Lissa Schneckenburger Submitted photo

The Old South Church Concert Series welcomes Lissa Schneckenburger, New England fiddler and folk singer, live in concert at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 27, at the 235 Main St. church in Farmington.

Raised in a small town in Maine and now living in Vermont, Schneckenburger grew up with music. She began playing fiddle at the age of six, inspired by her parents’ interest in folk music. In 2001 she graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music with a degree in Contemporary Improvisation. She has been performing and teaching music around the world ever since. “To me, music creates community,” Schneckenburger says. “Music is what people sing along to, dance to, fall in love to… music brings people together. These songs are part of all of us, and it’s an honor to have had the chance to record them.”

After decades as a traditional fiddler and ballad singer, Schneckenburger’s personal experience as a foster parent ignited her drive to write stories of family attachment and loss. She found herself diving into writing new material with a seriousness that matched her subject matter. Sung from a myriad of viewpoints, “Thunder in my Arms” can be at times brazen and childish, resilient and triumphant, softly confessional, or warm and comforting. Schneckenburger says “At a certain point I noticed that everyone we turned to for help with parenting was talking about the same thing: finding compassion, synchronicity, and understanding. In my attempts to be a better adoptive parent I found plenty of invaluable books and workshops that got that point across, but no songs! Music has this magical way of communicating emotion almost instantly and allows human beings to synchronize with each other on so many levels. I set out to write songs that would resonate with other parents like myself. Songs about loneliness, exhaustion, beauty, abandonment, love, loss, and above all, hope.”

Owen Marshall Submitted photo

Owen Marshall will accompany Schneckenburger. Growing up in Vermont, with the music traditions of Quebec and Nova Scotia north of the border Owen was exposed to various textures and sounds of Celtic and traditional Irish music from fiddler Sarah Blair. As a child, his mother exposed him to a wide variety of music, including jazz, western swing, bluegrass, classical, Scandinavian fiddle music, and Eastern European Gypsy music.

Most of his youth was spent learning and playing music with sister, Elly. Together, they performed around his home state playing small dances and local concert series. Learning, collaborating, and challenging each other was a crucial time in his musical development. As time went on, he found himself constantly drawn to Irish traditional music expanding his playing beyond the guitar to other instruments including the tenor banjo, bouzouki, and harmonium.

Marshall said, “As an accompanist, I’ve had the opportunity to work with musicians in many styles, and I have learned to be comfortable crossing genres, while respecting the individual traditions. Whether it is an Irish slip jig, a Québécois brandy, an Appalachian tune or a Cape Breton strathspey, I try to blend my own sound and approach with the sensibilities of each tradition. I enjoy the challenges of learning different tunes, collaborating with new musicians, and identifying the common threads that run though the music of northern Europe and North America. ”

In addition to touring with acts such as The Press Gang, Copley Street, and The Seamus Egan Project, Marshall is in demand at music camps throughout New England and the U.S., where he shares his approach to accompanying traditional music. owenmarshallmusic.com.

Proof of COVID vaccination is required at the door (one J&J or two Moderna/Pfizer) for all applicable ages and photo ID for adults. Facemasks are optional inside Old South Church. The church’s COVID policy is periodically reviewed and subject to change.

Admission will cost $20 for adults and $15 for seniors (65-plus) and students.

General admission tickets will be available at the door or can be reserved by calling 207-491-5919 or visit farmingtonucc.org.