In March 2020, I had the good fortune to hear Vermont Young Traditions' performance at Chandler the day before the Covid shutdown, and they were wonderful.

Great news: this coming Saturday evening Vermont Young Traditions returns. This group of 24 teens, who focus on learning and performing traditional music and dance over a 9-month season, are back with their end-of-season performance tour. From September to April group members learn from and are supported by visiting and guest artists, master musicians, and dance leaders, while participating in musical exchanges with master artists and other young performers. Members rehearse, fundraise, and perform regionally in anticipation of the April tour.

Saturday's concert will be the group's final Vermont appearance before leaving for Cape Breton the following Friday. It's designed to feature what has been taught, learned, presented, and exchanged in the teens' months of work together.

Tickets are available at www.chandler-arts.org, at (802) 728-9878, or at the door. All tickets are $10, no matter where they're purchased.

Come join me Saturday in supporting this wonderful group of young musicians, whose music demonstrates how traditional tunes, songs, and dances can help bridge social, cultural, geographic, economic and pandemic divides.

May 3, 7 AM to 4 PM, May 5, 2024

May 4, 2024, 8 AM to 12 PM

May 4, 2024, 9 AM to 3 PM