Appreciated for its direct expression and narrative quality, the folk song both honors world culture and speaks to our shared humanity. This concert looks to the long tradition of composers who have used the folk song as a touchstone for their creativity. Hear the new folk song-inspired works of Melissa Dunphy, Robert Maggio, Jennifer Higdon, Michael Djupstrom, Allen Krantz, Jeffrey Scott, Gregory Brown, Gilda Lyons, John Conahan, and Benjamin P. Wenzelberg. New songs sitting alongside extant folk song settings, all partnered with dramatic story-telling by Charlotte Blake Alston. With Cree Carrico, Devony Smith, Nicholas Davis, Steven Brennfleck, Laura Ward, piano, and instrumentalists from Orchestra 2001.