John Mock to Perform 'On the Shoreline', 8/3
By: Conor Sheeran Jul. 22, 2013
Renowned musician and photographer John Mock will present his unique multimedia maritime concert presentation From The Shoreline at the Custom House Maritime Museum in New London, CT, on August 3, at 5 pm. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for members of the New London Maritime Society and BIG button holders. Please call 860-447-2501 to reserve your tickets, as space at the museum is limited to 45. John Mock generously has offered this concert as a benefit to help restore New London Harbor Light. John Mock is Part of Something BIG! Won't you join him?
Now an internationally-renown musician, John Mock is native to the New London area: his father was in the Coast Guard stationed in New London - and it has always remained close to his heart. "Growing up I remember two ships in particular; the Coast Guard Eagle, and theMystic Isle. When my father would go to the Coast Guard Chief's club or PX (at the Academy), he would take me and my brother along and drop us off at the Eagle, where we would pretend to be pirates on the ship for the afternoon. After my father retired from the Coast Guard he worked as a mate on the Mystic Isle, the Fisher's Island ferry out of New London, and he would often take my brother and I to work with him," remembers John. John's art and music are now centered around memories like these and is inspired by the Atlantic coast and the ocean.
From New England to Chincoteague to Ireland, the Atlantic's beautiful coastline and quaint villages, its wooden boats and whitewashed lighthouses, continue to inspire and inform John's art. He captures in music and in photographs the heritage of the sea. He shares this heritage with audiences everywhere through his elegant and unique concert presentation From the Shoreline, where John performs original instrumental compositions on the guitar, concertina, and tin whistle.
John's own photography is projected onto a screen behind him, and his casual narration and storytelling tie it all together. Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum's Director of Education, Robert Forloney, commented that "John's process of tying photographs of unique places along with original music is simply phenomenal. Through sound and image, he is able to create encompassing atmospheres that capture these special landscapes and stories. Whatever your age may be, a concert of John's is a wonderful experience." John's CDs The Day At Sea and The Keeper's Companion can be found in many of America's maritime museum shops and his concerts have been presented at a diverse array of venues including the keeper's house at Atlantic City's Absecon Light, the famed Guthrie Center in Massachusetts, and museums and performing arts series on both coasts.
John's work has taken him around the world. Widely sought after as a composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist, he has worked with such notable artists as the Dixie Chicks, James Taylor, Nanci Griffith, Maura O'Connell, Sylvia, Kathy Mattea and Mark O'Connor. His orchestral arrangements have been performed by orchestras throughout America and abroad, including the London Symphony, the National Symphony and the symphonies of Atlanta and Nashville. John's credits as composer and featured artist include performances with the Nashville Chamber Orchestra, the National Orchestra of Ireland, and the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra, as well as solo performances throughout the country.
Since 2010, the Maritime Society has been the steward for New London Harbor Light, holding the historic 1801 lighthouse in trust and making it accessible for present and future generations. An 2011 historic building assessment revealed problems with the lighthouse windows and cracks in its masonry structure. Lichen growing in the paint on the lighthouse exterior must be thoroughly removed before painting can begin. Any donation is helpful - please send to New London Maritime Society, Lighthouse Fund, 150 Bank St. New London, 06320.
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