Enjoy Live Music At Mammoth Cave

photo: MCNP

MAMMOTH CAVE, Ky., July 22, 2016 – The National Park Service (NPS) Centennial celebration continues at Mammoth Cave National Park with a variety musical performances in the coming weeks.  The performances are free; all times listed are Central.
 
“So far this year, we have enjoyed the Army Brass Quintet, Music in the American Wild, violinist Joy Fan, and our own Janet Bass Smith on keyboard,” said Acting Superintendent Tracy Stakely.  “Listening to live music at the park’s outdoor amphitheater is a relaxing experience.  The natural night sounds of crickets and frogs make for an interesting backdrop for the added layer of human-made music.  The performances are just for fun, and they are free.  We hope you will join us.”
 
Friday, August 5, 7:30 p.m., na Skylark at the park amphitheater
Lorinda Jones and Cathy Wilde are “na Skylark” which simply means "the Skylark" in Irish.  The duo uses a variety of instruments – mountain dulcimer, fiddle, Irish flute, harp and whistle – to present traditional music of Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, and Brittany.  Na Skylark is a member of the Kentucky Arts Council Performing Arts Directory.
 
Tuesday, August 16, 6:30 p.m., NPS Centennial Jazz Band at the park amphitheater
The Centennial Jazz Band comes to Mammoth Cave from the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, aka JAZZ.  JAZZ sits a few blocks off Jackson Square on the banks of the Mississippi, and is dedicated to preservation of jazz as a uniquely American art form.  The Centennial Band will perform music ranging from New Orleans jazz and R&B, to songs written for a specific National Park.
 
Saturday, September 17, 11 a.m.–1 p.m., Heartland Dulcimer Club at the visitor center
The Heartland Dulcimer Club is a non-profit organization that endeavor to share the music of the mountain dulcimer, hammered dulcimer and other traditional instruments. The preserve the roots of these instruments by playing the traditional music for which they were created.
 
The Army Brass Quintet performed at Mammoth Cave in April, Music in the American Wild in June, and Joy Fan and Janet Bass Smith, a retired cave guide, played in the park in July. 
 
2016 marks several anniversaries at Mammoth Cave National Park:  100 years of the NPS; 200 years of guided cave tours; 75 years of Mammoth Cave as a national park; and 35 years since Mammoth Cave was designated a World Heritage Site.