Anne Hills at The Bookhouse

To a room filled to capacity with an audience able to sing along to the very first song she played, Anne Hills shared her melodies at The Eastern Monroe Public Library in Stroudsburg, PA on Friday September 20th as part of their Bookhouse Series. Those who frequent the series were pleased to recall Ms. Hills’ earlier visit to The Library’s Edinger Community Room on Friday October 28th, 2011 when she accompanied Steve Gillette and Cindy Mangsen during their Bookhouse performance. However, regardless to whether or not the attendees of this Bookhouse concert were familiar to Ms. Hills’ musical talents, the event proved to be a treat filled with laughter and solemn reflection as she touched the heart of everyone present.

Prior to her taking the stage, the event and Ms. Hills was introduced by Linnae Cintron of The Eastern Monroe Public Library who recited a litany of impressive musical experiences and awards attributed to the singer/songwriter. This recitation became evident during the course of the evening as Ms. Hills worthiness to receive such esteemed accolades became  apparent as one song progressed into another. An immediate rapport was established between her and the audience as her friendly countenance turned a community of music lovers into a gathering of friends.

The concert consisted of a mixture of original material along with some established songs well known among folk music lovers. She introduced each song with a story to add to the piece’s nuance and meaning. In regards to her own work, she relayed tales of how the song originated and what meaning it had for her during the time of its composition. In regards to pieces composed by other songwriters, she shared their biographies so the piece could be enjoyed with the insightful context of the life that created it.

Regardless whether the song was written by Ms. Hills or another, her genuine interpretation of the work as expressed through her uncanny performance made each song not only her own but became part of a shared memory of those who listened to it. This memory may or may not have reflected the factual experience of every individual who were touched by it, but the memory did register for many as the essential elements of many were those that of ancestors the human experience which transcends the happenings taking place in our day to day lives.

Ms. Hills repertoire also included a number of songs expressing a point of view in regards to political and/or social issues. Ms. Hill noted that these selections may contain themes not anticipated by some who came to the concert but, “I’m a Folk Singer and a Social Worker. So, what do you expect?” However, each song was sung with enough thought provoking humor and straight to the pointness to be enjoyable listening even to those who disagreed with her sung position on the issues which were few among the audience if any existed at all.

Anne Hills was born in Moradabad, India. She lived there with her two older sisters and her parents, who were educational missionaries, until the family moved to back to the United Stated where she eventually attended The Interlochen Arts Academy which is located in northwest Michigan. During her years there, she formed her first folk trio and later became the female vocalist with a Big Band whose repertoire consisted of songs associated with the musical art form known as jazz. In 1976, Ms. Hill moved to Chicago, IL and co-founded the Hogeye Music folklore center which is still an influential force in the Chicago music scene.

Ms. Hills released her first CD titled, “The Panic is On” in 1982 and has recorded countless others since then. While a number of her recordings are solo performances, many are result of collaborations with other Folk Artists such as Jan Burda, Tom Paxton, and Bob Gibson. She has received a number of awards for her musical talents including the 2006 Pennsylvania Partner’s in the Arts Project Stream grant award, the WFMA 2002 Kate Wolf Memorial Award, and The Kerrville Music Foundation’s Outstanding Female Vocalist of the Year Award in 1997.

In addition to her song writing endeavors, Ms. Hill is a poet who has won Second Place in the Atlanta Review’s 1999 International Poetry Contest and has performed in several theatrical productions including Buffalo’s Studio Arena and Chicago’s Northlight’s production of “Quilters” during their 1985-86 season and The Maureen Stapleton Theater production of “The Heartsongs of Opal Whiteley” during their 2007 season. Ms. Hill currently resides in Bethlehem, PA with her husband, Mark Moss, who is the editor of “Sing Out!” Magazine which is considered to be The Folk Music magazine. You can learn more about the publication and how to subscribe to it by visiting their Website at www.singout.org. You can learn more about Anne Hills and her music by exploring her Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/pages/Anne-Hills/197406223604797.

As mentioned earlier, the Anne Hills’ concert presented at The Easter Monroe Public Library on Friday September 20th was filled with laughter and solemn reflection as the songs she sung shared the essence of her heart. Her performance was like a whistle in a lonely night that comforted every soul even if it was 500 miles away from home. You’ll find more photographs taken during the concert in the EMPL 2013 Gallery at www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151585206515421.1073741827.636000420&type=1.

The Eastern Monroe Public Library (aka The Hughes Library) Bookhouse Concert Series take place in the Edinger Community Room which is located on N. 9th Street (aka route 611) in Stroudsburg, PA. The Hughes Library is the main branch of the Monroe County, PA library system which includes their Pocono Township Branch in Tannersville, PA and their Smithfield’s Branch in Marshalls Creek, PA. The library offers access to numerous books, DVDs, Audio Recordings, and cultural programs free to the public. The library’s BookHouse series is part of its cultural programing designed to provide a venue for literary and musical events which are outside of the commercial and literary mainstream.

The next Bookhouse Concert will feature SheilaMark featuring Sheila Stratton and Mark Hamza on Friday October 18th beginning at 7:30pm with the doors opening at 7pm. Admission is free, but donations are gratefully accepted. Refreshments will be available for a small charge. Please Contact Linnae Cintron at 570-421-0800 x28 or explore The Eastern Monroe Public Library Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/EasternMonroePublicLibrary?ref=ts&fref=ts to learn more information about the library, their Bookhouse series, and all the institution has to offer the community.