Jolly Rogues Make History July 4th
Jolly Rogues Make History at the
Hartwell Tavern 4th of July 2005
<> At
10:30am (3:30pm English time) on the 4th of July, The Jolly
Rogues made "history" of sorts from history by performing live from the
Hartwell Tavern, Minute Man National Historical Park, Lincoln, for BBC radio Gloucester, England. The Rogues - Mike
Ryan, Concord; Jim Murray, Wilmington; Al
Hicks, Westford; Paul Harty, Reading - have performed in England
each of the last two summers
and been popular guests on the BBC Gloucester radio program The Trish Campbell Show.
The band which specializes in 18th and early 19th Century tavern,
popular, sea shanty, folk and Irish music and dresses the
part, has been the primary fund raiser to save the 1471 War of the Roses battlefield
in Tewkesbury, England. This past June,
their European tour
also included a week
in Germany
with 7 performances in four days in three towns including
a
beach-front venue on the Baltic Sea
with
crowds in the thousands.
On 4 July, The Rogues gathered along with some
historical interpreters and tourists to be interviewed and
perform on The Trish Campbell Show
through a speaker phone link-up. Concord drummer Mike
Ryan
explained how America's
birthday is celebrated in Massachusetts
(parades,
picnics, readings of the Declaration of Independence, historic
activities, family gatherings, fire works, concerts) in every town large and
small particularly in towns with
the same
name as those in England
(Boston, Lincoln, Westford,Sudbury, Acton, Bedford, Gloucester,
Wilmington, Tewkesbury,
Chelmsford, etc.).
He also explained the importance of the Hartwell
Tavern on 19 April 1775, the day America's
War for Indendence began in Massachusetts. <> The
Rogues 15 minute "appearance" concluded with three "hazzahs" for
America on its
birthday, Amanda Thomas of Tewskesbury,
England whose birthday
is 4
July and who was one of The Rogues hosts in England
and for the good Queen Elizabeth II. We signed off shouts of "God Bless
America"
and
"God Save the Queen" as our tourist guests cheered and waved flags. Thus
for a short time on the 4th of July morning, Gloucester, England and Lincoln, MA
were tied together in music and kinship in keeping with
The
Rogues motto "Peace through Music". It was a unique and fun way to celebrate our national
birthday.
The Jolly Rogues may be seen live in a summer lawn concert at
the Concord
Free Public Library on Wednesday, 13 July, 7-8:30pm. For other appearances and
information on the group and its music www.jollyrogues.com
.
Mike Ryan
PS The picture
attached was taken at the Hartwell Tavern in Lincoln Ma on July 4th
2005 during our
BBC appearance.
