Moonlight and magic
Annapolis Big Band’s annual Paradise concert a trip back to a different time
If you go to the annual Moonlight Concert in Paradise this year, you might just see stars – falling stars, that is.
This year’s event is set for Aug. 11 at the height of the Perseids Meteor Shower, heightening the usual romance of one the year’s most anticipated events. The annual meteor shower was a draw for last year’s concert as well, but the weather didn’t cooperate and the concert was postponed a day.
The by-donation concert features the 18-piece Annapolis Big Band and vocalists Donna Lynn Holmes, Andy Duinker, and Margo Corkum. Holmes’ voice is big and voluminous. Duinker is a reserved crooner. And Corkum has a lighter voice, very suited to ballads.
The annual fundraiser for the Paradise Community Hall takes place at Ellenhurst, the estate of David and Linda Hankinson and has always drawn large crowds to the riverside venue. Most years more than a thousand people drop by, toting lawn chairs, picnic lunches, wine and cheese, and an appetite for music from the Big Band era.
A typical set list could include music like In the Mood, Blue Skies, Almost Like Being in Love, Sweet Georgia Brown, Beyond the Sea, As Time Goes By, Chattanooga Choo Choo, American Patrol, I’ve Got the World on a String and A String of Pearls.
It’s not that far-fetched, as attendees will watch the moon rise over the carriage house as the band plays Moonlight Serenade. Nothing could be finer.
The estate, beside the Annapolis River, boasts expansive landscaped gardens and greenery, massive oaks, and a magical ambience that makes the Moonlight Concert one of the most anticipated summer events in the Valley as it takes you back to a different time.
David Hankinson, trumpet player and host of the event, said the band has some updated tunes and a few new members.
Gates open at 6 p.m. and there are parking attendants to direct drivers to free on-site parking. Golf carts are available to transport any concert-goers with mobility issues. The concert runs from 7:30 to 10 p.m. with an Aug. 12 rain date.