Concerts in the Barn kick off at Quilcene Lantern

Published 1:30 am Thursday, July 2, 2026

Concerts in the Barn is back for a ninth season of free chamber music concerts in the iconic barn at Quilcene Lantern. The season runs from Friday, July 3 through Sunday, July 19.

All concerts begin at 2 p.m. Patrons have the option of sitting inside on comfortable pews and chairs, in the loft, or listening outside on the lawn. Concertgoers are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy a picnic lunch and stroll around the grounds.

The season begins on Friday, July 3 with members of the Fulton St. Chamber Players, who will perform works that celebrate America’s birthday. First on the program is a string quartet by Northwest composer Ken Benshoof, followed by works by two European composers who called America a second home: Anton Dvorak’s well-known quartet “The American,” and Karel Husa’s “Evocations de Slovaquie” for clarinet, viola and cello.

On July 4 and 5, the program begins with Edvard Grieg’s stirring String Quartet in G minor, followed by two pieces that require a French horn player, bassoonist, clarinetist, and musician on double bass. Together, they join the strings to perform Carl Nielsen’s quintet and Beethoven’s septet, both written for Winds and Strings.

“Beethoven’s Septet became so popular in his lifetime that he grumbled he wished he’d never written it,” said volunteer director Leigh Hearon. “We’re glad he did.”

The following weekend (July 10-12), the much-beloved Carpe Diem String Quartet returns to the barn. On Friday, they present “An American. Story,” a musical and visual screen production that follows the life of an ancestor in each quartet member’s life, for five individual stories in all. Each musician wrote the score underlying their ancestor’s journey.

At pivotal places in their lives, the audience will be asked to vote on how that person should proceed.

“For example, the audience may be asked if a person should board the boat to Ellis Island or stay in Europe,” Hearon explained. “Obviously, the audience’s decisions are life-altering — although we have to say we’re very glad the decisions that ultimately were made resulted in bringing Carpe Diem together for our benefit.”

On Saturday and Sunday, the Quartet again take up their bows to perform three stellar works for strings: Fünf Stücke für Streichquartett (four pieces for string quartet) by contemporary composer Erwin Schulhoff, followed by Beethoven’s String Quartet in F major and Tchaikovsky’s romantic String Quartet in D major.

The final Friday of the season features a live programmatic musical production designed to delight both children and adults. Called “Amy’s Journey,” the story follows a young girl who spends a summer on a farm and discovers hidden treasures in the most unlikely places. With the help of farm animals and those from the wild, she learns the significance of what she found, and the history behind them.

“We have an outstanding musical group,” Hearon says. “We are very fortunate to have Ryan Dakota Farris as our music director. Adam Silverman composed the perfect score. Our eight musicians on stage do a masterful job of using their instruments to emulate owls, donkeys, cougars, and other animal members of the cast.”

After the production, the audience will be invited to explore the milking shed for more clues from “Amy’s Journey.” The concert is supported in part by the Port Townsend Arts Commission.

For the past several years, Amy and Elisa Barston have regaled audiences with their skills at Scottish fiddling, and this year follows that tradition. On Saturday and Sunday, the program opens with their fiddling set, and then, joined by other musicians, they will perform Beethoven’s Piano Trio in B-flat major (known as the “Archduke Trio”) and Brahm’s powerful Piano Quartet No. 2 in A major.

Although all the July concerts are free to the public, patrons are asked to reserve seating for each performance through TicketStripe, accessible on Concerts’ website. The link is https://ticketstripe.com/event-list/concerts-in-the-barn. Barn seats fill up fast, but there is always room on the lawn.

“Our goal is to make chamber music as accessible as possible,” Hearon said. “We want everyone, particularly families with children and seniors on a budget, to experience this great music and don’t want the price of a ticket to get in the way. At the same time, we firmly believe our artists should be paid at rates commensurate with other music festivals. With a volunteer staff, the donations we receive from private and business donors allows us to do that, while ensuring that anyone who wants to experience live chamber music has that opportunity.”

The farm has a dozen picnic tables set up for concertgoers. Wine from The Wine Seller and cider from Finnriver will be sold in the Milking Shed area of the barn. Non-alcoholic beverages, coffee, cookies and ice cream will also be sold, but concertgoers are encouraged to bring their own picnic lunches. Bottled water is available without charge. Concertgoers also can purchase Festival Fashions inside. Patrons who choose to sit outside will be able to hear the music from the barn from well-spaced speakers.

The farm opens to concertgoers at noon each concert day. Volunteers will direct attendees to the check-in table, where programs are available. Concerts in the Barn is wheelchair accessible and accommodates people with all mobility issues. Please alert the concerts office at 360-732-0732 in advance of arrival.

Concerts in the Barn encourages patrons to watch its website and social media for updates and to join its mailing list to stay connected with the concert seasons.

To ensure the safety of our musicians, staff, and volunteers, no one will be allowed on the farm property except those invited by prior arrangement or with reserved seating. Details on programs, artists bios, and free tickets can be found at concertsinthebarn.org.