Feature: Hogfish Regenerative Arts Celebrates a Magical Launch

Throughout the long, dark days of the pandemic, artists everywhere have dreamed of the day when they can bring their creativity into the light once again and share with their audiences a celebration of the joy, uplift, and healing inherent in the creative process. In Maine, as summer blossoms, arts organizations return to their mission one by one, and, perhaps even more amazing, new ones are born. Hogfish Regenerative Arts is one such new venture, born of its creators, Edwin and Matt Cahill's, desire to create "an artist sanctuary and body of work dedicated to restoring creative and physical health to individuals, communities, and our earth."

Situated at historic Beckett's castle, a nineteenth century stone "cottage" high atop the cliffs of the Atlantic Ocean in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, Hogfish celebrated its launch with two concerts, performed outdoors in the mansion's picturesque Rose Garden on June 26, 2021. The castle, built in 1871, has been the Maine home of the Cahills since 2018, and the breathtaking location has given them the opportunity to envision and produce a summer season (June - September) of performances (opera, musical theatre, art song, chamber music, dance) - these in conjunction with others which will be held in their New York City space at the Karl Kemp Performance Space in Midtown Manhattan.

Both Edwin and Matt Cahill have extensive and eclectic backgrounds in performance. Edwin Cahill is an actor, pianist, director, producer, arts administrator, and writer/lyricist whose resume is rich in Broadway, film, and opera. Matt (Morris) Cahill is a singer whose performances have spanned opera and musical theatre, as well as a stage and screen actor and teaching artist. The versatility of their talents informs their vision for Hogfish and for the seasons they hope to create and the artists they hope to bring to Maine.

There is a sense of serendipity about the choice of Beckett's Castle for Hogfish's summer home. It's original owner, Sylvester Beckett was a lawyer, poet, amateur ornithologist, and spiritualist used the home as a gathering place for artists, writers, and prominent members of society, and a palpable sense of history envelops the place from the three-storey tower, to the rambling paths and abundant roses, to the jagged rocks and crashing surf below. The setting evokes the elegance of a mini- Caramoor or Yaddo, and the Cahills put all these features creatively to use in designing their launch event.

Guests, exploring the gardens after arrival, were summoned by a bell to lift their eyes to the roof of the tower from which Matt Cahill gave a sweetly haunting account of the Ronsard text set to music by Jehan Chardavoine, "Mignonne, allons voir si les roses." A terrace of the garden served as a lush backdrop for dancer Tyeri Morrison's choreography and performance set to Nina Simone's "Ne me quitte pas."

There followed from the Amarantos String Quartet performing from the second-floor porch before the focus shifted to the lawn surrounding the M&G Piano Studio' Covered Porch, where soprano Amy Shoremount-Obra, mezzo-soprano Marquita Raley-Cooper, tenor Matt Cahill, pianists Kayo Iwana and Edwin Cahill, regaled the audience with works by Piazolla, Bizet, Puccini, Delibes, and Duke Ellington. The company also introduced selections from new works that will form part of Hogfish's inaugural season, among them THE DIARIES OF ADAM AND EVE by Evan Premo set to Mark Twain's text, and a world premiere song from a new musical created for Hogfish by Evan Premo (music) and Edwin Cahill (text). The evening concluded rather aptly with Matt Cahill's rendition (Edwin at the piano) of "A Bit of Earth" from THE SECRET GARDEN.

Because Covid is still a lurking presence, the Cahills are styling the June 26th concerts as "a soft launch" and they hope to expand and enhance these offerings -both in Maine and in NYC - as the world continues to open up. All the artists, in addition to performing, expressed their emotions at being part of live performance once again and part of the Hogfish quest "to build an artistic sanctuary and body of work to restore a healthier dynamic balance between our planet, the stories we tell, and the way we live."

Photos courtesy of Hogfish

For more information on Hogfish's upcoming events, go to www.Hogfish.org

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