Live Music Cruises

Music, Dance, and Storytelling Cruises

These live music cruise adventures will be full with talent from all over New England. This year, we welcome Geoff Kaufman, Bennett Konesni, and the Gawler Family Band back for another summer of singing the work songs that make raising the sails a breeze! 

Trip cost includes your lodging, meals, shore excursions, and contra dance fees. 

Sea Shanties and Stories with Geoff Kaufman 

For the past thirty years, Geoff Kaufman has been leading audiences to find truth, humor, and beauty in folk music. Geoff has entertained and touched audiences near and far singing songs of the sea, the earth, the heart and the spirit.

Ancient ballads, work songs, and songs of love; poignant songs of people in struggle, humorous glimpses of human foibles, and insights into history—all of these are likely to be woven into Geoff’s performance on the Maine Windjammer, Schooner J. & E. Riggin.

To learn more about Geoff Kaufman please visit www.GeoffKaufman.com. Geoff’s albums are available in the Ship’s Store.

Bennett Konesni & the Gawler Family Band

Joining your trip will be Edith & Bennett who will sing and share stories as you sail along the Maine Coast. Each night we will anchor in a harbor and join the Gawler Family Band for concerts, contra dancing, and an all around good time. Don’t forget to pack your dancing shoes! 

This dynamic duo is at the forefront of the American northern roots music revival. They play ancient fiddle tunes from the immigrants to their cold and snowy home state of Maine, most notably those from Scandinavia. And they heat things up with spicy field hollers and rip-snorting bluegrass and banjo tunes from the American South. As recognized music scholars, they have researched, collected, and sung the songs of farmers and woodsmen of Maine and from over a dozen countries. They can often be found out hollering worksongs in their fields with their crew on their own farm. In addition to worksongs, they have a passion for barn dances and bring together communities for dances on farms and in community buildings throughout the USA and into Canada. Noted for their lively stage presence and wry humor, they carry the torch of American traditional music forward with great technical ability and engaging performances that audiences love.

Native Mainer Edith Gawler grew up a member of the legendary Gawler Family Band.  She plays fiddle, banjo and upright bass, and belts out songs in a rich sonorous alto. Also, raised in Maine, Bennett Konesni runs the family farm, Duckback Farm, where they grow gourmet garlic, teas, and culinary herbs.  He runs worksongs.org, where he shares his 20 years of worksong research and development.

John and Ellen Gawler and their daughters Molly, Edith, and Elsie bring you an assortment of old and new sounds from many folk traditions. They accompany interweaving family harmonies with fiddles, banjo, wooden banjo, cello, guitar, ukulele and piano as well as a few surprises. 

Whether they are crooning a poignant ballad or delivering a rollicking fiddle tune, their unique arrangements are especially engaging and often go along with anecdotes of historical or humorous content.

Although the Gawlers may be best known for their extensive collection of dance tunes in the Scots-Irish and French Canadian traditions, their repertoire may include a gutsy ‘ Sweet Honey in the Rock’ a capella worksong or an amusing ode to everyday life.