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.
From
the Lincoln Journal Jolly Rogues Make History July 4th 2005
