Traditional songs, rich in local history and a sense of place, present the latest news from the distant past. They help us to interpret present-day life with an understanding of the working people who built our country. Tavern songs, banjo tunes, 18th century New England hymns, sailor songs, and humorous stories about traditional singers and their songs highlight this informative program.

By Jeff Warner

 

 

NH Humanities Council Program ,co-sponsored by  Moultonborough Historical Society and Moultonborough Public Library

Cattle were essential to the survival of the earliest New Hampshire settlements, and their contributions have been central to the life and culture of the state ever since. From providing dietary sustenance to basic motive power, bovines have had a deep and enduring bond with their keepers, one that lingers today and is a vital part of the iconography of rural New Hampshire. Where are New Hampshire's cows today? What are they doing for us now? Some answers will surprise you.

 

NH Humanities Council Program

In October 2009, Ban Slavin left his home in Hooksett NH in search of adventure. Over the course of 6 months he rode his motorcycle 23,000 miles through 15 countries until he reached the southernmost city in the world - Ushuaia, Argentina. He documented the journey on his blog (www.AFewMoreMiles.com). Ben recently returned home from another 6 week ride south of the border, where he was filming an educational and inspirational how-to-guide for motorcycling in Mexico (www.MotorcycleMexico.com). Join Ben as he shares photos and stories from his amazing ride through Latin America.

 

In May of 2005 Captain Tom Tighe and first mate Loch Reidy of the sailboat Almeisan welcomed three new crewmembers for a five day voyage from Connecticut to Bermuda. One of the new members was Ron Burd of NH. Four days into their voyage a massive storm struck and Captain Tighe and Reidy were swept from the boat carried away by huge seas. The three new crew members somehow remained on the vessel as it was torn apart by the seas. Using slides, Michael J. Tougias brings this story to life, following the desperate struggles of both the crew on the boat and the Captain and first mate in the sea. Tougias met Ron Burd at a Humanities Council-sponsored presentation of one of Tougias’ other HTG programs. Burd shared his amazing story of survival with Tougias, who wrote a book about Burd’s experiences and created this new HTG program as well.

NH HUMANITIES COUNCIL PROGRAM

The Appalachian Mountain Club's Hut System is a unique institution in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Learn how the huts and their people have formed a world apart, a mountain society with its own history, traditions, and legends.

NH HUMANITIES COUNCIL PROGRAM

Good stories never die, they evolve from teller to teller. New England has a rich and ongoing storytelling tradition from folklore to ″Bert and I″ to stories about your family, your life, or the town you live in. Humorist Rebecca Rule will prime the pump with stories she's collected at small-town gatherings, often at historical societies and libraries, over the last ten years, plus a classic or two. Our ″discussion″ will be the stories that listeners offer up, and as one story leads to another -- humorous, serious, thought-provoking, or just plain entertaining -- we practice and preserve our stories and tradition. And laugh, a lot.

Co-sponsored by the NH Humanities Council, Moultonborough Historical Society  and Moultonborough Public Library