Wilmington Concert Opera Presents Pirates and Mermaids An Evening of Song, Opera and Sea Chanteys on the Kalmar Nyckel on June 26, 2021
April 22, 2021
Wilmington, DE April 21, 2021 – Wilmington Concert Opera returns to a unique outdoor stage this summer when they present Pirates and Mermaids, An Entertaining Evening of Song, Opera and Sea Chanteys performed on Kalmar Nyckel, The Tall Ship of Delaware. They will perform live from the upper decks of the ship with the audience safely distanced dockside on Saturday, June 26 at 7:00pm, gates open at 6:00pm. Tickets are available for $25, with reserved seating at KalmarNyckel.org/concert/ or by phone at 302.429.7447. Proceeds will support the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation, which is co-hosting the concert at the Copeland Maritime Center, 1124 East 7th Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 (rain date is Sunday, June 27, 7:00pm). For everyone’s health, masks and social distancing are required.
Imagine an evening under the stars with a special selection of songs themed around legendary
pirates and mermaids – with the beautiful Kalmar Nyckel as the backdrop. The program runs 50 minutes and features the following selections:
- “Homeward Bound” (traditional sea chantey) – Michael A. Lienhard
- “Senta’s Ballad” from “Der Fliegende Holländer” by Richard Wagner – Ashley Becker
- “I am a Pirate King” from “The Pirates of Penzance” by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan – John David Miles
- “Sea Fever” by John Ireland – Michael A. Lienhard
- “Woman” from “The Pirate Queen” by Claude-Michel Schönberg – Christa Schimitsch
- “Mermaid’s Aria” from “Oberon” by Carl Maria von Weber – Marisa Robinson
- “Amsterdam” by Jacques Brel – Michael A. Lienhard
- “Song to the Moon” from “Rusalka” by Antonín Dvořák – Kirsten C. Kunkle
- “Hook’s Waltz” from “Peter Pan” by Jule Styne – Kevin Patrick
- “Drunken Sailor” (traditional sea chantey) – Michael A. Lienhard and Cast (Singalong)
“The Kalmar Nyckel Foundation is thrilled to be partnering with Wilmington Concert Opera to present an exciting night of outdoor opera and maritime revelry – there’s truly something for everyone,” notes Cathy Parsells, KNF Executive Director.
“At Wilmington Concert Opera, we generally perform a full scale operatic gala concert every spring. With the pandemic, we had to put our plans on hold. We are delighted that our “Pirates and Mermaids” concert on the Kalmar Nyckel is finally able to come to fruition after 18 months of planning. We are so excited to be performing live in Wilmington again!” explains Marisa Robinson, Wilmington Concert Opera Executive Director and Co-Founder.
Founded in 2016 by Kirsten C. Kunkle and Marisa Robinson, Wilmington Concert Opera provides high-quality concert performances of operas in their original languages to the Wilmington, Delaware community, while creating performance opportunities for emerging and established opera singers in the greater Wilmington area. Further information about Wilmington Concert Opera and this event are available on their website www.wilmingtonconcertopera.com and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/wilmingtonconcertopera
Kalmar Nyckel is a full-scale replica of the Swedish merchant ship that landed in present-day Wilmington in 1638 to establish the colony of New Sweden, the first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley. Launched in 1997, today’s Kalmar Nyckel serves as an ambassador for the State and offers people of all ages a variety of sea- and land-based recreational and educational experiences.
The Kalmar Nyckel Foundation is a non-profit, volunteer-based educational organization, that built, owns, and operates Kalmar Nyckel. The ship has a crew of more than 200 trained volunteers who help maintain, sail, and teach its programs. No experience is required, and volunteers bring a wide range of skills and experiences onboard. Kalmar Nyckel serves as a catalyst for social and economic development and outreach. For details on Kalmar Nyckel sails, tours, charters, educational programs, volunteer opportunities, and the Tatiana and Gerret Copeland Maritime Center visit KalmarNyckel.org [kalmarnyckel.org], call 302.429.7447, and follow Kalmar Nyckel on Facebook and Instagram.