Day: February 4, 2026

Sunday Feb 8th, 2026. 3pm

Our hearts are with the families and the entire Gloucester community as we mourn the loss of the Lily Jean. The Cape Ann Symphony stands in shared grief with our neighbors during this incredibly difficult time. To honor those we have lost and the enduring spirit of all whose livelihoods are tied to the ocean, we will begin Sunday’s concert — a program already scheduled and inspired by everyone who carries on our community’s timeless connection to the sea– with a moment of silence.

We dedicate the afternoon’s music, poetry, and song to the families of the Lily Jean 

Cape Ann Symphony

From Heidi Dallin, Cape Ann Symphony Publicist:

“You can expect an eclectic afternoon of music,” says Barbara Cox, Director of Marketing on the CAS Board, ”from beautiful vocals to soaring strings to joyful folk dances! We are excited to spotlight not only our CAS String players but also CAS Chorus member and Gloucester resident baritone John Fortado; veteran Boston Mezzo Soprano Alexandra Dietrich and cellist Taylor Stobinski all of whom make their Musicians Unleashed debut in Moods of the Sea.“

The Cape Ann Symphony’s Musicians Unleashed Concerts are intimate chamber concerts performed by members of the Cape Ann Symphony and guest artists. They have become a popular series with an enthusiastic audience. This concert will combine music, literature and poetry performed by five string players, 2 vocalists and a poetry reader.

The program includes English poet John Masefield’s Sea Fever about longing for the freedom of life on the open sea set to music by John Ireland; Salina Fisher’s Mata Au; Edward Elgar’s Sea Pictures, Op. 37; Gustav Holst’s St. Paul’s Suite, Op. 29; and Anton Dvořak’s String Quintet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 77, 2nd Movement, written for the unusual combination of string quartet plus double bass and in the lively joyful style of folk dance.

The music captures the stylistic choices of these works, with undercurrents and rippling chords.

The musicians in the quintet are Cape Ann Symphony Principal Bass Richey Tally, CAS Violinists Margaret Cerjan and Oliver Klein, CAS Violist Brandon White and Cellist Taylor Stobinski.

Vocalists performing in Moods of the Sea will be CAS Chorus member John Fortado and mezzo soprano Alexandra Dietrich.

About Alexandra Dietrich

Mezzo/Soprano Alexandra Dietrich, a Puerto Rican American originally from Freeport, Maine. She has performed with opera companies and orchestras including the Boston Pops, Odyssey Opera, Juventas New Music Ensemble, Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, the North Shore Philharmonic Orchestra, the Charlemagne Orchestra of Belgium, the Longy Chamber Orchestra, and MassOpera. 

About John Fortado

A lifelong resident of Gloucester, MA, John Fortado has been singing as a tenor/baritone soloist in multiple choirs, among them Chorus North Shore, Share the Music, and the Cape Ann Symphony Chorus. He studies with Rockport’s Wendy Betts. He is an active soloist at the Orthodox Congregational Church in Lanesville as well as other churches and venues on the North Shore.