Crankies and Puppetry Slam(return to archive index)
Fri, Jul 10, 2026 – 7:30 PM – Nelson Town Hall – Nelson NH
The Monadnock Folklore Society presents a Crankies and Puppetry Slam on Friday, July 10. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. with performances by Storm Welch, Madison J. Cripps, Mackenzie Doss, Kay Kinderman, Garrett Cameron, Natalie Backes.
What is a crankie? It’s an old storytelling art form. An artist makes a long illustrated scroll that is wound onto two spools. The spools are loaded into a box which has a viewing window. The scroll is then hand-cranked while the story is told, a song is sung or a tune is played.
Admission is $20 in advance or $25 at the door. A child age 16 or younger is free with a paying adult.
- Mackenzie Doss is a Southwest-born writer, director, educator, fabricator and puppeteer. She received her MFA from the University of Connecticut Puppet Arts Program in 2022 and is the current Managing Director for Sandglass Theater in Putney, VT.
- Madison J. Cripps is a puppeteer whose talent has captivated audiences for almost two decades. Through his meticulously crafted marionettes and storytelling, he creates a unique connection that transcends time and space, leaving spectators spellbound and their imaginations ignited.
- Kay Kinderman has a special place in her heart for the detailed and the small and the intimate, dancing with the notion of grief and love being inseparable.
- Storm Welch is the visual artist, illustrator, vocalist, writer, and shadow puppeteer of the Crankie “Hares on the Mountain” as well as many other Crankies. A traveling artist, Storm originally hails from the Monadnock Region of NH and currently resides in Brattleboro, VT. They take inspiration from living folk traditions across the northeast and adapt and arrange Appalachian and European folk ballads to visualize stories about loss, queerness, change, and most importantly, more than human brethren — flora and fauna. “Welcome Home” is a puppet slam organized by Storm with a traveling circus tent proscenium built in collaboration with Hannah Ellingwood of Gnome Studio.
The event takes place in the historic Nelson Town Hall in Nelson at 3 Nelson Common Road. For more information, call 603-762-0235 or visit www.monadnockfolk.org. The Monadnock Folklore Society has presented contra dances and concerts of traditional music since 1982. This Crankie project is supported by a grant from Arts Alive.
Solstice Sisters Summer Concert(return to archive index)
Sat, Jun 20, 2026 – 7:30 PM – Nelson Town Hall – Nelson NH
The Solstice Sist
ers return for a celebration of the Summer Solstice on Saturday, June 20, 2026 at 7:30 PM at the Nelson Town Hall. Pay what you can afford; suggested admission is $15, children under 16 FREE w/adult.
Alouette Iselin, Kim Wallach, and Heather Bower have been mainstays of our Nelson Winter Solstice party for years, presenting a program of original and traditional and sometimes just wacky seasonal music. Margy Page Iselin completes the line up along with new sisters Patty Blanchard, Grace Johnson & Natalie Backes. Please join us for this biannual celebration of the seasons and come celebrate the Summer Solstice, Fathers Day, the end of black fly season, St. John’s Day, the longest day of the year, Midsummer, Ivan Kupala night, Wianki, Jani, the shortest night of the year, the Red Sox or whatever floats your boat with a selection of music that only the Solstice Sisters could pull together!
Ishna “Slí Amach”: from There to Here(return to archive index)
Fri, May 29, 2026 – 7:30 PM – Nelson Town Hall – Nelson NH
Ishna “Slí Amach”: from There to Here
A joyous exploration of the music & stories of Ireland
Friday, May 29 at 7:30 PM in the Nelson Town Hall.
Admission $30 ($25 in advance)
Scottish Fish(return to archive index)
Sun, March 15, 2026 – 3:00 PM – Nelson Town Hall – Nelson NH
Join us for an exciting afternoon of traditional and original music at the Nelson Town Hall on Sunday, March 15 at 3:00 PM. Admission is $25/$20 (in advance).
Scottish Fish present a fiddle-forward infusion of original and traditional Scottish and Cape Breton music. After growing up steeped in the Boston Celtic music scene, these five young women began touring at an early age, quickly enchanting domestic and international audiences with their youthful enthusiasm, creative arrangements, and sensitive performances. As described by a concertgoer, “this powerhouse quintet wows listeners with a luscious and exciting sound, at times five instruments sharing one voice, and others a dynamic orchestra of harmony. Their years of friendship cultivate a truly unique musical bond. Their love for each other and the music they create is a gift they offer to anyone willing to listen.”
In their decade of bandhood, the Fish have performed at a wide variety of venues and festivals across the U.S. and Europe, including Celtic Connections (Scotland), Festival Interceltique de Lorient (France), and Festival de Ortigueira (Spain). Their music and performances have earned them features on WGBH, KALW, and in American Girl and Folkworld Magazines; attracted the attention of programs such as America’s Got Talent; and secured an international audience of over four hundred thousand followers across social media platforms. In 2017, the group released their debut album, “Splash,” and followed it with “Tidings,” a 5-track holiday EP, in 2019. “Upscale,” produced by pianist and composer Neil Pearlman, was released in October, 2022, marking the band’s ten year anniversary. Scottish Fish’s newest record “Currently” was released in July, 2025.
Scottish Fiddler Hanneke Cassel has described the Scottish Fish sound as “both incredibly musical, and just a little unusual.”
“Individually they are all creative and talented,” writes Cassel, “and together they spark each other, pushing each other even further to make amazing music.”
“One of the most energetic and creative acts to take root in the local Celtic music scene this century… the Scottish Fish ensemble has made the transition from carrying the mantel of the ‘future of Celtic music’ to thoroughly occupying the present”
– Sean Smith, the Boston Irish Reporter (2023)
Lissa Schneckenburger Trio(return to archive index)
Fri, February 27, 2026 – 7:30 PM – Nelson Town Hall – Nelson NH
On Friday, February 27 join Lissa (fiddle and vocals), Rachel Aucoin (piano), and Samuel Foucher (accordion) for a night of traditional fiddling, folk songs, and more! Admission is $25/$20 (in advance).
Over the last several decades Schneckenburger has made music that showcased everything from traditional New England dance tunes, to original songs inspired by her experience as a foster and adoptive parent. Her new album, Falling Forward, has blended her love of traditional music with her love of writing, in her first fiddle forward album in over a decade. Raised in a small town in Maine, Schneckenburger grew up with music. She began playing fiddle at the age of six, inspired by her parent’s interest in folk music. In 2001 she graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music with a degree in Contemporary Improvisation. She has been writing, performing, and teaching music around the world ever since.
“To me, music creates community,” Schneckenburger says. “Music is what people sing along to, dance to, fall in love to… music brings people together. These songs are part of all of us, and it’s an honor to have had the chance to record them.”
Rachel Aucoin – ” I have been playing and writing music since I was a child growing up in Southern Maine and wrote my first song about my dog, Red, at the age of seven . Recently I have been compelled to share my music and hopefully others will enjoy listening as much as I enjoy writing. My style is alternative rock, pop, instrumental rock, and singer/songwriter to folk.”
Samuel Foucher – “I grew up in the Monadnock region of southern New Hampshire. My love for the accordion began at a new years’ eve concert at a young, impressionable age. Bob McQuillen, Jimmy Keane and Jeremiah McLane were some of my mentors and sources of inspiration on this versatile instrument. Contra dancing was a frequent and beloved part of my childhood, and I have a deep appreciation for music and dance traditions of all sorts. I also love song, especially songs about the land and local history. While not playing my instrument, I enjoy woodworking and carpentry, riding bicycles, growing food, making useful and beautiful items, and anything that can serve as a catalyst for building community.”
Los Sugar Kings(return to archive index)
Fri, January 30, 2026 – 7:30 PM – Nelson Town Hall – Nelson NH
You’re invited to leave the comfort of your wood stove and get out on the town for an energizing evening of music from the Afro-Cuban band, Los Sugar Kings. Admission $25/$20 (in advance).
Sugar Kings (named after a Cuban baseball team) is a Boston-based quartet known for their dynamic live performances, rich harmonies, intense musicianship and ability to transcend genres with an authenticity rarely heard. In their world, respect is paid to the forefathers of Afro-Cuban Son, Salsa, and Rumba-Flamenca. But that’s only part of their story. Sugar Kings also actively draw on influences from nearly every continent in their unique Roots-Rock-Reggae repertoire. All are highly accomplished on their instruments, however the true magic of Sugar Kings is how these four individuals come together to put on a performance worthy of any festival, party, club or concert hall. Every show is an intimate, spontaneous and joyous dialogue between the band members on stage and their audience.
“You gotta see this band… Patino Vazquez is a dynamic performer and singer who is at once approachable, intimate and completely mesmerizing. Mik Mersha brings in the Funk, Reggae and harmonic and rhythmic influences from Ethiopia. Then Dan Abreu hits you with soaring, take-you-for-a-ride solos and harmonic accompaniment. Underneath all of that is the hidden gem in the band, the soulful voice and rhytmic talents of Tony Curtis Hall. Put these guys together on a stage and it’s impossible for a party to stop from breaking out, wherever Sugar Kings perform.”