"HISTORY OF THE LINCOLN ARTS FESTIVAL"

By Marion Dash
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How did Lincoln Arts Festival originate? It began in church. A lot of good things begin in church. One Sunday morning in the summer of 1980, I happened to be the soloist at the Congregational Church in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, and Dr. Wallace Robbins, a well-known Unitarian minister, was the guest preacher.

When the service was over, Mrs. Robbins came up to me, gave me a big hug, and said "Let's go to lunch." I didn't know Mrs. Robbins very well, except I was aware she conducted a chorus in Worcester and lived in Southport during the summer months. Having participated in choirs and choruses for a lifetime, I was keenly interested in choral work and had already conceived the idea that a summer chorus in the Boothbay Region might work if organized. Over lunch, we explored this idea, and I asked whether Mrs. Robbins would be willing to be our conductor. She agreed, and plans began to form.

The Lincoln Festival Chorus had a predecessor, the Choralaires, under the direction of Marcia MacKusick. It, too, happened over eating; in Jessie Robert's diner, having one of her famous boiled dinners, when I asked her if she would be interested in forming a chorus since she had a women's chorus back in Akron, Ohio, and had now retired to Southport, Maine. She became very enthusiastic, and the Choralaires was born. In those years we sang lighter, but very entertaining music. One night we put on a concert at Wiscasset, Maine, and sang on WGAN-TV .We then headed for the World's Fair in New York, and appeared on stage. Other musical groups were also performing intermittently. Sadly, this group ceased to exist upon Marcia's death, but happy memories prevail and we love her still.

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When we formed the Lincoln Festival Chorus, under Mrs. Robbins, a lot of the Choralaires participated and we grew in membership and sang more of the classics. We had many meetings during the summer of 1980 inviting people with musical backgrounds and various Boothbay leaders in the community for ideas and feedback about an organization and a place to perform. Some of these were Phil and Ruth Cherry of Ocean Point, who now have the Cormorants; Dr. Arthur Barnes, professor of music at Stanford, and his wife Helene, Dr. Joseph Barth, minister emeritus of King's Chapel in Boston; Dr. Wallace Robbins and our own minister, Rev. Karl Phillippi of the Congregational Church. All of these people had positive attitudes and helped to form a board of directors. Genie O'Connell was elected our first president and was extremely influential in helping to launch LAF .

Our first question was where do we perform? There was no large auditorium in the Boothbay Region, and for many years we sang at the elementary school, and the Boothbay Harbor High School, once at the YMCA, and always an annual concert at the Head Tide church in Alna, Maine, where the service was conducted by Dr. Joseph Barth and Dr. Wallace Robbins. These two men were extremely helpful in keeping us focused and within our budget.

At our first concert, we sang Randall Thompson's 'Testament of Freedom' and the "Peaceable Kingdom". Other features were by a well-known Maine composer, Thomas Bucci, who had arranged many works for the Portland Symphony and directed shows for the Portland Lyric Theater. We also had Maine's Musical Camarata from Washington, Maine, which consisted of six past opera performers. They entertained us with songs from Jerome Kern, Sigmond Romberg, Victor Herbert, Ira Gershwin and Richard Rodgers. Also, from the New York Met we had the Lincoln Quartet perform. In closing our season, we had David Maxwell, organist and Asst. Professor of music at Southern Maine University , giving us a Concert. These were the highlights of our first season. We were on the road to creating the Lincoln Arts Festival, to be held each summer in Boothbay Harbor, Maine.

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Members of the chorus still travel several miles each week from area towns to rehearse during the busy summer months, and in 20 years have given at least one or two concerts each season. This chorus has survived well on the generous and constant donations of a grateful audience despite the rising cost of music and the immediate need to keep solvent. This has been under the direction of Malama Robbins for 12 years and for 8 years, Dr. Robert Russell, professor of music at the University of Southern Maine. His ever inspiring tutelage has brought about a spirited response from the singers, motivating the members to improve their singing, and providing a variety of programs including sacred and secular classics and popular show tune favorites.

The variety of music reflects many of the interests and backgrounds of the singers who are artists, accountants, teachers, carpenters, counselors, doctors, boat builders, fishermen, parents, sailors, gardeners and business men and women. One common denominator in music which makes us a spiritual community of people who love to sing for joy and the challenges music presents. Through Dr. Russell they have been charged with a desire to improve and the feeling they have listening to each other gives the music an extra glow.

The Lincoln Festival Chorus is not the only performer in the Festival. However, the Chorus is the cornerstone of the organization in the sense it was the first Festival activity to be established and the only one to be presented annually for all of the 20 years. In the beginning, it was the intention of the founding board to encourage the public to enjoy presentation of all the arts in the Boothbay Region. Besides musical presentations, we added drama, poetry, and puppet shows.

Over the years since the modest beginnings, the Festival chorus has grown in members, in strength, and in sponsorships. We now have 80 singers. We have sung many major works by famous composers. When you can see what has happened over the years, it seems likely other singers, other groups and church clubs have been stimulated.

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The influence of the LAF has extended beyond offering concerts to entertain local audiences. For instance, members of the Lincoln Festival Chorus have been invited to sing with the Portland Choral Society performing Beethoven's Ninth, and with the Salisbury Singers of Worcester, Mass., in Lincoln Center, New York, performing the VerdiRequiem, and in Russia and Greece.

Also, in 1996, Dr. Arthur Barnes became infatuated with a story, FOGBOUND, written by a 14 year old youngster, Steven Shepard, of Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Dr. Barnes set the story to music for the orchestra and the work was performed with Steven as narrator.

David McKay of Ocean Point, Maine, also composed music for the late long - time superintendent of schools in Boothbay Harbor, Harold Clifford. All the teachers who served under him were invited guests to the concert. It was a memorable evening.

In 1985 the Lincoln Arts Festival sponsored for 12 years the Portland String Quartet workshop held each year at the Newagen Seaside Inn, Southport, Maine. Members of the quartet were all highly experienced in presenting classes and seminars designed to improve the musical ability of each participant. The workshop was intended for non-professionals and adult string players who would like to study performance techniques and musical styles. Also, the Portland String Quartet was active in our local high school, presenting seminars during these many years.

In 1987 Jean Webster, a long-time board member and a poet, etablished a program for poets in the region. The first year she had poets from her home town in New York come and give us a program. This created a rising enthusiasm in the local people who write poetry.

It was very revealing how many of our own came forward with their readings. Terry McPhetres, then affiliated with the Boothbay Summer theater, Cindy Fairfield, Dominic Garvey, and Franklyn Lenthall all volunteered with their talents as well as many contributing writers and supporters of the literary arts and other arts of the Boothbay Region. "Write Out Loud" was the title of our program under the Lincoln Arts Festival. Shouldn't we do this again?

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In 1992 the Lincoln Arts Festival Pops came to fruition under the direction of Professor Arthur Barnes. This concert has been a staple in the annual LAF series. The orchestra each year enrolls some 40 professional musicians largely from Maine but also as far away as Boston. Dr. Barnes has been a member of the Stanford University music faculty for 34 years, where he was conductor of the chamber orchestra and the symphonic band and professor of theory , orchestration, and score reading, as well as mentor and arranger for all the sports activities bands. He holds a bachelor's degree in music education, a master's in theory and composition from Wichita State University, and a doctorate in orchestral conducting from Stanford.

In 1995, Art for Art's Sake was created by our own Joanne Brown, a long-time Board member. That year we had an art show in collaboration with music by the Portland String Quartet at the Newagen Seaside Inn. It was a delightful setting, and local artists enjoyed showing their works. This has continued each year as a favorite, becoming in 1999 a gala affair at Sample's Shipyard in Boothbay Harbor. Thanks, Joanne!

In 1996, Harbor Jazz Weekend came to us, sponsored by LAF in conjunction with the Mid-Coast Jazz Society and the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce, presenting annually New England's finest musicians from small combos to big bands. Ned and Barbara Freeman are in charge of this exciting weekend.

Presenting programs this extensive and varied takes a lot of effort. Choristers, board members, and community volunteers all pitch in and do the work for advertising, programs, distribution, organization, choral council work, music library, hospitality, meetings, posters, tickets, publicity, membership, decorating and much more. A big job, but very rewarding. People, associations, and clubs turn to help in the various jobs for which we are very thankful. We are grateful, especially, to the owners of Sample's Shipyard, who over the years since 1945 have graciously loaned us gratis the use of the Boatshed for our concert hall. Where else could you have a concert hall with doors open to the sea and unbelievable accoustics? All this is thanks to Bud and Sue Shevenell and the past few years to Bob and Chris Braga.

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Interestingly, our board members have been musicians, a conductor-composer , theater owner-director and producer, a lawyer, historian, a nurse, poet, actor, editor, teacher, accountant, fudge-maker, boat captain, plumber, plus business people of the community .This vast selection leads to a variety of minds who give the board structure, diversity, member involvement, knowledge, sensitivity, sense of priorities, direction, strength, financial support, and in the end, accomplishments. This broad scope of vision in LAF's endeavors helps us to reach our goals of the future.

We have been fortunate over the years in having many talented people on our board of directors and advisory board. All have interesting backgrounds and a story to tell. This is also true of our past presidents to whom we are ever grateful for their devoted hours. They deserve a very special thank-you, and I list those who have served in this capacity over 20 years. Genie O'Connell, Leah Sample, Marion Dash, Dolores O'Byrne, David Carmoli, Elizabeth Reynolds, Tom Tavenner, Barclay Shepard, Dennis Harrington, Joan Morse, and Howard Wright.

There are many times we have to reach outside of ourselves and ask for help and advice from others. It is always wise to keep in close contact with friends and associates who have our mutual interests at heart and can bring information and create more options from which to choose. So join us, help us. If you like to sing, join our chorus. If you would like to help young musicians along the way, we have an educational fund and a scholarship fund which need support. You can send a donation to Lincoln Arts Festival, Box 391, Boothbay Harbor, Maine, 04538. If you would like to serve on our board, we would love to hear from you, or if you would like to be a volunteer and help, we welcome your interest. Lastly, my heartfelt thanks to Sally Skillings and Stan Bolster in helping to edit this history.

Saying it with music can offer enduring moments, and we hope you will have many. Let's have another 20 years of Lincoln Arts Festivals.

Much love, always, Marion Dash
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