RISMEDIA, June 16, 2008-Under a canopy of stars and with the Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop, the Festival of the Atlantic concert series opens its 20th season this summer. Outdoor performances will start on Wednesday, June 25 at 7:30 p.m. and continue each Wednesday until the finale on Labor Day, September 1. The free concerts, sponsored by Diane Turton, Realtors, local businesses and patron contributions, are held on the beach at Jenkinson’s at the Inlet, which adjoins the Point Pleasant Beach Boardwalk.
Musical director Father Alphonse Stephenson will conduct the 45-piece Orchestra of St. Peter’s By-the-Sea. This season’s programs include the Battle of the Three Tenors, Divas on Broadway, choral groups and various soloists. Many of the artists have performed at the Metropolitan Opera or on the New York City’s theatrical stages.
To help music lovers attend the concerts, Diane Turton, Realtors will provide free bus service to each performance. Buses will depart from and return to the Lavallette Fire Department. Tickets for 60 seats on two buses are available on a first-come-first-serve basis with a maximum of four tickets for each person. Free passes can be picked up only at the firm’s Lavallette sales office from Thursday morning until Wednesday, the day of the concert.
The idea for a series of oceanfront orchestra concerts came to Father Alphonse while he was strolling along the beach on a winter day in the 1980s. The festival was soon launched, and with support of such corporate sponsors as Diane Turton, Realtors and tens of thousands of concert-goers the series continues. According to Father Alphonse, this is one of the longest running outdoor concert series in the United States.
To support the musical series, Diane Turton, the company’s owner and broker of record, will make a generous contribution during Diane Turton, Realtors night at the festival, which is scheduled for Wednesday, July 9th. During the evening, and at each festival performance, the firm’s sales associates will provide fans to keep the audience cool on hot summer nights. Turton will join Father Alphonse on the stage July 9th to review some highlights of the concert series over the last two decades.
For more details, call 732-892-7702 or visit http://www.orchsp.com. And www.dianeturton.com.
