A "Houghtonanny" is an updated version of the '60s phenomenon known as a 'Hootenanny' - or simply, a 'Hoot'. It's just that my name is Houghton, and that name serendipitously lends itself to naming a musical event where songbooks - in this case, Rise Up Singing - are passed out to all assembled, and we proceed with each individual participant choosing a song to sing. We sing it, with my guitar accompaniment, and when we're done, it's the turn of the next person to choose a song that we all sing, and so forth.

Here's the thing: there's no expectation of needing to have a singing voice to participate. All voices are welcome. There's a wonderful sense of well-being and connectivity that comes from the act of sharing a song, out loud, and all together in a circle. It's something that we learned from Pete Seeger: that singing brings us together, it unites us, and it defies all the forces that abound in society to separate and threaten us.

So, you're invited to come join me, and the others who are planning to come, on February 19, 3 pm.

May 12, 2024, 2 to 3 PM

May 12, 2024, 7 to 9 PM

May 17, 2024, 4 to 5:30 PM