The historic Horton Point Lighthouse (3575 Lighthouse Road, Southold, 631-765-5500) will serve as the backdrop for an afternoon of maritime music when the Cadet Chorale from the United States Coast Guard Academy visits Southold Oct. 25 for a free outdoor performance celebrating the region’s seafaring heritage.
The concert, scheduled for 1 to 2:30 p.m., will feature more than 30 performers, including the academy’s male and female a cappella groups. The program will include anthems, folk songs, memorial music, traditional maritime songs, Americana selections and sea shanties. Visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets and dress for fall weather.
The performance grew out of an idea by Ray Nofi, a Southold Historical Museum volunteer whose enthusiasm helped bring the academy’s musicians to the North Fork. After Nofi’s death earlier this year, the concert will honor his memory.
For Darren St. George, the museum’s executive director, the collaboration brings together two institutions closely tied to the area’s maritime identity. The museum oversees Horton Point Lighthouse as one of its three locations.
“Of course, it’s going to be an enjoyable performance, but if you get there a few minutes early, or you stay a few minutes late, you can also enjoy the lighthouse itself and the history that it represents for Southold,” St. George says.
The Cadet Chorale is a select ensemble drawn from the Coast Guard Academy’s corps of cadets. Its members perform across the country, including New York City, Chicago, Boston and Washington, D.C., as well as historic sites along the East Coast. Recent international tours have taken the group to England, Italy, Ireland and Germany.
Music is one part of a broader academy program that includes vocal and instrumental ensembles and a winter musical theater production. Although participating cadets study engineering and other professional fields, they also develop leadership skills through their musical commitments. Upon graduation, cadets receive commissions as ensigns in the Coast Guard.
“The North Fork is entrenched in maritime history,” St. George says. “The Lighthouse has been standing proudly since 1857. “It was commissioned by George Washington himself, so it certainly is a testament to the town and still functions as a legal lighthouse. The Coast Guard comes annually and inspects the light, makes sure everything is up to par, and, should it ever be needed in an emergency, it is ready to go. Bringing the Coast Guard to perform and celebrate their talents as well as the lighthouse itself is a perfect opportunity.”
Set on a bluff overlooking Long Island Sound, Horton Point Lighthouse offers sweeping views of Connecticut. First lit in October 1857, the lighthouse was automated in 1933 and relit in 1990 after a major restoration. Today, the site also houses the Southold Historical Museum’s Nautical Museum.
