Work O' The Weavers
(White Plains NY)

Jayne Toohey Photo

Performance Date

Friday, June 9

'If I Had A Hammer,' 'Midnight Special,' 'The Sloop John B,' 'Goodnight, Irene,' 'This Land Is Your Land, 'Tzena Tzena,' 'Wimoweh,' 'House Of The Rising Sun,' 'Michael Row The Boat Ashore.' Songs such as these have become part of our collective consciousness. But few recall that these songs were written or first popularized by The Weavers. The seminal link between an obscure past and contemporary culture, The Weavers introduced a stream of authenticity into the current of American popular music that endures to this day.

Much of the modern American folk revival rests on the shoulders of an earlier folk revival in the 1930s. Back then, the ravages of the Great Depression had many wondering whether the capitalist system would survive and compelled many to look for viable alternatives. In the process, the era witnessed a burgeoning union movement, an increase in radical politics, and a simultaneous reawakening of interest in American folk music.

For more information on the Weavers, visit www.workotheweavers.com