Monadnock Folklore Society

☼ ☼ ☼ Dave Eggar & Amber Rubarth | Heberton Hall, Keene, NH

Jun 232014

July 30, 2014
7:30 pm	to	10:00 pm

We are so excited to be able to present cello virtuoso Dave Eggar and singer/songwriter Amber Rubarth returning to the Monadnock region for a night that celebrates folk song, story, and groove through the ages. This concert is made possible through collaboration with The Walden School. Wednesday, July 30, 7:30 PM, Heberton Hall, 76 Winter Street, Keene, NH ~ $15/$12(Sr/Jr/Advance))

“Here is a letter from my lonelier self / to the one that’s in love once again / I couldn’t find you so I thought that I would tell / you a few things with my favorite blue pen.” So begins Amber Rubarth’s fifth album, A Common Case of Disappearing. Grand prize winner of NPR’s prestigious Mountain Stage New Song Contest, Rubarth writes songs with a courageous vulnerability so personal that it touches the universal. At 21 years old, Amber decided to quit her career as a chainsaw sculptor in Nevada in order to pursue her hidden passion for music. She taught herself guitar, began playing open mics and recording her songs, and soon was being asked to perform throughout the US and into Europe.

A musical prodigy as a child, Dave began playing the cello and piano at age three, performed on Broadway and with the Metropolitan Opera at age seven, and debuted at Carnegie Hall at age 15. He is a graduate of Harvard University and the Julliard School’s Doctoral Program.

Dave Eggar has performed worldwide as a solo cellist and pianist. A virtuoso of many styles, Dave has performed and recorded with artists in numerous genres including Evanescence, The Who, Michael Brecker, Josh Groban, Coldplay, Beyonce, Pearl Jam, Fall Out Boy, Dave Sanborn, Kathleen Battle, Ray Lamontagne, Roberta Flack, The Spin Doctors, Dianne Reeves, Brandy, Carly Simon, Phil Ramone, Hannah Montana, Duncan Sheik, Sinead O’Connor, Bon Jovi, Manhattan Transfer, Corinne Bailey Ray and many more.

Dave’s mission to “not just cross over, but to cross through” multiple genres of music are apparent with all of his releases. Whether it’s classical, reggae, bluegrass, jazz, pop, or world music, he finds a common voice within his musical vocabulary and introduces it with his own unique imaginative vision.

Here are a few links to give you a taste of what we are in for:

http://www.youtube.com/user/daveeggar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSeh_hfrSa0

http://vimeo.com/81475735

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNcIGJIsaN4#t=200

☼ ☼ ☼ Sacred Harp Sing | Nelson

About

Jul 202014

The next sing will take place on Tuesday, July 29 at 7 pm. NO experience is necessary. If you think this sounds interesting, we’d love to have you come listen and give it a try. We will have several extra books to lend for the session. If you’ve sung shape-note songs in the past and are ready for more singing close to home, we’re eager to meet you and have you join us, too. If you want directions, please email ecsandberg@gmail.com.

Lupi named director of NH Division of the Arts

About

Jul 202014

Virginia Lupi has been confirmed as the director of the N.H. Department of Cultural Resources’ Division of the Arts. Lupi was nominated by Gov. Maggie Hassan and received unanimous support of the Executive Council.

Lupi’s extensive work experience includes not-for-profit management, public policy consulting, grant writing and public relations work. Most recently, she served as executive director of the ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes in Corning, N.Y.

“New Hampshire’s arts community is critical to our high quality of life, strengthening our cultural identity and our economy,” Gov. Maggie Hassan said. “Ginnie Lupi has a wide range of experience in the arts and management, and her passion for and understanding of the arts’ importance to our communities and economy will be an asset to the Division of the Arts, the Department of Cultural Resources and the Granite State.”

“New Hampshire’s dedication to art of all kinds – physical and performed, traditional and cutting edge and everything in between – garners worldwide respect,” said Lupi. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of it.”

Lupi was selected after an extensive national search by a committee assembled by Department of Cultural Resources Commissioner Van McLeod. He then brought forth her name to Gov. Hassan.

She will join the Division of the Arts full time this summer.

The Division of the Arts is a publicly funded agency within the New Hampshire Department of Cultural Resources. It began in 1965 with legislation designed “to insure that the role of the arts in the life of our communities will continue to grow and play an ever more significant part in the education and welfare of our citizens.” Funding comes from state appropriations, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Conservation License Plate fund. Learn more at www.nh.gov/nharts

The NH Council on the Arts is an important supporter of the Monadnock Folklore Society.

NH Council on the Arts Logo

Renn Tolman 1934-2014

Contra Dance, History

Jul 132014

It is with great sadness that we share the news that Renn Tolman passed away on July 5th in Homer, Alaska.

Renn was born in Nelson, the son of Newt and Beth Tolman. Newt played flute for the Nelson dances and with Kay Gilbert, compiled “The Nelson Collection” of fiddle tunes. The book was used by many musicians in later years to fuel the revival of traditional dance and music. Beth collaborated with Ralph Page to write The Country Dance Book, a collection of dances from the Monadnock Region.

Renn learned to play the flute from his father. He brought traditional New England style dance to Homer, Alaska. In addition, he returned to Nelson regularly where his turn on the stage was always eagerly awaited.

http://homertribune.com/2014/07/obituary-july-9/

http://homertribune.com/2014/07/esteemed-boat-builder-passes/

Renn and Harvey at Tolman Pond 2010 Photo Credit: Nate Anable

Support the Future of Dance in Nelson

About

May 242014

Photo of Existing Light Bar in Nelson Town Hall

Nelson, NH. April 28, 2014.
After the Monday night dance in Nelson, dancers, musicians and Monadnock Folklore board members carried equipment, fans and even the old violin case that is used to collect the three-dollar dance admission to a neighboring barn in preparation for the renovation of the Nelson Town Hall.

The joke every Monday night is that the musicians & callers get paid in cookies. Don Primrose’s commanding voice will boom this announcement across the hall every week. But the dance does have a cost. The piano was purchased several years ago when the old one just couldn’t stand up to the vibration of feet balancing and fingers on its keys any longer. The hall rent increases every few years and the lighting for the stage is ancient and was rigged “temporarily” twenty years ago using plumbing piping, and if you listen carefully there is a hum from the stage lighting due to the electrical circuit.

Monadnock Folklore Society would like to make an investment in the future by upgrading the lighting to LED fixtures and a more conventional method of hanging the lights. LED fixtures have the added benefit of cutting electricity cost and hopefully helping to keep our rent increases to a minimum, with no hum!

Sound equipment is costly and heavy. Volunteers arrive every week to set up the equipment and speakers, soundboard, cables and microphones. Our goal is to make this easier and improve the quality of sound by installing a lockable soundboard and permanently mounted speakers.

The dance has come full circle and we need your help, please support this campaign to improve the lighting and sound system with a donation to Monadnock Folklore Society. The much needed improvements will cost $12,000.

Please go to our Donations page, or click the Donate button below.

Thank you for supporting the future of dance in Nelson.

Nelson Monday Dance Summer Schedule

About, Contra Dance

May 042014

The Nelson Town Hall Renovation has begun! See http://www.monadnockfolk.org/?p=5205 for background information.

While the hall is being renovated, the Monday dance will continue to be held.

From Monday May 5 through Monday June 2:
The Nelson Dance will be at the Peterborough Community Center (old Armory) at 25 Elm Street. The Community Center has a strict “soft-soled shoes” policy, so please, no dancing in outdoor shoes.

Beginning Monday June 9th, the Dance will be at Heberton Hall, next to the Keene Library at
76 Winter Street in Keene until the anticipated return to the Nelson Town Hall before September.

Events for Bob

About

Mar 162014

There will be a series of events on Saturday, May 3rd in Peterborough NH to celebrate the life of Bob McQuillen.

2-4 PM Memorial at ConVal High School (184 Hancock Rd, Peterborough, NH 03458)
4-8 PM Reception at the Monadnock Country Club (49 High Street 03458)
7-11ish Dance at the Peterborough Town House (1 Grove Street 03458). Musicians and callers welcome to perform, send email to lsievert@yahoo.com if interested so we can keep track.

More details will be posted as they become available.

Town Hall Renovation Budget Approved at Town Meeting

About, Contra Dance

Mar 162014

With a 79% majority vote, the Town Hall Renovation Budget ($305,900) was approved at the Nelson Town Meeting on Tuesday, March 11th. While the majority of the renovation is funded from Town reserves, a local fund-raising effort raised $80,000 towards the Town Hall work. These donations were essential to the passage of this budget at Town Meeting and the Monadnock Folklore Society is grateful to all who contributed.

During the renovation, the Monday Night Dance will move to the Peterborough Community Center at 25 Elm Street on Monday, May 5th, and then will move to Heberton Hall in Keene on Monday, June 9th. We expect to return to the Nelson Hall by mid-August.

The work to be done on the Town Hall includes the following scope:

Separate the structure from the Connector Building.
Elevate the structure above its foundation.
Remove the rubble foundation.
Pour new concrete foundation.
Reinstall granite capstones.
Install drainage systems both inside and outside of new concrete walls.
Pour concrete footings for posts and pour new concrete floor.
Remove exterior siding from East wall.
Straighten walls and level floor to best achievable plumb and level.
Re-sheath East wall with OSB and reinstall siding.
Reinforce roof bearing posts with steel channel iron or wood.
Reinforce floor with additional wood timbers and floor joists.
Reinforce roof trusses with additional framing members.
Renovate window sash and front door using funds from a Moose Plate Grant.
Remove furnace from Storage Room in Town Hall.
Relocate furnace from Storage Room to Library Furnace Room.
Install duct work for heating or introduction of ambient air for ventilation.
Install fan and floor registers to bring heated or ambient air into the Town Hall.

Link to NH Cultural Heritage Living History Newsletter February 2014

About

Feb 132014

Link to Newsletter

Bob McQuillen 1923-2014

About

Feb 052014

Bob McQuillen at the Nelson Town Hall

Our Bob died on Tuesday, February 4th, 2014, surrounded by friends, at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, NH.

McQuillen, 90, had been hospitalized after suffering a stroke on Sunday.

Bob played the Nelson Monday Night dance weekly for over thirty years, as well as the Peterborough First Saturday dance. He was nationally and internationally revered for his boom-chuck piano playing and his terrible jokes.

In 2001, he founded the Johnny Trombly Memorial Scholarship fund, so that young musicians could receive lessons in traditional New England dance music. Several of the recipients chose to take lessons with Bob and so his style, learned from Johnny Trombly, will live on.

In his will, Bob designated Monadnock Folklore Society as the recipient for donations in his memory. Your Donations to the Monadnock Folklore Society in memory of Bob can be made here.

Statement from the National Endowment for the Arts on the Death of 2002 NEA National Heritage Fellow Bob McQuillen

Link to Peterborough Ledger-Transcript

News story and feature in the Keene Sentinel (two separate stories)

The Boston Globe

The article the David Millstone wrote about Bob when he received the Lifetime Contribution Award from Country Dance and Song Society in 2009.

Interview with Bob from 2004 for NH Heritage and Traditional Arts

Source for Bob’s CDs: Great Meadow Music

Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grant Received Locally

About, FolkNotes, Interviews/Profiles, Johnny Trombly Scholarship

Nov 202013

Thurston Huntting “Hunt” Smith and Samuel Foucher are proud recipients of a 2013-14 Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grant from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts.

From the nh.gov.nharts website: “Apprenticeship grants fund a master traditional artist to teach an experienced apprentice in one-to-one sessions over a period of six to ten months and in this way recognize master traditional artists for their artistic excellence and commitment to preserving their heritage and support the efforts of promising apprentices who want to learn a tradition and share it with others.”

Hunt has over forty years experience in the fine and decorative arts, and has been making violins and violas at his home in Nelson for several years. Samuel is a recent recipient of the Johnny Trombley Scholarship from the Monadnock Folklore Society as a contra dance musician, studying under the great Bob McQuillen. For the past year, Samuel and Hunt have met regularly as part of Samuel’s home-schooling to learn fine woodworking skills. Now his plan under the apprenticeship is to make a violin of his own! Upon completion of the project, Samuel and Hunt will make a public presentation at the Harrisville Public Library.

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