The Princeton Folk Music Society celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2025 and is hosting a year-long special program of concert events to honor the occasion.
The first performance of the year is on Friday, January 17, featuring Mari Black, a violinist and fiddler who weaves together dance tunes and storytelling. The concert, like all others in the series, takes place at Christ Congregation Church at 50 Walnut Lane in Princeton and starts at 8 p.m.
From its earliest days when the concerts were held on the Princeton University campus, the Princeton Folk Music Society has brought a wide range of notable performers, such as Elizabeth Cotten, Mick Moloney, Beppe Gambetta, Bill Staines, and Jez Lowe to perform for audiences from the greater Princeton community.
The Folk Music Society can trace its earliest roots to more than 60 years ago, when Yvonne Aronson began organizing and leading informal folk music sings. In 1965, a more formal organization that could sustain a budget and sponsor concerts and additional activities was established and incorporated.
Much has changed from those early years, when a substantial number of members were Princeton University students, and the concerts and monthly sings were held on the University campus.
To more actively engage with the community, some members performed at local bookstores or venues and community events. Others became professionally recognized musicians. Continuing today, some members host folk music programs at radio stations based at Princeton University and The College of New Jersey.
The Princeton Folk Music Society continues as an all-volunteer organization committed to its mission of preservation, presentation, and promotion of folk music in all its diversity in the greater Princeton community and beyond. Its concerts include a broad range of folk music including traditional folk, blues, international, contemporary singer-songwriters, and more.
The 60th anniversary season features an eclectic set of performers emblematic of this range. Following Mari Black’s January performance, programs will feature blues, Americana, Celtic, country, bluegrass, African American string band, and more. The year concludes with a special presentation about folk music history and tradition in New Jersey along with celebrating the life and music of Pete Seeger.
The concerts’ current venue, Christ Congregation Church, is an intimate space with great acoustics that lets you experience the music up close and personal. During the program intermission, attendees have the opportunity to meet with the performers. The concerts are also live-streamed to be enjoyed remotely or at a later date. Tickets are $25 for in-person attendance, or $20 for those who pay PFMS’ $25 annual membership fee. Livestream tickets are pay-what-you-will with a $5 minimum. Tickets are sold online and at the door, pending availability.
The remainder of the 60th anniversary season lineup includes:
February 21 – Chris Smither. An American original-one of the absolute best folk/blues singer-songwriters in the world. His music draws deeply from the blues, American folk, modern poets and philosophers
March 21 – Poor Man’s Gambit. Philadelphia-based, multi-instrumentalist Irish music group performs traditional Irish music with elements of Irish dance.
April 25 – John McCutcheon. The singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist covers a wide variety of traditions including Appalachian dulcimer and fiddle music, topical protest songs, and children’s music
May 16 – Ensemble Sangineto. The band performs ancient harmonies of traditional Irish, Scottish, Breton & Italian tunes with modern rhythms on harp, bowed psaltery, guitar and three voice-polyphony.
September 19 – The Ebony Hillbillies. Consisting of fiddle, banjo, bass, washboard, and percussion, the Hillbillies are the last African-American String Band in America, bridging a gap in pop, country, bluegrass, folk, jazz, and beyond
October 17 – Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer. The duo offers superb harmonies on classic country, bluegrass to contemporary folk, backed by instrumental virtuosity (guitar, five-string banjo, ukulele, mandolin, cello-banjo, and more)
November 21 – Phil Ochs Song Night. This celebration of the music of folk legend Phil Ochs features Greg Greenway, Reggie Harris, Louise Mosrie, and Pat Wictor.
December 12 – Michael Gabriele/New Jersey Folk Revival Music: History & Tradition and Spook Handy/Remembering Pete Seeger. Gabriele explores the evolution of New Jersey’s music (1700s bawdy tavern songs, Pine Barrens bluegrass, old-time traditions, and contemporary folk), and Spook Handy celebrates Pete Seeger’s legacy
For tickets and more information visit www.princetonfolk.org.
The Princeton Folk Music Society celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2025.,
