Explore the roots of New England’s unique and beautiful folk music tradition via Concord Community Music School’s new “New England Roots & Branches” series, debuting in January 2025. Some of New Hampshire’s premier folk musicians will combine concerts, jam sessions, and contradancing into lively celebrations of a variety of traditions. Folk musicians of all levels are invited to bring their instruments to play along with performers (and CCMS Faculty) Audrey Budington, Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki, and Liz Faiella, fiddles and Dan Faiella, guitar at the start and end of each session. However, it is not necessary to play an instrument or have contradance experience to attend and enjoy the events.

The “New England Roots & Branches” series will kick off on Saturday, January 25, 2025 with “Contradance Music: The New England Contradance Repertoire”, honoring the genre’s melding of a variety of folk traditions. This event will be held at the Citywide Community Center (Concord, NH.) It begin with an open slow jam session at 6:00 p.m., followed by a contradance called by David Millstone at 7:00 p.m. For the second half of the dance, starting at 8:00 p.m., musicians are invited to join the band and play along.

On Saturday, April 5, 2025, “New England Roots and Branches” continues with “Transatlantic Tunes: Celtic & British Isles Folk Tunes,” celebrating music from across the pond that has made its way into the New England folk repertoire. This event will be held at Concord Community Music School (Concord, NH.) It will begin with a slow jam at 6:00 p.m., followed by a concert at 7:00 p.m., and wrapping up with a fast jam at 8:00 p.m.

The “New England Roots & Branches” series will conclude on Friday, June 13, 2025 with “Music From North & South: Canadian & Appalachian Folk Tunes.” This event will be held at Concord Community Music School (Concord, NH.) It will begin with a slow jam at 6:00 p.m., followed by a concert at 7:00 p.m., and wrapping up with a fast jam at 8:00 p.m.

See our Events Calendar for details on each event.

The “New England Roots and Branches” series is free and open to the public. It is made possible in part through a Folklife and Traditional Arts grant from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts.