James E. McGreevey
Governor

William D. Watley
Secretary of Commerce

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Karen Wolfe - 609.292.2523
Terri Guess - 609.633.3647

THE BEAT GOES ON, THE TEMPO STEPS UP…
AT 15TH ANNUAL CAPE MAY MUSIC FESTIVAL

Trenton, N.J. (April 30, 2004)—Victorian architecture provides the backdrop for a month of music by the sea during the 15th annual Cape May Music Festival, May 23-June 20, 2004. From the New York Chamber Ensemble and New Jersey Symphony Orchestra Chamber Players to the rollicking, upbeat tempos of the John Breslin Dixieland Band and the a-capella Doo Wop Cops, visitors will experience an array of diverse musical performances. Also included are the rousing Celtic sounds of Gaelic Storm, Three Tenors performing Italian and Irish songs and arias; the Klingon Klez rocking up traditional Jewish party music to create contemporary Klezmer; the Bay Atlantic Symphony and flamboyant Flamenco footwork performed by Flamenco Olé. There’s even music to munch by – at Twinings Tearoom, at the Emlen Physick Estate, which offers elegant Bach Luncheons to chamber music provided by the Bay-Atlantic Symphony.

“This amazing festival just gets better every year,” says Nancy Byrne, executive director of the New Jersey Office of Travel & Tourism. “It’s not surprising that the attendance keeps growing as word spreads that this premier musical event should not be missed.”

The festival is sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts (MAC), which fosters the performing arts, operates the historic Emlen Physick Estate and is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of Cape May’s Victorian heritage.

Headline performers are scheduled for every Sunday evening during the festival, with tickets priced at $22. Thursday evenings are devoted to the Bay-Atlantic Symphony (May 27 through June 17). Tickets are $20. Thursdays at noon are the Bach Luncheons (June 3, 10 and 17). Tickets are $20.

Tuesdays are devoted to the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra Chamber Players
(May 25 through June 15) with tickets priced at $15. Seniors and student tickets are discounted. A four-concert Chamber Series is $50; a four-concert Orchestra Series is $70 and a six-concert World Tradition Series is $110. Tickets may be purchased by credit card and online, at www.capemaymac.org or call 800-275-4278 or 609-884-5404.

Gaelic Storm kicks off the festival on Sunday, May 23 followed by the John Breslin Dixieland Band on Sunday, May 30; A Gala with Three Tenors will be held on Sunday, June 6; Klingon Klez will be held on Sunday, June 13 and Flamenco Ole! is on Saturday, June 19. Winding up the festival with a “bang,” is the retired police officers group, DC’s Finest AKA The Doo Wop Cops on Sunday, May 20.

With special rates at participating hotels, what better way to escape to a music-filled getaway? The Montreal Inn (800-525-7011), a family-friendly hotel on the beach, offers a special Music Festival package of three nights accommodations (Sunday through Tuesday) with breakfast daily, passes for two concerts, a combination Physick Estate Tour and Twinings Tea Luncheon and a Lighthouse Tour— all for $503.70 per couple/double occupancy. The Atlas Inn, also on the beach (888-285-2746), offers a two-night stay, Sunday and Monday or Wednesday and Thursday, with breakfast each day and dinner one night in Yesterday’s Heroes, priced (depending upon week booked), at $128 or $151 per person, double.

For a listing of events and dates or for further information, check the website of the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts at www.capemaymac.org. Or, contact the New Jersey Office of Travel & Tourism, 800-VISITNJ (847-4865); or check the website at www.visitnj.org.