For many years, The Shaw Brothers performed nationally and internationally, recording many albums that included their original music in addition to well-known songs from the folk genre. Their travels often took them from the place where they grew up, and where they loved to be the most, New Hampshire.
New Hampshire was also where they enjoyed performing most, in particular Prescott Park, in Portsmouth, where they performed live for 22 consecutive summers to literally thousands that would turn out for every show. In fact by popular demand their album, “Concert in the Park” was recorded live in 1982, a first for Prescott Park. Ron and Rick’s music became the soundtrack for so many New Hampshire people’s lives. Sadly, Ron and Rick retired from playing some years ago due to ill health and Ron passed in 2018 and Rick passed soon after in 2021.
Their legacy lives on though and as part of the 400th Anniversary Celebration of the city of Portsmouth in 2023, Prescott Parks Arts Festival will host an event to celebrate the life and music of the Shaw Brothers. This event will serve as a fundraiser for the Music is Magic Fund, established to honor Ron and Rick’s memory. The concert will help fund a permanent memorial in Prescott Park, and will support the Arts Festival’s mission of accessibility.
A selection of performers with connections to New England, and to the Shaw Brothers, will create an evening of music that will include Shaw Brothers hits and other popular classics. Audience members can expect to see an eclectic group of talented singers and musicians, and perhaps one or two surprise guests, honoring the Shaw Brothers and supporting the Music is Magic Fund.
The concert itself will take place at the legendary outdoor venue, Prescott Park Arts Festival, in the heart of downtown Portsmouth. Over 150,000 people attend this unique venue every summer to see the range of performing arts events that are provided exclusively on a suggested donation basis. Prescott Park Arts Festival is a much-loved and integral part of the Portsmouth community and is delighted to be supporting the Shaw Brothers legacy.
Both Prescott Park Arts Festival and the Shaw Brothers can rightly be considered stand outs in Portsmouth’s rich 400-year history.