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Concerts and Events
To hear a recording of upcoming events, call (617) 623-1806.Print out the latest concert postcard, and please help us spread the word by passing them out to your friends!
2008-2009 Concert Season
- Sat., Sep. 20: Peggy Seeger
- Thurs., Sep. 25: Moore's Melodies (Gordon Warner and Rosie O'Brien)
- Sat. - Mon., Oct. 11-13: Fall Getaway Weekend, Bement Camp, Charlton, MA
- Sat., Nov. 1: Cliff Haslam
- Thurs., Nov. 13: Len Graham house concert
- Sat., Nov. 22: Dave Webber and Anni Fentiman
- Sat., Dec. 6: Sheila Kay Adams
- Sun., Dec. 7: Pub Carol Sing
- Sun., Jan. 11: Bob Zentz house concert -- CANCELLED DUE TO SNOW STORM!
- Thurs., Feb., 5: Work songs workshop with Bennett Konesni
- Sat., Feb. 7: Annual FSSGB Members' Concert
- Sat., March 21, 2009: Priscilla Herdman CD Release Concert with Max Cohen
- Sat., March 28, 2009: Brian Peters
- Sat., April 18, 2009: Benefit concert featuring "New Rigged Ship" (Jacqueline Schwab and Reinmar Seidler)
- Sat., May 2, 2009: Bruce Hutton with Chris Romaine
- Sun., May 3, 2009: For Pete's Sake, Sing!
- Sunday, May 17, 2009: 50th Anniversary Year Kick-off Party
- Thurs., June 11, 2009: Louis Killen house concert
- Sun., June 21, 2009: Danny Spooner house concert
- Thurs., July 23, 2009: Sandra Kerr house concert
A peek ahead to our 50th anniversary season!
- Sat., Sept. 12 2009: Kossoy Sisters
Please note: tickets are not sold in advance for our concerts unless otherwise noted. All the seats are good, so if you're there a half hour before the show starts, you shouldn't have a problem!
Peggy Seeger
St. John's United Methodist Church
80 Mt. Auburn Street, Watertown
$15.00 general admission, $10.00 FSSGB members
Children 7-15: $5, Children 6 and under free
(Members' children 15 and under free)
(See map and calculate directions on MapQuest)
For public transportation, check the MBTA web site.
This venue is handicap accessible
"The ballads . . . they are my heartsongs. To me, they are the core of our tradition. They have been created, loved, tended, pruned and trimmed by generations of singers so that they are down to their very bare bones. And because their language is so sparse, both the listener and the singer can clothe those bones with any kind of flesh they wish. Every time you sing them, they're different. Yes, the ballads give me endless pleasure. They are also the best antidote I've found for Interstate Hypnosis!" (Peggy Seeger, Prism Coffeehouse,1996)
Peggy Seeger, born in 1935 in New York City, is an American folk singer. She is also well known in Britain, where she lived for more than 30 years with her husband, songwriter Ewan MacColl. Peggy's formal music education was interwoven with her family's interest in traditional music. She began to play the piano at seven years old. By the age of eleven she was transcribing music and becoming conversant with counterpoint and harmony. Between the ages of 12 and 35 she learned to play guitar, five-string banjo, autoharp, Appalachian dulcimer and English concertina. She tried the fiddle - and failed. When her fiddle was stolen her friends discouraged her from buying another.
For two years she attended Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she began singing traditional songs professionally. She began to be a songmaker in 1958 with what she considers to be her first successful song, "The Ballad of Springhill." Peggy looks on herself chiefly as a singer. The fact that she plays six instruments (piano, guitar, banjo, English concertina occasionally, autoharp/Appalachian dulcimer at home only thanks to airline baggage restrictions) does not brand her an instrumentalist as she uses her instruments chiefly for accompaniment. She has never had voice lessons although she has had invaluable help from Penni Harvey-Piper in London and Danny Ellis in Asheville. She professes that "my voice isn't a beautiful voice. Joan Baez has a beautiful voice. Mine is a character voice and that has helped me in singing different types of songs."
Peggy is a much loved and respected icon of the folk movement as well as a fabulous performer. Don't miss this opportunity to hear her!
Moore's Melodies house concert
featuring Gordon Warner and Rosie O'BrienThursday, September 25, 8pm
Cambridge, MA
$12 for all at the door
Reservations required; email suzanne AT smrozak DOT com for
reservations and directions.
2008 marks the bi-centenary of the publication of Thomas Moore's Irish Melodies. Some of Moore's airs, such as The Last Rose of Summer, The Minstrel Boy, and Oft in the Stilly Night have remained popular since their first publication. To mark the bi-centenary, FSSGB will present a recital of Moore's Melodies with Rosie O'Brien on vocals, accompanied by Gordon Warner on mandolin, banjo and bouzouki.
Cliff Haslam
First Parish of Watertown
35 Church Street, Watertown
$15.00 general admission, $10.00 FSSGB members
Children 7-15: $5, Children 6 and under free
(Members' children 15 and under free)
(See map and calculate directions on MapQuest)
For public transportation, check the MBTA web site.
This venue is handicap accessible
The banner that flies outside the Griswold Inn in Essex, Connecticut on Monday nights says "Sea Chanteys Tonight." For many years, this has meant Cliff Haslam and his collection of songs of the sea and of the English countryside, with assistance from any of a number of musically inclined friends. A native of Warrington, Lancashire -- about 16 miles up the Mersey from Liverpool -- he's as fine an exemplar of the British folk tradition as you'll find this side of the pond.
With one of the strongest voices in the folk revival, Cliff sings a group of English songs that range from powerful to tender, genteel to downright bawdy. On his recording "The Clockwinder", harmonies and additional accompaniments are provided by one of Cliff's most ardent fans, Gordon Bok, who also recorded this one at his home studio in Camden, Maine.
Cliff has been a mainstay in the folk music scene of southeastern New England for decades, and has inspired countless people to sing, learn songs and to join in the community of folk music. His songs display a fine sense of humor along with great vocal artistry. Everyone should have the opportunity to witness Cliff shake the walls of a room as his booming bass baritone brings new life to an old chantey....and in the next moment, to listen while he sings a sweet ballad that would bring tears to the eyes of an executioner.
Len Graham house concert
Thursday, November 13, 2008, 8pmBrookline, MA
$12 for all at the door
Reservations required; email suzanne AT smrozak DOT com for
reservations and directions.
Irish singer Len Graham offers traditional songs in English from the North of Ireland, with memories from a lifetime of collecting and singing. Len's extensive repertory of songs covers the gamut of themes and human experience as portrayed in the old ballads, local songs, come-all-ye's, lyric folksongs, music hall pieces; songs on politics, murder, love, emigration and more.
Len is one of Ireland's best known traditional singers who has gained an international reputation, not only for his inimitable singing style, but also for the breadth of his knowledge of Irish folk music. Since coming to the fore in 1971 when he won the All-Ireland traditional singing competition, Len has appeared at numerous Irish and international folk, literary and storytelling festivals, as well as on radio and television programmes. In 1992 he was awarded the Sean O'Boyle Cultural Traditions Award, in recognition of his work in Ireland as a song collector and singer. In 2002, he was honored as the inaugural recipient of the TG4 (Irish language and culture television channel) National Music Award for Traditional Singer of the Year. His rich recording history spans over thirty years, with more than twenty highly acclaimed albums to his credit.
Dave Webber and Anni Fentiman
First Parish of Watertown
35 Church Street, Watertown
$15.00 general admission, $10.00 FSSGB members
Children 7-15: $5, Children 6 and under free
(Members' children 15 and under free)
(See map and calculate directions on MapQuest)
For public transportation, check the MBTA web site.
This venue is handicap accessible
The Folk Song Society is pleased to present a special concert with the British duo Dave Webber and Anni Fentiman. Dave and Anni are well-known in traditional music circles, and have developed a talent and firm commitment to unaccompanied singing. Both were members of the British a capella quartet Beggers Velvet during it's eight year existence and many highly successful U.S. tours. This is a powerful singing duo not to be missed.
Dave and Anni's enthusiasm sparkles in their powerful vocal performances which have developed from their involvement in traditional and traditional-style music for over 25 years. Their first love is accappella singing, both solo and in harmony, and they present a varied cross section of material from the delicate solo to the rousing chorus.
Anni's intuitive harmony adds colour and depth to the duo whilst her solo performance is clear and sensitive. From the North East of England Anni is a "Geordie" and presents an unusual repertoire featuring dialect songs earning Anni a well deserved reputation in English traditional music circles. Dave sings with a rich and powerful style. His love of this music is clear in his performance, from the gentle and plaintive traditional ballad to the stirring chorus song which inspires even the most reticent audience to join in. Dave is also a song writer of note with many of his better known songs often assumed to be traditional. Foremost among these is probably "Lady of Autumn" and many of Dave's songs have been heard as far afield as Australia. Dave has published a book of his self penned songs all of which are written in the traditional idiom.
Apart from their concert work, Dave and Anni's recordings are frequently featured on national and local radio and have been used for television. They occasionally combine their talents with other performers in musical and theatrical productions, the most widely acclaimed of which is probably 'The Widow's Uniform', a musical play in which Dave and Anni play leading roles. This show has toured provincial theatres throughout England, and has been favourably reviewed by BBC Radio 4.
Sheila Kay Adams
St. John's Methodist Church
80 Mt. Auburn Street, Watertown
$15.00 general admission, $10.00 FSSGB members and students
Children 7-15: $5, Children 6 and under free
(Members' children 15 and under free)
(See map and calculate directions on MapQuest)
For public transportation, check the MBTA web site.
This venue is handicap accessible
This concert is being put on in conjunction with Revels, Inc.
Sheila Kay Adams is a versatile and talented performer. She is a traditional ballad singer, musician, Appalachian humorist, published author, and master storyteller. She has a down-home style with a professional foundation. With a warm, relaxed and genuine presence, Sheila develops an immediate rapport with her audience. Whether singing the ancient story-songs, playing the banjo, performing an original composition, or creating a window into her rich culture by sharing a story about the colorful folks of her small mountain community, she spellbinds audiences of all ages. Sheila is able to draw from a vast amount of material and can provide entertainment in a wide variety of environments. She is also an excellent teacher, providing residencies, workshops, and classes. Having taught in the North Carolina Public School System for seventeen years, as well as presenting in classrooms at hundreds of colleges and universities across the country, Sheila is exceptionally adept in engaging and holding the attention of students in an academic setting.
Sheila comes from a small mountain community in western North Carolina. For seven generations her family has maintained the tradition of passing down the English, Scottish, and Irish ballads that came over with her ancestors in the late 1700’s. Sheila learned these ballads from her relatives, primarily from her great-aunt, Dellie Chandler Norton.
She also grew up listening to great storytellers. Stories from them, and about them, and her own growing up years in the little community of Sodom have formed the nucleus of her performances and writing. A gifted and talented performer on the clawhammer banjo, Sheila captivates audiences with her playing, singing, and stories.
Sheila's latest CD is a compilation of several live concerts performed for audiences from North Carolina to Indiana. Included are her most requested stories and songs: Little Mathey Groves, The Four Nights Drunk, Inez and the Snake Handlers, The Farmer's Cursed Wife, Little Betty and Amos, What Ever Happened to John Parrish's Boy?, and Granny's Song.
As stated by Richard Thompson, a previous director for the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching, "Sheila's ability to listen and communicate via the oral or written word is superb...Her understanding of the Appalachian mountain life, people, and social fabric - the subject of her performances - has a universal appeal and touches all of us... even those not from the area."
Pub Carol Sing
Sunday, December 7, 2008, 1-4pmin the back room at Doyle's Café
3484 Washington St
Jamaica Plain, MA
(617) 524-2345
Free!
Sponsored by the Folk Song Society of Greater Boston and the West Gallery Quire
Carols from the Sheffield, West Gallery, and Sacred Harp traditions (as well as some standard favorites)
Free! (but we will pass the hat for the waitress). Music will be available.
Email Suzanne Mrozak (suzanne at smrozak dot com) for more information
Bob Zentz House Concert
Sunday, January 11, 2009CANCELLED DUE TO SNOW STORM!
This concert will be rescheduled, hopefully for this spring. Check back later for updates!
Work/Song: Musical Labor of Farmers, Herders and Fishermen in Tanzania, Mongolia and Ghana
with Bennett KonesniThursday, February 5. 7:30pm
At MIT, Cambridge, MA
$12 ($10 students), collected in advance*
Reservations required: suzanne AT smrozak DOT com
From shipboard chants to cattle yodels, people all over the world have found musical ways to make difficult work more enjoyable. Bennett Konesni will explore these topics in his 30 minute documentary film, after which he will discuss and demonstrate the ways people merge song and labor in unique settings.
What do you sing while tilling cassava? How do you calm a newborn calf through song? During this presentation, Bennett will attempt to answer these questions by describing and demonstrating work songs he collected during his year-long Thomas J. Watson Fellowship.
Bennett discuss the traditions we see in the film, and work songs in general, and will teach a few to the participants.
Born in Asheville, North Carolina, Bennett Konesni was raised by parents that placed high value on the old-time fiddle and banjo music. Active in music as a youngster, Bennett jumped into flatpick guitar during high school. During four years at Middlebury College, he fronted the Route 7 Ramblers, who toured the Northeast as the musical foundation of highly acclaimed Circus Smirkus. After finishing college, Bennett collected farmer's work songs in rural Africa, Asia and Europe during a post-graduate year of field research as a T.J. Watson Fellow. The singers and workers he met inspired him to write the songs that form the core of the material he performs with his band Free Seedlings.
Please join us for a fascinating workshop with this extremely versatile, multi-talented young man!
* When you contact Suzanne (suzanne AT smrozak DOT com) to make your reservation, she'll let you know how the admission money will be collected.
Annual FSSGB Members' Concert
First Parish of Watertown
35 Church Street, Watertown
$10.00 general admission, $8.00 FSSGB members and students
Children 7-15: $5, Children 6 and under free
(Members' children 15 and under free)
(See map and calculate directions on MapQuest)
For public transportation, check the MBTA web site.
This venue is handicap accessible
Wondering what to expect?
Listen to some sound clips on CDBaby.com!
The annual FSSGB members' concert is always a popular event. Our members perform songs which range from traditional ballads to original compositions, and from instrumental to a cappella pieces. Some of the instruments that have been played at this concert in the past include violin, cello, banjo, mandolin, guitar, bass, keyboard and concertina. Some FSSGB members who have performed at this event have gone on to have successful performing careers, such as Elijah Wald, Mark Ryer, Fool's Errand and Merle Roesler.
Many new musical relationships have formed as a result of the members' concert, including our hosts for the evening, Two for the Show - Ellen Schmidt and Jake Kensinger! They began playing together many years ago for a members' concert, and have since become very active performers in the local folk music scene.
Members are invited to sign up to perform - one song or a spoken word piece. You may perform alone or with others. Some performers have been participating for years; others will do so for the first time. Children are most welcome. The program will feature professional musicians as well as living room folk enthusiasts. All are welcome. The Midweek Singers are an important part of the program as are the many members who show up especially for this event. The audience is always supportive and lively.
To sign up, you may contact Ellen by email at eschmidt01742 AT yahoo DOT com by February 1st.
Priscilla Herdman CD Release Concert
with Max Cohen on guitar
First Parish of Watertown
35 Church Street, Watertown
$15.00 general admission, $10.00 FSSGB members and students
All children 17 and under free
(See map and calculate directions on MapQuest)
For public transportation, check the MBTA web site.
This venue is handicap accessible
For many years Priscilla Herdman has been delighting Folk Song Society members with her rich voice and unerring choice of material. She is an extraordinary finder of powerful songs, as well as an eloquent performer who pulls her audience members in and encourages them to sing with her. She has an absolutely gorgeous voice with a three-octave range, fantastic clarity, and a silky smoothness. She is a singer's singer and one of the most admired interpreters of contemporary folk music. Audiences know her as an extraordinary song finder and an eloquent performer. They come to hear her sing and to sing with her. They are embraced by her warm and powerful performance.
In 30 years of performing and recording, Priscilla has won a devoted audience both nationally and abroad. She has a gift for choosing timeless material that touches the heart of both the personal and the political. Her insightful interpretations and compelling stage presence continue to bring rave reviews from audiences and critics alike. She'll be featuring songs from her brand new CD, "Into The Stars", a collection of star and night-sky themed songs, as well as favorite songs from her earlier recordings. There is a full list of the songs and musicians on the new CD on her MySpace page (see link below), including 5 tracks from the new CD.
Priscilla has recently joined forces with Massachusetts guitarist Max Cohen, whose exquisite finger-style playing is a perfect compliment to Priscilla's elegant and powerful vocals.
- "Priscilla Herdman (is) one of the clearest and most compelling voices of contemporary folk music." Stephen Holden, The New York Times
- "Excellent taste in material and an elegant, pitch-perfect voice." Rolling Stone
- "At the center of her charms is that voice....her voice is miraculously pure and effortlessly beautiful, a voice that immediately draws people in and wins them over." Scott Alarik, The Boston Globe
- "Priscilla Herdman's exquisite voice and intelligent approach to her material have made her one of the most respected performers in contemporary folk music." The Great Hudson River Revival
For more information about Priscilla, see her websites:
http://www.priscillaherdman.com/
http://www.myspace.com/priscillaherdman
Also find out more about Max Cohen at his website: http://www.myspace.com/guitaristmaxcohen
At the March concert we will have the chance to share in her new discoveries, as well as rediscover old favorites. Come join us there!
Brian Peters
First Parish of Watertown
35 Church Street, Watertown
$15.00 general admission, $10.00 FSSGB members and students
All children 17 and under free
(See map and calculate directions on MapQuest)
For public transportation, check the MBTA web site.
This venue is handicap accessible
"No singer outside Nic Jones and Martin Carthy has embraced the tradition and used its wellsprings in as vivid and ingenious a way" -- Rock'n'Reel
Brian is a performer of traditional folk music who combines a high level of skill on three different instruments with a great voice and an energetic stage presence. He's a leading English squeezebox player, doubling on melodeon (button accordion) and Anglo concertina, a fine guitarist well-versed in open tunings, and a passionate singer who can convey drama or emotion, while his carefully-constructed accompaniments blend adventure and sophistication. Described as "One of British folk music's finest ambassadors", Brian started out in the folk clubs of England and has taken his performances to stages all over the world, touring regularly in Europe and America, and always retaining a deep commitment to the musical traditions of his native country.
On the instrumental side, he has been a mover in the creation of a distinct identity for Northern English dance music, researching, playing and teaching rare tunes from centuries-old manuscripts, as well as composing many tunes in traditional style. He's also become known for daring forays into ragtime, blues and rock 'n' roll on his squeezeboxes, and his stage set achieves startling variety, without ever betraying his traditional roots. Brian presents his material with warmth and unforced humor to appeal to the casual listener as well as the committed folk fan.
Brian is in demand as a teacher of instrumental technique and singing skills, having the distinction of teaching both concertina and melodeon at Hands On Music's weekends at Witney, as well as tutoring on residential courses for Folkworks and others, giving workshops at festivals, and teaching adults and children individually. In addition he reviews both traditional English and world music regularly for magazines including "Folk Roots" and The Living Tradition".
Benefit Concert featuring "New Rigged Ship" (Jacqueline Schwab and Reinmar Seidler)
Neotraditional Scottish and Shetland tunes and tales
First Parish of Watertown
35 Church Street, Watertown, MA
Admission: $20 at the door for all
(See map and calculate directions on MapQuest)
For public transportation, check the MBTA web site.
This venue is handicap accessible
Proceeds will benefit Pediatric AIDS Treatment Support in China.
To reserve tickets, call (617) 924-6143.
Jacqueline Schwab is a folk and classical improvisational pianist who plays "gorgeously spare piano" (The Boston Globe) yet "sounds as if she has an orchestra at her fingertips" (Sing Out). Chosen by the renowned Ken Burns for numerous public television documentaries due to the emotional expression in her playing, Jacqueline has performed on the soundtracks for the Grammy award-winning Civil War, the Emmy award-winning Baseball and Mark Twain, among others. She has performed at the White House for President Clinton in 1997 to celebrate Burns' Lewis and Clark series and also at the Smithsonian in 2000 celebrate its exhibition on the Presidency.
Well known as a classical and Baroque cellist, Reinmar Seidler is at the forefront of a new generation of string players who delight in a wide variety of styles. The Boston Globe called him "A player of flamboyant technique and substantial personality," and others have praised his "gorgeous cello..." (Boston Phoenix) that "had the audience holding its breath" (WCLV radio Cleveland). Reinmar is featured with Jay Ungar, Matt Glaser, and Jacqueline Schwab on three of Ken Burns' PBS documentaries, including his upcoming series on WWII. He has long experience of playing for Renaissance and Baroque dance, and can be heard with the dance band Renaissonics on a CD of Italian and French Renaissance dances.
In this duo featuring nontraditional instrumentation, Jacqueline and Reinmar will stop playing second fiddle but still aim to satisfy fiddle-philes, with soulful airs and stirring strathspeys, reels and jigs.
Bruce Hutton with Chris Romaine
First Parish of Watertown
35 Church Street, Watertown
$15.00 general admission, $10.00 FSSGB members
All children 17 and under free
(See map and calculate directions on MapQuest)
This venue is handicap accessible
This concert is put in in conjunction with the CCAE Dulcimer Festival
As half of the string band Roustabout, Bruce and Chris perform songs and tunes from the rural South from the 1920s and earlier. Their dedication to keeping old-time country music alive and well seems second only to the good times they have and inspire while making the music happen. If you are looking for a non-medical cure for depression, this duo is a safe bet. Old-time country music, though often associated with melancholy themes, has a way of lifting spirits above the rough and tumble routines of life. When you combine the song repertoire and Bruce's singing with Chris's fiddle tunes, the result is a performance that can't be topped.
Bruce has been performing traditional folk music professionally since 1971. A singer and multi-instrumentalist who performs solo and with several groups, he is a founding member of the Double Decker Stringband which has been performing old-time music across the U.S. in Canada and Europe since l977. In l984 Bruce joined the early music ensemble Hesperus which has created a style mixing medieval and Renaissance music with American folk music. He has performed with Hesperus in the U.S., Europe and Asia.
50th Anniversary Year Kick-off Party
Sunday, May 17, 2009, 1-6pmPotluck and singing
Newton, MA, free
Please bring a chair for yourself, appropriate for indoors or out (depending on weather.) If the weather is bad, wear your party sox!
For address and directions, and other information, call Bill Lehrman at (781) 696-4721.
Louis Killen House concert
Thursday, June 11, 2009, 8pmBrookline, MA
$12 for all at the door
Reservations required; email suzanne AT smrozak DOT com for
reservations and directions.
A mainstay of British folk music since the '50s best-known for his collections of sea shanties and whaling songs, Louis Killen is a singer, archivist, lecturer, and historian on the level of Ewan MacColl, Pete Seeger, and A.L. Lloyd, all of whom Killen worked with at one time or another.
Louis is one of the finest interpreters of British traditional song. An experienced sailor, Killen has worked on brigs, brigantines, schooners and sloops. He is a hard-core, unadulterated folksinger whose passionate delivery is matched by wide-ranging knowledge of these songs and the working people who made them.
Danny Spooner House concert
Sunday, June 21, 2009, 7pmPotluck dinner 5:30pm
W. Concord, MA
$12 for all at the door
Reservations required; email suzanne AT smrozak DOT com for
reservations and directions.
Danny Spooner's passion is the expression of British and Australian culture through folk music. Born into a working-class family in the East End of London prior to World War II, Danny grew up with the traditions, music and folklore of a typical Cockney family.
His passion is getting people singing, and he has inspired and encouraged many in developing their singing craft. Nothing gives him more pleasure at a festival than getting a good singing session going, "That's what folksong is about". Long described as "a living national treasure", Danny Spooner can make traditional music seem new and make new songs seem old.
In recent years Danny has sung at festivals, clubs and house concerts in Europe, England, Canada and the USA. But for 40 years in Australia audiences have enjoyed his concerts, workshops and one-man shows, his deep multi-disciplinary understanding of social history, his personal warmth, and his immense repertoire of songs covering the full range of human emotions, endeavours and experiences. He is a spellbinder.
Sandra Kerr House concert
Thursday, July 23, 2009, 8pmCambridge, MA
$12 for all at the door
Reservations required; email suzanne AT smrozak DOT com for
reservations and directions.
Sandra Kerr has had a long and distinguished career in folk music, beginning with her training in the acclaimed Critic's Group (1963-72), u nder the tutelage of Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. Here she received a strong grounding in the folk arts, including song, instrumental music, folk and agit-prop theatre. She developed her song-writing skills here, and did much research, becoming familiar with all the works of the great folk lorists such as Sharp , Child, Bronson and so on. This reseach resulted in some ground-breaking recordings including Sweet Thames Flow Softly, A Merry Progress to London and The Female Frolic, possibly the first album to explore the folk repertoire in it's relation to women's experience, a theme which was, and is, constantly recurring in her work, as for example in her contributions to My Song is my Own (Pluto Press, 1979).
The last decade or so has seen a slightly different emphasis in her work for, though she has continued to perform and record, she has become one of the most sought-after workshop leaders in the country. She offers a whole range of training programmes from voice production to traditional singing style, concertina workshops, training for teachers in the use of song and dance in early years education, and more.
