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Matthew Byrne introduces “Jack Ashton,” the tale of a storyteller who brought a little escapism to poor children in a postwar factory town.

In episode 9 of From the Mic, Mary interviews Sue Rosen. A leading caller of contras, squares, English country dance and family dance programs, Sue has been actively calling for 30 years in the Boston area, across the country, and overseas. She has built a collection of great dances and has written contras that have become part of the standard repertoire of dance callers across the contradance world. 

“Wild Mountain Thyme,” also known as “Purple Heather” and “Will Ye Go, Lassie, Go?”, is one of the rare romantic folk songs. Jennifer Armstrong tells us the history of the song, as well as the story of her parents’ unique lyrical variations.

In episode 8 of From the Mic, Mary talks with Chris Ricciotti, a pioneer in gender-free contra dancing. Chris says, “There’s no greater love than bringing new people into a dance and having them smile and say, I love this, I want to come back. That gives me the biggest thrill and the biggest feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction and joy.”

The slideshow, video, transcript, and resources from our October 2022 Web Chat are now available. We heard from organizers who have used CDSS grants to provide diversity, equity, and inclusion training for their groups. Email us with questions.

Margaret Walters sends us her rendition of “I’ve Lived in Service,” as well as a version by Vic Gammon. The song was collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams, and it tells the tale of a young servant who strikes a hard bargain with his employer over the maid he loves.

We’re excited to show off our 2022 shirt design! Created by illustrator Marian Bailey, the design is printed on high-quality, 100% cotton, Bella + Canvas shirts, made in the US. Also printed in the US using environmentally-friendly practices and vibrant water-based inks. Get one while they last!