January 25, 2014
JUSTIN MORGAN REMEMBERED | Tim Erikson, Zoe Darrow and Peter Irvine bought a unique blend of shaped-note singing, fiddle tunes, sea ballads, and Afro/Celtic gospel to Chandler's Upper Gallery, Saturday. Effortlessly weaving seemingly disparate musical genres, the trio was enthusiastically received by a small house on a stormy night. Erikson, a musicologist as well as musician, paid tribute to Randolph's Justin Morgan (1747-1798) of horse breed fame. An early lister and town clerk of Randolph, Morgan was also one of early New England's celebrated composers and singing school teachers. The group sang the hymn, “Amanda,” and expressed hope to one day return to lead a workshop here in the singing school tradition of which Morgan was a part. (Herald / Bob Eddy)