history of concerts at castle hill concert series

HistoryofConcertsatCastleHillConcertSeries

CastleHillontheCraneEstatehasalonghistoryofoutdoorentertainment,evenbeforeitwasbequeathedtoTheTrusteesin1949byMrs.RichardT.Crane,Jr.,wifeofthelateRichardT.Crane,Jr.(sonofChicagoindustrialistandplumbingmagnateRichardT.Crane).TheCranefamilyhostedentertainersattheCasinoComplex,apoolandentertainmentspacelocatedontheGrandAllée.

ShortlyafterTheTrusteesbeganmanagingtheproperty,anArtCenterwaslaunchedandfeaturedaseriesofconcerts.TheCastleHillFoundationwasformedandsoontookoverthemanagementoftheseprograms,offeringawidervarietyofentertainment,includingclassicalmusicconcerts,operas,balletsandtheatreperformancesthatranforthenext20years,from1951through1973.TheseeventswereasourceofimportantrevenuegenerationtohelpwiththeongoingpreservationandcareoftheGreatHouseatCastleHillandwererunprimarilybyagenerous,dedicatedgroupofvolunteers.

In1955,theCastleHillFoundationofferedthefirstjazzconcertfeaturingLouisArmstrong.Asjazzgrewinpopularity,jazzconcertstookoverthemajorityoftheperformancelineupandflourishedatthepropertythroughthelate1960s.Accordingtoourarchives,jazzlegendssuchasCountBasie,EllaFitzgerald,DukeEllington,GeorgeShearing,ErrollGarner,TeddyWilson,NinaSimone,MaynardFerguson,andDaveBrubeckallperformedthere.After1969,theCastleHillConcertsgrewmorediverse.In1973,TheTrusteesbeganofferingFestivalsatCastleHill.AsmallprofessionalstaffwasengagedandthemissionoftheFestivalwastobecomeacenterforeducationalandculturalactivities,inkeepingwiththelegacyoftheproperty,whichitaccomplished.TheFestivalfeaturedawidevarietyofinternationallyrecognizedprogramsandentertainersfromthe16thto20thcenturies,includinghistoricdanceinstruction,chambermusic,andchildren’sprograms.SomepopularartistsincludedPaulWinter,andfolksingersEmmylouHarris,JudyCollins,ShawnColvin,andArloGuthrie.In1987,TheCastleHillFoundationceasedtoexistasasingleentitywhenitmergedwithTheTrusteesanditsprogramswereabsorbedbyTheTrustees.Festivalstyleprogramscontinuedforanumberofyearsthrough1995.MoreabouttheCastleHillFoundationFrom1951to1954,theCastleHillFoundationpresenteditsconcertsundertheguidanceofConcertDirectirS.L.M.Barlow.Demandforconcertsgrewandby1954therewereconcertsFridayandSaturdayeveningsforsevenweeks,featuringmostlyclassicalmusic.DavidC.CrockettservedasthevicepresidentandpresidentoftheCastleHillFoundationformanyyearsfrom1954to1978,withabriefbreakaround1965to1969whentheNewEnglandConservatoryofMusicstartedan8-weeksummerschoolattheestate.TheideawassimilartowhattheBostonSymphonyOrchestrahadbeendoingatTanglewoodfor25years.ThisventureprovedtoocostlyfortheConservatoryandwasclosedin1969,soCrockettcamebacktoCastleHilltobethe

director/producerofthesummerconcerts.Hehadhelpfromothers,likeGeorgeWeinofNewportJazzandFolkFestivalfame,whohelpedorganizethebandsforthesummerjazzseries.MoreabouttheCastleHillPicnicConcertSeriesIn1996,astheTrusteeslookedtoincreasepublicengagementatthepropertyandcarryonthesuccessful

legacyoftheconcertseries,theorganizationbeganofferingtheSummerPicnicConcertSeriesthatexiststoday:oneofmanypopular,family-friendlyactivitiesofferedonthepropertydesignedtoattractdiverseaudiences,includingMassachusettsresidentsandvisitorsofallages.Theprogramhasbeenflourishingeversince,averagingbetween1,000-2,000attendeesperconcert.HistoryofjazzconcertsatCastleHillBefore1955,theCastleHillConcertSerieswasnotknownforitsjazzmusic.However,withthegrowingpopularityofjazz,theCastleHillFoundationdecidedtobeginthesummerseasonthatyearwiththefirst-everAmericanJazzFestivaltosupportthe“developmentandfloweringofthisindigenousandimportantformofAmericanmusic.”OnJuly8thand9thofthatyear,LouisArmstrongperformedatCastleHill,markingthebeginningofjazzmusiciansatthesummerseries.Hisconcertwaswidelypopularanddrew5,000people.AfterArmstrong’ssuccessfulappearance,numerousothernotablejazzmusiciansgracedtheIpswichvenue,suchasCountBasie(1956),EllaFitzgerald(1957),DukeEllington(1958),andGeorgeShearingandDaveBrubeck(1959).In1960and1961,GeorgeWein,founderandproducerofboththeNewportJazzandFolkFestivals,helpedorganizethebandsforthesummerseries.In1969,NinaSimone,at

theheightofhercareer,playedwithGaryBurtonandhisQuartetaswellastheNewportAll-Stars.Wein’sconcertsdrewanaverageof6,000-7,000people.

TrusteesconcertstodayAfter1969,theCastleHillConcertsgrewmoreandmorediverse,featuringfolkandotherpopulargenres.Today,ourCastleHillsummerpicnicconcertsareconsideredoneofthesignatureeventseriesheldatCastleHilleachyear,andoneofourmostpopularongoingprogramsattheproperty.TheyofferamixofpopulargenressuchasAmericana,Rock,Latin,andSwingthatappealtoawidevarietyofaudiencesandagegroups.Localsandvisitorsfromnearandfarcometoheartheconcerts.SomeofthemstayatourInnatCastleHilldownthehillfromtheGreatHouseandmakealongerlastingadventureoutoftheexperience.Whilethere,concertgoerslearnmoreabouttheprogramofferingsweholdatthisimportantculturallandscape.Manycomebackforinteriorandexteriorhousetours,othereventsandprogramsandtovisitourworld-famous,familyfriendlyCraneBeachandWildlifeRefuge.Theyareawonderfulwayofengagingpeopleinthelegacyofthisiconicproperty,aswellasinTheTrusteesimportantpreservationandconservationmission.