Leach Library to Host an Evening of Traditional Sea Songs with Tom Hall and Linn Schulz

On Thursday, May 14th at 7:00pm, the Leach Library will host an evening of traditional sea songs, tales, and folklore with musicians Tom Hall and Linn Schulz.

Tom Hall has spent nearly 60 years learning, listening to and singing traditional folk songs. He has given hundreds of performances in a variety of venues and has helped to organize many folk music festivals. He has been performing with his wife, Linn Schulz, for over fifteen years. Together they host a monthly sea shanty session at the Press Room Pub in Portsmouth, as well as perform for the annual Portsmouth Maritime Folk Festival.

In this program, Tom and Linn will perform traditional sea songs in their original, and at times salty, language. The performance will include sea shanties which were sung as working songs and "fo'c's'le" songs or "forebitters" which were sung for entertainment when sailors were off duty. In addition, they will be presenting the tales and folklore behind the songs. Audience participation is welcome and encouraged.

The event is being sponsored by the Friends of the Londonderry Leach Library. It is free and open to the public and will be held in the library's lower-level meeting room. Light refreshments will be served.