This coming Saturday, June 20th, is the Shanty, Forebitter and Foc's'l Ballad Session at The Press Room, Daniel St. in Portsmouth, NH from 3:30 to 7:30 PM.

Traditionally, it would have been both the regular monthly, and the Sixth Annual Barry Finn Memorial session. But we lost founder Tom Hall in November 2013 and Justine (Barry's widow) and I (Tom's widow) agreed it doesn't seem quite right to have two separate memorial sessions.

So this month's singaround will be a memorial singaround...for Barry Finn, Tom Hall, David Behm (another session regular who passed away in December 2006), and Jay Smith. Jay Smith was the founder of The Press Room and owner from 1976 to 1996. He passed away in September 2002 and Tom instituted the first Press Room Open Sing at the Portsmouth Maritime Folk Festival later that month in his honor. It was so successful that Tom started our monthly shanty sing in January 2003, so I think Jay should be included as the inspiration for this session although he wasn't alive to participate.

Tom chose the June session for Barry's memorial in hopes that singers who had been in the area for the Mystic festival might still be in New England and could make the Press Room memorial session.

I really hope we'll have a good turnout to honor those singers who were such an important part of the Press Room, the Press Room sessions, and the Portsmouth Maritime Folk Festival.

Please join us in keeping the songs they sang alive and in making the Press Room rafters roar!

Linn