We have been rewarded these many years by Margaret's singing. The songs themselves have been awards to us-- given through her--from the folklore she took the time, interest and love to discover.

Because Margaret has a big heart and has taken this music into the schools as well as to the performing arenas, thousands of people have been exposed to songs which express the varied experiences of life in New England. There is no one person who has given so much as Margaret in this area of our cultural heritage. And, as a bearer of traditions, her performance of any one song is an experience of itself. Margaret, with her experience with that song, goes into the story it tells and stays there in its own world until it's time to come out. She is the carrier of something precious. She takes loving care of her songs.

I, in particular, am forever grateful for Margaret's interest and performance of songs from the Helen Hartness Flanders Collection. She is an important bearer of another Vermont legacy. For all this--and her family and her flower gardens--it is wonderful to stop in our tracks for a moment and share the joy of knowing Margaret is receiving this Lifetime Achievement Award.