One of the highlights of summer, aside from beaches, baseball and barbeque, is outside concerts — and the Porter-Phelps-Huntington House Museum in Hadley has no shortage of shows this year.
And, in a tradition that dates back almost four decades, you can hear some of that music as you sip tea and munch on pastries donated by area bakeries and restaurants.
The Hadley museum, an historic farmhouse dating to the mid 1700s that was home to six generations of an extended family, has since the early 1980s featured Wednesday evening summer concerts that explore folk and traditional music from different cultures. On Saturday afternoons, meanwhile, visitors can hear a range of sounds — jazz, blues, a capella — during the “Perfect Spot of Tea” shows, which take place on the museum’s back veranda.
Among the performers for both series this year are some well-known regional names, such as ethnomusicologist and singer Tim Eriksen, who’s noted for his original interpretations of American roots music and shape-note singing, and José Gonzalez of Amherst, a key exponent of Caribbean music.
Susan Lisk, executive director of Porter-Phelps, located on Route 47, says the museum varies its musical lineup year to year but also likes to host players whose music spans a broad mosaic, one that reflects the immigrant experience in the Valley.
“We like to tell the story of immigrants, both in the Valley and here on the farm, where the family employed immigrants and cared for them over many, many decades,” she said.
This year, for example, the “Folk Traditions” shows, held Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the museum’s garden (you can bring a picnic meal beforehand), include Youssoupha Sidibe, a Grammy-nominated player of the kora, a mix of lute and harp from West Africa; Josée Vachon, a Franco-American singer originally from Quebec; and Zikina, a mix of Ugandan folk music and more contemporary sounds in a band led by Uganda native Gideon Ampeire, who builds and plays his own instruments.
The “Perfect Spot of Tea” shows, which take place at 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and can accommodate 40 people at a time, feature more traditional American sounds like blues, folk and jazz, but they also include the “56 String Duo,” a combination of sitar player Robert Markey and 12-string acoustic guitarist Andrew Jenkins.
“The sound they make is really very rich,” said Lisk.
There are 13 different performance dates between the two music series; the Folk Traditions shows run through August 1, and the “Perfect Spot of Tea” performances run July 7-August 18.
Lisk notes that the Folk Traditions shows are not just about performance: The musicians “will also talk about the origins of their music, what it was like to grow up in another country and the cultural background, how that influences the music … so it’s about education, too.”
The “Perfect Spot of Tea” Saturday afternoon shows are run as a fundraiser for the museum, with all the amenities of the afternoon — tea, pastries, flowers and music — donated by area restaurants, businesses, volunteers and the musicians themselves.
Here’s a look at some of the upcoming performances:
SayReal, Wednesday, June 27 — Playing a mix of rock, reggae, soul and pop, this band with both Massachusetts and California roots is led by the sister and brother combination of Naia Kete and Imani Elija, who both grew up in the Valley; Naia Kete gained a wider audience several years ago when she won some initial rounds on the NBC competition “The Voice.”
56 String Duo, Saturday, July 14 — Robert Markey studied classical and blues guitar and then sitar in Boston and in India. His music, based in the North Indian (Hindustani) music tradition, includes Indian ragas and raga-like improvisations from Persia, Japan, Hungary and Indonesia. Andrew Jenkins is a twelve-string guitarist who studied at Boston’s Berklee College of Music and now lives in Northampton, where he host an open mic twice a month at Sam’s Pizza.
Josée Vachon, Wednesday, July 18 — Born in Quebec but raised primarily in Maine, singer-songwriter Vachon was a frequent performer and host on “Bonjour!,” a U.S. French-language TV show, and she co-founded the Franco-American folk group Chanterelle. She’s recorded 12 solo albums and has performed in France, Germany, Canada and the U.S — and she frequently accompanies her traditional and contemporary folk songs with her tapping feet.
Tim Eriksen, Wednesday, July 25 — From his early days as a co-founder of the Valley folk/punk band Cordelia’s Dad to his work as a solo performer and musicologist and teacher, Eriksen has won wide recognition for his exploration and interpretations of folk music. The Toronto Star rates him “among the world’s finest folk practitioners.” He performs on fiddle, guitar, banjo and voice, and he sang on the soundtrack for the 2003 film “Cold Mountain.”
Honest Harmony, Saturday, July 28 — This a cappella group offers small-ensemble pieces spanning music from the 12th to 20th centuries, often highlighting historical pieces and juxtaposing works of a single style, era or composer. Their music brings audiences on “a musical journey through the last millennium,” as one critic puts it. The ensemble is made up of soprano Barbara Matthews, alto Cindy Naughton, baritone Ijod Schroeder, and tenor John Vance.
Lisk notes that Saturday visitors to the Porter-Phelps-Huntington House can also sign up for tours of the museum. In addition, paintings by Hampden painter Philip Grant are on view in the museum’s Corn Barn through July 24. The exhibit, called “Massachusetts,” was inspired by Grant’s regular walks around his hometown.
Grant’s not just a painter (though he also had an exhibit last year at the museum of his paintings of Afghanistan): He’s also a musician who previously performed in the “Perfect Spot of Tea” series.”
“We’ve got some talented people here at the museum,” said Lisk.
Steve Pfarrer can be reached at spfarrer@gazettenet.com.
For more information on summer music at the Porter-Phelps-Huntington House Museum, including ticket prices, visit pphmuseum.org.