Chesapeake Songs and Stories at the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum...

Chesapeake songster Janie Meneely and guitar-playing phenomenon Rob van Sante join forces for a concert at the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum on July 7. The program will showcase their largely homespun folk music from the Chesapeake Bay and beyond.

Singer/songwriter Janie Meneely was born and raised on the Chesapeake Bay. She brings her nautical perspective to the world of folk music and storytelling, celebrating the maritime history, characters, and traditions of the Bay region. Her music captures the raucous ruminations of ne’er-do-well charter captains who encounter mermaids as well as more thoughtful ballads about the people who make a living “working” the water. Her ability to tell stories from the woman’s perspective is particularly compelling (her repertoire contains more than one “myth buster”).

Widowed four years ago (audiences may remember the duo Calico Jack), she recently partnered with Dutch-born guitarist and singer Rob van Sante, who lends his knack for melodies and flair for harmony to Meneely’s compositions. Commonly seen performing with the likes of Alan Reid (of The Battlefield Band) or John Connolly (who penned the maritime favorite Fiddler’s Green), Rob draws deep from the well of traditional music, adding his virtuoso guitar and powerful vocals as accompaniment or offering spellbinding a cappella renditions of gems he’s collected during a lifetime of performing around the world. Be prepared for a good joke or two.

Whether they sing about the past or the present, the Bay or beyond, Meneely and van Sante are delighted to share a few hours of music, merriment and (sometimes) mayhem. Be ready to sing along.