For immediate release, August 28, 2017
Regional folk favorites The Nields, with special guests Local Chorus, will present a family-oriented, sing-a-long concert benefiting the Rosenberg Fund for Children on October 21st, 2017
Easthampton, MA- On October 21, 2017, regional folk favorites The Nields, will present a family-oriented, sing-a-long concert in Northampton, MA to benefit the Rosenberg Fund for Children. Local Chorus, the children’s chorus led by Nerissa Nields, will open the show. Doors open at 6;30 pm and music begins at 7:00 pm, at Congregation B’Nai Israel, 253 Prospect St. Suggested donation at the door of $15 per adult, $5 per child, $30 family maximum (no advanced tickets). On-site parking.
The Nields (sisters Katryna and Nerissa), are a dynamic folk duo based in western MA. The primary inspiration behind their latest album, XVII, was Nerissa and Katryna’s hero, Pete Seeger, who died in January of 2014. His love of sharing music and his passion for justice had been a part of their lives since before they were born (their parents fell in love at a Pete Seeger concert). His death affected them profoundly. Pete is clearly on the album in songs like “Joe Hill” and “Wasn’t That a Time,” but the entire album is infused with his spirit. It’s there in the Nields’ delight in sharing music and in using it to build a community.
“I feel like when Pete died,” Katryna recalls, “all musicians thought ‘How do I carry on this tradition that he gave us and how do we nurture that.’ The greatest thing you get to do as a musician is create a community; that’s the gift that Pete Seeger gave us more than anything else. It’s our job to just keep singing and to keep encouraging others to keep singing, too.”
Local Chorus was founded in 2015 by Nerissa Nields. Its mission is to bring joy to the community through music and performance with a focus on doing benefits for organizations that make the world a better place. Kids aged 5-14 sing a wide repertoire of folk, pop, rock and classical music in one-, two- and three-part arrangements. When possible, the chorus incorporates strings played by the students, as well as guitar and percussion played by adults and students.
The Easthampton, MA-based RFC is a non-profit foundation started by the son of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, that helps kids in the U.S. whose parents have been targeted because of their progressive activism. The RFC also assists youth in this country who’ve experienced repression because of their own organizing.
“Songs for the Children of Resistance” is part of an ongoing focus by the Rosenberg Fund for Children on “Artists as Activists,” made possible by generous support from the Puffin Foundation, Ltd. “The RFC’s connection to socially conscious art and artists is deeply rooted,” notes RFC Executive Director Jenn Meeropol. “Artists ranging from Picasso to Paul Robeson were among the most prominent supporters of the fight to save my grandparents Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, the RFC’s namesakes.”
After the Rosenbergs were executed in 1953, their sons Michael and Robert (Jenn’s father) were adopted by Abel and Anne Meeropol and raised in an artistic household. (Abel Meeropol is best known for writing “Strange Fruit,” the anti-lynching anthem made famous by Billie Holiday.)
“Music, drama and other creative outlets provided solace for my father and uncle as they grew up,” says Jenn Meeropol. “When my dad founded the RFC, he knew firsthand the power of art to heal people and inspire social movements. Children we help are able to use our grants for art-related activities, and the RFC often enlists artists to tell our story to a broader audience. Given this history, we’re proud to be presenting these activist artists to our community, for this family-friendly event.”
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For details visit www.rfc.org/nields, email info@rfc.org, or call the RFC office at (413) 529-0063.