Pioneer Valley Folklore Society Happenings

Singer-songwriter Christa Joy will join April 5 Song & Story Swap in Amherst

Please come share in an evening of music and stories at the Pioneer Valley Folklore Society Song & Story Swap.

Saturday, April 5, 7:00-9:00 p.m. at First Church, 165 Main St., Amherst, MA. Free parking is available in back of the church, and the meeting room is near the front.

Guest performers for the April 5 Song & Story Swap will be singer-songwriter Christa Joy.

Singer-songwriter Christa Joy is known for her strong sense of melody, resonant storytelling, and charming sincerity. Growing up in what she describes as "a teacher preacher truck-driving kind of family," Christa's early songwriting drew from her rural upbringing, the illness and death of her mother, and the brokenhearted years that followed. Giving birth and becoming a mother added a new dimension to her music, and inspired a substack of her writing called Momsongwriter.

Christa Joy has performed at many notable New England venues, including the Parlor Room, the Iron Horse and Club Passim. She has opened for some of her heroines, including Lucy Wainwright Roche, Meg Hutchinson, The Sweetback Sisters, Loudon Wainwright III, and Antje Duvekot.

She frequently tours with her Americana band, Christa Joy and the Honeybees. Her fourth album, a collaboration with the group, was released last August.

Catch Christa Joy at the Song & Story Swap in Amherst on April 5.

This month’s theme is Strength This month's theme is 'Strength'

The April 5 Song & Story Swap will be held at First Church, 165 Main St. in Amherst, Mass., at 7pm. Parking is available in the lot behind the church.

Looking ahead to next month, the May 3, 2025 Song & Story Swap will feature Scottish-Danish folksinger Rod Sinclair.

The Song & Story Swap is held on the first Saturday of each month, excepting July and August, and is organized by the Pioneer Valley Folklore Society. Visit the Folklore Society website at pvfs.us.

The Song & Story Swap is open to the public, free of charge with donations accepted ($5 - $10 is suggested).

People of all ages gather to share stories and songs that are traditional, newly written, or of personal experiences. You can tell, sing, or lead everyone in singing, or request a song or story. Listeners are welcome.

For information contact Paul Kaplan, (413)-687-5002 or visit https://pvfs.us.