GLOCESTER – Experience a walk through a forest of oak, maple, white pine and birch amid soothing vocals, and sounds from a banjo, guitar, fiddle, harp, dulcimer and more this fall at the Sprague Farm Town Forest.
Ten acts have signed on for “Trek & Tunes,” a unique event combining music and nature put on through a collaboration between the Glocester Land Trust and SENE Film, Music & Arts. The hike will feature a variety of artists and genres scattered along a mile-long section of Sprague Trail.
The walk will begin at the Pine Orchard parking lot of the massive 247-acre Land Trust property, with musicians cued up for 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27, to play until 4 p.m. Modeled after a feature at the Wickford Art Festival, the event unites the love of music with appreciation for outdoor spaces.
Organizers put out a call for musicians in April and local acts responded, with a lineup now set to showcase a group of artists with a wide array of talents.
“We are thrilled to have a diverse group of musicians and instruments along the trail,” said SENE Co-Founder and President Don Farias.
Glocester Land Trust Vice Chairman John Pitocco noted that several of the performers are local to Glocester and Burrillville. Those include musicians in old time string band Alpaca Lunch, and acoustic duo Two for the Road. featuring Burrillville resident Courtney Leja and Glocester’s Mike Falco.
Bryan Round of Harrisville will be playing “Bach and Rock” on the vibraphone. And Paula Bissell of Glocester will be among the six musicians strumming with Dulcimer & Co., along with Hope Barton, Terry White, Lois Peterson, Carol Rossetti and Ellen Pratt.
Round and all female group won’t be the only artists showcasing unique instruments in the Glocester woodlands.
Dr Yook, aka Nick Vinacco will play relaxing melodies on a ukulele, while CARA – made up of Mary King and Kristi Otterbach – will perform traditional Irish melodies on the flute and harp. Joel Beauchemin, known locally for his music education program geared toward young children, will play the fiddle.
Those to sign on also include Rhode Island based Americana/folk singer and songwriter Ben Shaw. Shaw has been a semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition as well as received multiple nominations in Motif Magazine’s Music Awards for Best Singer/Songwriter, Best Americana Vocalist, and Best Album. His recently release single, Highway Miles, is described as “a slow folk ballad that blasts forward into a wailing country song.”
Singer, songwriter and guitarist John Larson of Pawtucket, founder of the local band the Silver Fields, rounds out the nature-bound live entertainment, along with a four-piece band known for its folk, country, rock, and novelty songs, The Lost Hermits.
With just a mile-long stretch to work with, organizers have been identifying space where each act can set up, and visitors won’t have to walk far to come upon a new artist.
“We are using landmarks and taking advantage of the beautiful scenery along the trail,” noted the Land Trust.
“Our overall hope is that hikers enjoy the trails at Sprague Farm in Glocester and learn about the many properties managed by the Glocester Land Trust,” said Farias. “GLT staff will be on hand to provide information and answer any questions. We hope that people will return to the properties to enjoy the many trails available in Glocester.”
The group is looking for volunteers for the day of the event to help direct drivers to the parking area and assist hikers/musicians along the trail.
“We plan to have enough volunteers to provide relief so everyone can enjoy the trail and music,” Farias said.
Those interested in helping out are asked to email [email protected].
Actually the Sprague Farm Complex is about 1250 acres
Yes we did only note the acreage in the original Sprague Farm, not the abutting properties acquired since!