At 3 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 9, the Family Folk Machine presents Dreaming Iowa at the Englert Theatre, the first in a two-part concert series exploring Iowa’s past and our dreams for its future. We hope you can join us for old songs, new songs, and brand-new songs.
Several songs on this Dreaming Iowa program are the result of historical research FFMers undertook at local museums and libraries. We’re performing (in English versions) two Czech songs from wax cylinder recordings from the first decade of the 1900s that were preserved by a Cedar Rapids family and recently digitized by the Rita Benton music library at the University of Iowa. Librarian David Muhlena of the National Czech and Slovak Museum connected us with this amazing resource. We’re presenting (also in English) a German song about the joys of gathering for group singing that we found in the archives of the German Heritage Center and Museum in Davenport. And we will sing a song set to music by members of our choir based on a poem that UI folklorist Edwin Ford Piper collected in Iowa in the early 1900s.
We are so excited to welcome two special guests to perform with us at this concert. Dave Moore will sing, “World to Their Door,” which tells the story of Spillville’s Bily Brothers and their amazing carved clocks. And Eugenio Solis will sing the beautiful “Cucurrucucú Paloma,” a beloved Mexican song. We are honored to work with these fantastic local artists.
Alongside all these testaments to immigrants coming to Iowa from many different lands, we will sing a new song written by Folk Machinist Svitlana Volkogon, who came to live in Iowa from Ukraine with her husband, son, and daughter just over two years ago. Svitlana’s song describes the difficulty and heartbreak of leaving Ukraine and starting over in Iowa, mixed with the hope of finding safety and a good life for their family. The rest of the Family Folk Machine has grown very fond of the Volkogon family and hope we can keep them with us.
FFM Associate Director Alma Drake and singer Susan Stamnes cowrote a song that celebrates Emma Big Bear, a Winnebago woman who lived near Effigy Mounds National Monument. We’ll sing it alongside “John Henry,” a favorite of Black string bands and a celebration of the Black folk hero who fought the automation of his job. As well as the new song “Polly Ann’s Hammer” by the supergroup Our Native Daughters, looking at the John Henry story from Polly Ann’s perspective. And we’ll bring back an FFM favorite, “Unsteady Youth,” that’s an ode to Iowa City and the students (and perhaps especially writers) who come but also go. Some folk favorites, new and old, will round out the program.
We hope you can join us for the first installment of Dreaming Iowa on Nov. 9.
Jean Littlejohn is the artistic and executive director of the Family Folk Machine and Director of Music at Trinity Episcopal Church. She lives in Iowa City with her husband, Michael Sauder, and kids Sebastian and Ben. For more information on the Family Folk Machine, including how to join, visit familyfolkmachine.org or send a note to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Family Folk Machine: Dreaming Iowa | Music Column
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