1. End Road Work - Alex Sturbaum (Olympia, WA). Alex wrote this song while on their first tour with their contra dance band Gallimaufry. It’s on their first solo album, River Run Wide and features vocals from the members of Gallimaufry. www.alexsturbaum.com 2. Finding joy , by Susan Reid (Montpelier, VT). Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT). 3. We can see a future now , by Aaron Marcus (Montpelier, VT) with Ollie Cultrara. Read by Sam Sanders (Montpelier, VT). Aaron says, “I started writin...
Jul 29, 2020•25 min•Ep. 16
1. The Shortest Day / The Open Door - Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT). These two tunes by Julie feature Yann Falquet on guitar, Mark Roberts on banjo, Katie McNally on fiddle, and Julie on accordion and can be found on her album Dark Sky, Bright Stars . www.julievallimont.com 2. A strange feather , by Hafiz. Read by Charis Boke (Springfield, VT). 3. Somewhere Along the Road - Bob Mills (Montague, MA). Bob says, “This was written by Les Barker of England, who is known more for punny poems of th...
Jul 22, 2020•27 min•Ep. 15
1. Polska efter Schedin - lydia ievins (Montague, MA). A traditional Swedish slängpolska tune from Västmanland, played here on nyckelharpa and piano. This thoroughly satisfying tune is a popular favorite with dancers. Recorded on Koivu , lydia's duo album with Helsinki-based pianist Juha Kujanpää. www.lydiamusic.org 2. Stop the words now , by Rumi. Read by Charis Boke (Springfield, VT). 3. Sweet Mary Starbuck - Alex Sturbaum (Olympia, WA). Alex’s “new old” song will be on their upcoming album Lo...
Jul 15, 2020•28 min•Ep. 14
1. The Man in the Moon - Andrew Marcus (Takoma Park, MD). This track comes from Callithump’s upcoming album. Callithump is Glyn Collinson (vocals and bouzouki), Andrew Marcus (accordion) and Abe Joyner-Meyers (fiddle). They and their ceilidh-band alter-ego Frog Hammer end many of their sets with this song. froghammerband.com 2. Meredith - Owen Morrison (Washington, DC). Owen wrote this waltz for his wife for the occasion of their first dance as a married couple. From Elixir’s album Anybody’s Gue...
Jul 08, 2020•24 min•Ep. 13
1. Moonshine Holler - Pete Sutherland (Burlington, VT). This is an original waltz from Pete’s Posse’s latest recording project called Dance Party . This project is five full-length contra dance tracks plus this waltz. Designed to spur on a contra dance party at home, these tracks are available for download from their website. www.petesposse.com 2. This is what you shall do , by Walt Whitman. Read by Peter Amidon (Brattleboro, VT), with piano accompaniment by Aaron Marcus (Montpelier, VT). 3. Sou...
Jul 02, 2020•23 min•Ep. 12
1. Joan's Waltz - Oliver Scanlon (Burlington, VT). This gently swinging waltz by Oliver is from his 2014 solo album, The Pond Jam. www.petesposse.com 2. We Shall Not Cease , from Little Gidding , by T.S. Eliot. Read by Charis Boke (Springfield, VT). 3. Chasing Horizons - Eric McDonald (Montréal, QC). This song is from an EP by Connor Garvey, a singer/songwriter from Portland, ME, which features Eric on mandolin. It's an EP of songs he wrote while he was on a ship sailing from Portland to Iceland...
Jun 25, 2020•25 min•Ep. 11
1. Honey in the Woodpile / The Grinding Stone - Jeremiah McLane (Sharon, VT). These two compositions by Jeremiah are from his album The Grinding Stone and feature him on piano and accordion, Owen Marshall on bouzouki and guitar, and Corey DiMario on bass. “The title of the CD, The Grinding Stone , refers to a dream I had: inside a stone hut at that top of mountain, a man was hard at work chiseling free a huge stone grindstone, in the shape of a wheel, that looked as if it had been stuck for a ve...
Jun 17, 2020•23 min•Ep. 10
1. A Crown of Righteousness - Pete Sutherland (Burlington, VT). This song by Pete is from his album The Wilderness Road . Pete says, “Another still photo in the panorama of local history that I couldn’t stop looking at The great thing about using history to make art… It’s always timely. I remember my son singing the chorus with me when he was around five and he’s closing on 30 now. The singer here is the well-known northern Vermont gospel diva (her own word) Tammy Fletcher. Piano from the equall...
Jun 11, 2020•23 min•Ep. 9
1. Sälskär - lydia ievins (Montague, MA). A pensive tune by Juha Kujanpää, played here on nyckelharpa and piano. Sälskär is a tiny island in the Swedish archipelago of Åland, with a lighthouse that stands midway across the gulf between Sweden and Finland. Recorded on Koivu, lydia's duo album with Helsinki-based pianist Juha Kujanpää. www.lydiamusic.org 2. Clearing by Martha Postlethwaite, read by Sam Sanders with piano accompaniment by Aaron Marcus (Montpelier, VT). The tune is a recent composit...
Jun 04, 2020•24 min•Ep. 8
1. A Bird’s Eye View - Pete Sutherland (Burlington, VT). This song is from Pete’s album Farmland , a collection of story songs and ballads written in collaboration with students across northern Vermont. www.petesposse.com 2. Young by Anne Sexton, read by Lissa Schneckenburger (Brattleboro, VT). Fiddle accompaniment by Rachel Panitch (Boston, MA). 3. Junebug & Vaeda - Countercurrent (Seattle, WA). This beautiful tune comes from Brian Lindsay (fiddle) and Alex Sturbaum (guitar), who make up th...
May 27, 2020•25 min•Ep. 7
1. Dark Skies Again - Low Lily (Brattleboro, VT). This song is from Low Lily’s album 10,000 Days Like These . The song features Liz Simmons (vocals, guitar), Lissa Schneckenburger (vocals, fiddle), and Flynn Cohen (vocals, mandolin). www.lowlily.com 2. Onion River Waltz / Cider - Julia Wayne (Charlotte, VT). Onion River was written by Julia Wayne after spending many years fishing in its waters around Vermont. Julia and her musical partner Katie Trautz arranged this tune, as well as the second so...
May 20, 2020•24 min•Ep. 6
1. Feel Better - Lissa Schneckenburger (Brattleboro, VT). This song by Lissa (fiddle, vocals) also features Stefan Amidon (drums), Corey DiMario (double bass), Ryan McKasson (viola), Alec Spiegelman (pump organ, woodwinds) and Jed Wilson (piano). It is recorded on Thunder in My Arms , available at www.lissafiddle.com . 2. Bransle / Tom Kruskal's - Elixir (VT, NY, DC). These two tunes are from Elixir’s album Rampant . Tom Kruskal’s has become a modern day classic found on many a dance floor, and ...
May 13, 2020•24 min•Ep. 5
Intro: A Great Wagon (excerpt), by Rumi, read by Julie Vallimont. 1. Peggy's Maggot / Slangpolska / Veery - Aaron Marcus (Montpelier, VT). These tunes by Aaron Marcus are featured on their album Men Don’t Cry . The recording of a veery is from an actual bird. 2. Untitled by Sarah Hirsch, read by Anna Patton (Brattleboro, VT). Sarah wrote this poem just this week. 3. Charlie Mulvihil's / Gigue du Salon - Elixir (VT, NY, DC). These beautiful jigs are from Elixir’s album Anybody’s Guess . The band ...
May 06, 2020•23 min•Ep. 4
1. Summer Garden - Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT). Julie wrote this tune during a backyard hang with friends, inspired by a wonderful week at Pinewoods Camp. It features Julie (accordion), Yann Falquet (guitar), and Andrew VanNorstrand (fiddle) and is found on Julie’s album Dark Sky, Bright Stars . www.julievallimont.com 2. Summer, by Justin Bloomfield, read by Hunter DiMario (Brattleboro, VT). Rachel Panitch (Boston, MA) contributed the fiddle soundtrack. 3. Wembley Park - Betsy Branch (Port...
Apr 27, 2020•24 min•Ep. 3
1. Hope Lingers On - Low Lily (Brattleboro, VT). This beautiful anthem, written by Lissa Schneckenburger, is from Low Lily's album 10,000 Days Like These . The song features Liz Simmons (vocals, clapping), Lissa Schneckenburger (vocals, clapping), Flynn Cohen (vocals), Stefan Amidon (vocals), and Charlie Van Kirk (clapping & stomping). www.LowLily.com 2. An evolving course , by Rumi, read by Charis Boke (Springfield, VT). 3. Wild Blueberries - Buddy System (MA and NC). Julie Vallimont named ...
Apr 23, 2020•24 min•Ep. 2
1. Petronella - Lissa Schneckenburger (Brattleboro, VT). A traditional New England dance tune, recorded by Lissa Schneckenburger on her Dance album, available at www.lissafiddle.com . Joining her are Bethany Waickman (guitar), Eric Merrill (viola), and Jeremiah McLane (accordion). 2. There and Back Again - Nova (VT and Scotland). A beautiful tune from the trio Nova (Kathleen Fownes, Guillaume Sparrow-Pepin, Everest Witman) from their most recent album Chasing the Sunset. Available at www.novatri...
Apr 16, 2020•28 min•Ep. 1
