Enjoy the storytelling music from Dan Berggren and George Ward on September 27, 2025.The fun starts at 7:30 pm at Old Songs, #7 South Main Street, Voorheesville, New York.
The traditional old mountain songs will be a highlight of this concert. Tickets can be purchased at oldsongs.org or by calling 518-765-2815. Live tickets are $30, and Online tickets are $15.
The Mohawk Towpath Byway is excited to partner with Old Songs on this event. The concert hall seats more than 100, and their YouTube network enables folks to tune into the live concert via YouTube. So, anywhere you may be in the world, you can watch the event and hear the music of the past and today.
This is also a celebration of the bicentennial of the Erie Canal.
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Dan BerggrenDan Berggren’s roots are firmly in the Adirondacks, where he was raised, but his music has branched out across many borders. The award-winning musician and educator grew up on the land farmed by his mother’s family for generations and has worked in the woods with forest rangers and survey crews. Hearing stories and songs from local friends and neighbors, Dan has developed a style that captures the spirit of the mountains.
A tradition-based songsmith, Dan Berggren writes with honesty, humor and a strong sense of place, exploring themes of home, hard work and caring for the planet and each other. Rooted in the Adirondacks, with music transcends borders, he has entertained audiences from Kentucky to Zimbabwe. Dan is a 2025 inductee into the Eddies Hall of Fame, honoring Capital Region musical legends.
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George WardGeorge Ward is a musician and folklorist who grew up on Long Island, New York. While a student at Union College (Schenectady, New York), he became interested in folk songs popular at the time. Lawrence Older (“The Adirondack Minstrel”) introduced George to traditional folk music. Thus began both a 22-year friendship and an interest in traditional folklore for George. Ward has worked with a variety of traditional bearers, especially in folk music and agrarian practices. Mr. Ward was an educator and performer of these traditions, and he is still actively giving musical performances today.
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Old SongsOLD SONGS, INC., centered in the New York State Capital Region, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to keeping TRADITIONAL MUSIC & DANCE alive through the presentation of festivals, concerts, dances and educational programs. Old Songs was founded in 1977, with the first class (mountain dulcimer) held at a local bank. Tickets can be purchased at oldsongs.org |
Examples of Adirondack Music:Lumber camp songs: Songs about the harsh realities and camaraderie of logging life. Fiddle tunes: Instrumental pieces often played for dances and social gatherings, like those by fiddler George Pratt. Ballads: Narrative songs that tell stories about local events or people. French-Canadian songs: Songs brought to the region by French-Canadian settlers. Indigenous music: Music from the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) people who also have a long history in the Adirondacks. |
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For Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway information: Eric J Hamilton, Secretary
Friends of the Mohawk Towpath Byway P O Box 90 Clifton Park, N Y 12065 https://www.mohawktowpath.org/ |
