Independence Day – Old Style & New +

As July draws near, this week’s show features a bunch of songs and tunes that seem appropriate for an old Independence Day gathering – as well as a bunch of recent pieces that reflect present day concerns or showcase some of the kinds of picking and singing one might anticipate at a sunny early July festival.

A Tip of the Hat to Dad and Some New & Old Songs

This week’s show features a musical tip of the hat to dads (as Father’s Day approaches) as well as several clusters of new and old songs that celebrate the power (and delight) of singing out.

Memories & Moving On

This week we begin with some songs and tunes for Memorial Day. Then we move on to explore memories of various other kinds – of childhood and people, of oddly memorable places and things – and there’ll even be a song or two about the possibility of not remembering.

Moms, Horse Races & Soaring Sounds

This week’s show is framed with songs of, by, or about Moms; in between we’re off to the racetrack and lifted up by several recent recordings of songs and tunes that soar.

Springing into May

This week’s show features music to help make the leap from April into May. There’ll be a bit of sunshine, some seeds and a touch of greenery as well as a bunch of pieces to celebrate International Worker’s Day. And we’ll hear some songs and tunes about a bird that (according to one version “never hollers cuckoo ‘til the spring of the year”).

April Issues: $, Worth, & Earth

As the Tax filing deadline and Earth Day draw near, this week’s show focuses mainly on songs and tunes that relate to money, measures of worth, and the environment.

Sugaring Off, Crossing A March Ditch to April, Some Women Sing Out

This week we begin with a few pieces for Maple Sugar season, then move on to more songs and tunes to carry us from March into April. We’ll also take a little journey in time, with help from some powerful women’s voices, and we’ll include a set featuring performances of songs drawn from the collections of three pioneering women folksong collectors in Vermont and Upstate New York. Finally, we’ll finish off with more songs and tunes to encourage the arrival of Spring.

Honoring the “Lady of the Harbor” + Some Irish Songs & Memories

This week, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, the second hour of our show will be entirely devoted to music with various Irish connections. But in the first hour, we’ll listen to some songs and tunes that in one way or another explore the hopes and challenges of sustaining a welcoming and inclusive American community.

Journeys, Time – and Changes

This week’s show features old and new songs about journeys – some by rail and some on foot – as well as several pieces about time and change (as Daylight Savings time draws near).

Navigating Phone & Other Circuits and Remembering St. David’s Day

This week we spend much of our time on music related to various kinds of circuits – starting with a set featuring pieces that cover more than a century of telephone history. Then we move on to hear music from a few performers who will be out on the concert circuit in the next couple of weeks. And, finally, we finish off with music from Wales in honor of St. David’s Day, which is celebrated on March 1st.