Cape Cod residents are giving cemeteries a new life, rather than death, with projects to restore and uplift historical graveyards.

A sense of haunting loneliness typically characterizes cemeteries—yet the graveyards that populate the Cape are hardly that. Rather, these cemeteries constitute a deep sense of community and connection within Cape Cod’s towns. 

This past June, the Historical Society of Old Yarmouth did not hesitate to unite residents around its Ancient Cemetery during their event, “The Stones Cry Out: The Epitaphs of Yarmouth Port’s Ancient Cemetery.” At the Kelley Chapel in Yarmouth Port, the event forged the collaboration between music and history through a rich blend of multimedia. The Historical Society collaborated with Crescendo Productions, which works alongside historically and culturally significant sites to encourage public interaction with these often-forgotten spaces. Crescendo transforms the space using art, theater and music to shed light on their histories. 

Michael Maler, the founder of Crescendo Productions, initially contacted the Yarmouth Historical Society to bring the idea to the table. However, to bring the concept to life, or rather bring the viewers closer to the notions of death, graveyard historian John Hanson worked alongside Maler and the Historical Society to provide more contextual information about the period to the project. 

Hanson notes that the headstones share an abundance of information about the culture of New England at the time. Inscribed on the headstones are hymns, sharing similar ideas that were popular at the time surrounding death. “If you go out and do some reading, you will see these themes over and over: prepare, resign (yourself) and balance your sinfulness with some hope,” Hanson says. 

Ultimately, the event transformed the hymns inscribed on the headstones into spoken word,...