COURTESY
SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — The Annual Meeting of the Friends of the Springfield Town Library will be held on Wednesday, April 3 at 6:30 p.m. To accommodate a larger audience, the meeting will again be held on the lower floor of the First Congregational Church, located at 77 Main Street, just three doors down from the library.
Following the meeting, this year’s program will feature the Speckers, a local trio of fiddlers consisting of the legendary John Specker and his talented daughters Ida Mae and Lila. Hailed by VPR’s Robert Resnick as “Vermont folk heroes,” the Speckers perform old-time music with a raw, rhythmic intensity. In addition to fiddling and singing, the Speckers will shed some light on the origins of this uniquely American music, which arose in the Southern Appalachians as folk traditions carried over from the British Isles were transformed through contact with other cultures, most notably African. These ancient ballads, lively dance tunes, and Civil War sagas will carry you back to the days of the early settlers, providing a direct connection to poor, illiterate, and marginalized people whose voices, as Ida Mae has pointed out, would otherwise be lost. History will come alive as the irresistible rhythm gets into your feet and, in case you can’t stay in your seat, we’ll be sure to leave some space for dancing.
This event is free, accessible to people with disabilities, and open to the public.
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