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Sometime in or around 1980 there was a sitting-around-the-kitchen meeting between a group of friends that resulted in the formation of the Monadnock Folklore Society. The group consisted of myself, Mary DesRosiers, Gary Heald, Jennifer Price, and Ken Wilson. It took a couple of years for MFS to be officially set up as an organization with 501-C3 status, but the ball was rolling.

There were two great influences for founding MFS. One was the Monday night dance, which had been started by Peter Temple in Harrisville in January of 1978 (look for 30th anniversary coverage on this Web site coming up). Not that contra dancing wasn’t already popular in these parts, but this particular dance provided an opportunity for new callers and musicians to get experience. It wasn’t until many years later, after the dance had moved to Nelson, that MFS became the official sponsor, but I know that the early Monday night dances certainl enriched the environment – making it fertile folk ground.

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Now October’s growin’ thin, and November’s comin’ home . . .

I never move into October without having these lovely lyrics come into my head. It’s from Turning Towards the Morning, a song Gordon Bok wrote, way back in 1975. I probably heard it for the first time a year or two later, and I’ve remained enchanted with the song all these years.

We’re moving into the time of year where there are many ancient folk traditions celebrated. At the end of October, Sawhain, an ancient Celtic festival on which, with typical modern American distortion, the “tradition” of Halloween has sprung. On the other hand, perhaps the strongest original American tradition is the Thanksgiving holiday that follows, though that too has been subject to increased commercial influence. We hardly dare mention Christmas in that regard, but will note the more relevant Solstice. Read more