas]

The Mystic Seaport folks are hoping that as many people as possible buy their tickets by Friday (Sept 6) to make it clear that the expense is justified for setting up for the concert, paying gate personnel, and hiring a sound man.

 

The message distributed doesn't specifically say they will cancel if a minimum is not met by that date, but that seems to be the implication.

 

That makes a kind of sense. What doesn't make sense is that they should book someone from across the ocean (airfare isn't cheap) -- and incidentally, someone with no particular connection to the sea or ships -- if they're not absolutely certain of turning a very good profit benefit.

 

As for the possibility of Mystic cancelling the gig if they don't get enough advance sales (within the next 3 days), I wonder... have they considered the personnel and other costs of refunding pre-purchased tickets?

 

I notice in Alistair's web site event calendar only one other listing for North America... in Quebec, August 29 - September 1 (already past). It leaves me wondering what he's doing in between, i.e., is he staying in North America or flying back and forth? If staying in North America, why no other gigs? There are lots of folks who would like to see and hear Alistair, including many not close enough to Mystic to reasonably get to that concert. After all, Mystic Seaport is more than 2 hours drive from New York City, about 2 hours from The Button Box (with no traffic delays), and only a bit less from Boston.

 

And I wonder if Mystic is making sure that this concert is listed with the local folk music associations in those locations and even closer (e.g., New Haven, Providence, etc.) I myself will be telling my brother who lives in Greenwich, CT. Even though he's more a fan of other sorts of music, I'm sure he would enjoy Alistair, and I think it's a while since he last visited Mystic.

[Steve Mansfield]

He was certainly on excellent form at Whitby Festival a few weeks back.

 

He played a couple of numbers on a wooden-ended concertina which looked like a modern maker (before switching to his usual metal-ended Wheatstone), maybe a tenor/treble - it was a lovely-sounding box, anyone know what it is/was?

[David Barnert]

That makes a kind of sense. What doesn't make sense is that they should book someone from across the ocean (airfare isn't cheap) -- and incidentally, someone with no particular connection to the sea or ships -- if they're not absolutely certain of turning a very good profit benefit.

...

 

I notice in Alistair's web site event calendar only one other listing for North America... in Quebec, August 29 - September 1 (already past).

I thought of this, too, and one other thing that I didn't want to bring up earlier: The expenses they are concerned about (listed in my earlier post) pale in comparison to round trip transatlantic airfare. Seems to suggest that Mystic Seaport is not involved in the travel arrangements.

[JimLucas]

 

That makes a kind of sense. What doesn't make sense is that they should book someone from across the ocean (airfare isn't cheap) -- and incidentally, someone with no particular connection to the sea or ships -- if they're not absolutely certain of turning a very good profit benefit.

...

 

I notice in Alistair's web site event calendar only one other listing for North America... in Quebec, August 29 - September 1 (already past).

 

I thought of this, too, and one other thing that I didn't want to bring up earlier: The expenses they are concerned about (listed in my earlier post) pale in comparison to round trip transatlantic airfare. Seems to suggest that Mystic Seaport is not involved in the travel arrangements.

 

Indeed, since his own web site says it's a "fund-raising concert for Mystic Seaport", I wonder whether he's agreed to little or nothing in compensation. If so, that would suggest that he has a close connection to the Seaport that I'm not aware of. (I'll have to remember to ask him and/or them.)