Music Beyond Borders returns to Morristown Green
A little bit of Korea is coming to Morristown this summer, along with a dash of the Caribbean, a touch of the Ukraine, and a dollop of the Middle East.
In other words, Music Beyond Borders is returning to the Morristown Green.
The free concert series, now in its sixth year, brings music and dance ensembles from around the world to the seat of Morris County. Each performance takes place for about an hour on alternate Tuesdays in the summer.
Music Beyond Borders has become a point of pride for the members of Morris Arts, the nonprofit organization that co-sponsors the event with the Mayo Performing Arts Center.
“We’re very pleased by the way it has grown,” says Lynn L. Siebert, director of arts participation and communications for Morris Arts. “We think we’ve had a rich offering over the years.”
The 2015 line-up is a characteristically eclectic mix of cultures and rhythms.
The series kicks off this Tuesday, June 23, with the Secret Trio. The three musicians specialize in a mix of music from the Middle East, infused with rhythms off the Balkans, Armenia, Turkey, and Macedonia.
On July 7, the Conroy Warren Duo will present a program of Caribbean vibes, including samba, calypso, reggae, and merengue. The combo consists of Conroy Warren on guitar and vocals and Patrick Gomes on steel pan.
The troupe Barynya hails from the Ukraine, but its music and dance is also rooted in the cultures of Poland and Romania. The group will appear on July 21.
Music Beyond Borders will conclude on April 5 with a performance by the Korean Traditional Dance of Choomnori (KTDOC). The ensemble’s dance routines and colorful outfits relate stories of Korean village life.
Siebert says all four of this year’s acts have international followings. She notes, for example, that the Secret Trio has performed at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, among other venues.
“These are groups that have traveled the world,” Siebert says. “And they’re going to be here in Morristown. For free!”
Music Beyond Borders started in 2010 at the suggestion of members of the outreach committee of the Mayo Performing Arts Center, according to Siebert.
“They came to us looking for a way to provide diversity in music and dance, that people could enjoy without barriers,” says Siebert. “They were looking for something to reflect the diversity within our community.”
Siebert says the concerts seem to have achieved that goal. “In our first year, we averaged about 200 to 250 (attendees) per performance,” she says. “Last year, we had over 2,200 people attending the four performances.”
The make-up of the audience is equally heartening to Siebert. “We see all walks of life,” Siebert says. “We see lawyers from their offices, children from day-care centers, seniors, and people just driving by on their bicycles.”
“It’s a wonderfully unifying way for the community to connect,” Siebert says. “You see people getting up to dance in the middle of a weekday, and it’s beautiful.”
Siebert indicates that she is already looking to next year’s program. “We hope this is something that will continue,” she says. “It’s so enriching, and it introduces the community to such a wide variety of world cultures.”
MUSIC BEYOND BORDERS
WHAT: For the sixth year, Morris Arts and the Mayo Performing Arts Center will present a series of free concerts spotlight the rhythms of different cultures and countries.
WHEN: 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays, June 23, July 7 and 21, August 5
WHERE: Morristown Green (Rain site: Morristown United Methodist Church, 50 Park Place, Morristown)
TICKETS: Free
INFORMATION: www.morrisarts.org