NH at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival
Themes - Diversity in Music

Through music, dance, and song, people and the cultures they are a part of express their inner and public feelings. Listening to and participating in traditional music, song and dance are wonderful ways to learn about the diversity of cultures in a state or region. Music that endures through generations takes on special significance and can be a window to a culture's soul.

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"New Hampshire Hills"
(Lyrics by Paul Scott Mowrer, music by Tom Powers)

We who, by birth or chance or choice,
Have breathed this piney air,
Partaken of New Hampshire's joys,
Look not to live elsewhere.

Each culture builds into its music unique ways of organizing sound. This is expressed in the sounds of the instruments and the textures they produce, the rhythms, and the ways of embellishing a melody with ornaments. Even a musical scale can be distinctive to a particular culture.

New Hampshire is home to a variety of musical and dance traditions. Perhaps the best-known social tradition is contra dance. This style of playing music and dancing evolved from traditions first brought to the American colonies by English settlers. The music is played on a variety of instruments with fiddles at the center and it has endured in this part of the country uninterrupted for over 200 years, especially in the town of Nelson in the Monadnock region.

Other musical traditions that were introduced early in the state's history include: French-Canadian (also referred to as Franco-American), Polish, Irish, Scottish, and Scandinavian music. More recently African-American, Latino, eastern European and Southeast Asian music have joined the mix.

Traditional music and dance was central to the festival program. Musicians and dancers reflected the sounds of New Hampshire's earlier and most recent settlers.

1999 Smithsonian Folklife Festival

Musical traditions represented in this area of the festival were:

• New England social dance & music including contra dance, country dancing and square dancing
• African-American gospel and spirituals
• Franco-American fiddling and song
• Irish ceili dancing and music
• Jewish Klezmer music
• Mexican family songs
• Polish accordion playing
• Scottish bag piping, accordion playing and dancing
• Town band music

Festival Site Description:

The major performance area was called "The Town Hall Stage." It was an 80'x100' tent with a wooden dance floor decorated with banners, Colonial bunting, and flowers.

A second performance area called "The Front Porch" was located in the theme area Home, Town & Community. It was built in the style of a federal period New Hampshire Front porch. Historic restorationists David Adams and Steve Roy of Portsmouth helped give the porch its authentic look.

2000 Celebrate New Hampshire Festival

Musical traditions represented in this area of the festival were the same as those presented at the 1999 Smithsonian Folklife Festival with the addition of:

• Laotian dance
• Middle Eastern music
• Haitian music

Festival Site Description:

The major performance area was called "The Town Hall Stage." It was in a 80'x100' tent with a wooden dance floor and decorated with banners, Colonial bunting, and flowers.

A second performance area called "The Front Porch" was located in the theme area Home, Town & Community. It was built in the style of a federal period New Hampshire Front porch. Department of Corrections work force built the authentic porch that remains today on the Hopkinton State Fairgrounds.

A third performance area called "The Grange Hall" was located in the theme area Farm, Forest, Mountain and Sea. It was in a 40'x60' tent with a wooden dance floor and decorated with Colonial bunting and flowers.