Music at the Dark Sky Park

Come for the music, stay for the stars! The Connecting Chords Music Festival will be bringing live music to the Dr. T.K. Lawless County Park before an evening of stargazing on Friday, October 16. Performing will be violinist Josh Holcomb, with an appearance by Elizabeth Start on theremini.

Located in Vandalia, MI (about 50 minutes south of Kalamazoo), Lawless Park is one of only two sites in Michigan to be officially designated an International Dark Sky Park.

The music program will run from 7:00 – 9:00 PM, and the park will remain open until midnight for stargazing. Park admission is $2/car for Cass County residents, $3/car for non-county residents (please bring cash). Donations to the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music will be accepted.

Masks will be required whenever social distancing can not be maintained.

In case of bad weather or excessive cloud cover, the event will move to Saturday, October 17.

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Josh Holcomb spontaneously creates textures and sonic landscapes, transforming the acoustic five-string violin sound into an endless variety of tones. Originally from Kalamazoo, Josh studied music performance at the University of Michigan and Western Michigan University. He also studied Karnatic Music in Mysore, India, through the Vivekananda Institute for Youth Leadership.

Elizabeth Start is a cellist/composer who has received numerous commissions and performed over 500 recitals in the U.S. and abroad. She performs with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and Elgin (Illinois) Symphony, and she serves as Executive Director of the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music.