Orchard and Watch City sings Sat; Violet sing andCate Clifford concert/lecture Sun; Providence sing Mon; Armory sing Thu

[Jeff Keller]

Notes:

• There's a lot going on this weekend!
  
• Cate's concert/lecture on Helen Creighton Sunday isn't a sing, but it's very much singing-adjacent, and it's bound to be good.
  
• It's just over two weeks to the GottaGetGon festival (https://www.pickingandsinging.org/gottagetgon-2026) and I may be able to offer rides.
  

Sat May 9
1-3pm: Orchard Sing
Arlington Community Orchard, Brattle Ct, Arlington, MA
Colette says:
Come celebrate spring with our first orchard sing of the year! I’m so excited to make music with you. 
This participatory singing event is free for all. No musical experience or instruments necessary! Please share songs that:
• have a chorus, call and response, or other joining in part 
• you are confident in leading without instruments
• do not have racist/sexist/homophobic/etc language. We encourage skipping verses or changing words so that everyone can feel welcome.
Songs that tend to do well in this format are: sea shanties, protest songs, drinking songs, campfire songs, and more. 
This is an outdoor event. The space includes picnic tables, a bark chip area, and a grassy area. Please bring whatever will help you feel comfortable in the space - picnic blanket, folding chair, water bottle, snack, etc.
4-6pm: Watch City After-Sing
In a Pickle, 265 Moody St, Waltham, MA
It's official -- we have a venue and an entertainment license for a Pub&Chantey Sing following the Watch City Steampunk Festival!
We'll begin at the Gazebo at 4:00 (when the closing ceremony ends) by leading a singing procession from the Gazebo straight down Moody St. to our venue to sing (and drink) in the back room.  When we're done singing, a bunch of us will stay for dinner.  (The sing is posted as 4:15-6pm, but we can sing till 7pm if we want!)
The space has nice size and layout and lovely acoustics, and the owner even thinks he can get us a keg of Newcastle brown ale, so bring your tankards!

Sun May 10

noon-3pm: Violet Pub Sing at The Sea Hag

The Sea Hag Restaurant & Bar, 49 Mt Auburn St, Cambridge, MA
"Join us for an afternoon of traditional a capella folk singing over brunch!  This pub sing... is a welcoming social folk sing—we are excited about building community and singing songs that are easy for everyone to join in on. Pub sings are all about enthusiastically raising our voices together."  https://sites.google.com/view/violet-folk-sings/home

7-9pm: Cate Clifford: Songs & Stories of Helen Creighton (hybrid)

Waltham, MA

RSVP for IN PERSON https://tinyurl.com/CateCliffordMay10INPERSON
RSVP for LIVESTREAM https://tinyurl.com/CateCliffordMay10LIVESTREAM
$20 suggested • RSVP for address & directions
Do you love Farewell to Nova Scotia?  It's one of over 60,000 songs, stories, bits of witchcraft and other folklore collected by Helen Creighton from the peoples of Canada. Come hear some of Cate's favorites of those songs  in concert – perhaps with a story or recitation tossed in - and then peek behind the curtain at Dr. Creighton’s life, and learn who she was beyond the work she left behind!

Mon May 11, 6:30pm - 9pm: Providence pub sing
Flatbread Company, 161 Cushing St, Providence, RI
2nd and 4th Mondays. With Ben, Armand, & Flannery (the Vox Hunters), indoors.

Thu May 14, 7-10pm: Somerville Pub Sing at Arts at the Armory Café
The Center for Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA
Park at the rear; enter at the front. We'll be in the cafe, where they have soup, sandwiches and desserts as well as wine and a nice variety of bottled beers. Often, a few people show up early to grab dinner beforehand.
COVID PRECAUTIONS: Because singing is a relatively high-risk activity, please be symptom-free and have either up-to-date vaccination or a same-day rapid COVID test. There is, however, no mask requirement.