Two folk performers, McCutcheon and Newcomer, return for Feb. 8 Performing Arts Series concert; Choral Terrace tickets available on Jan. 28

 

GOSHEN, Ind. – John McCutcheon and Carrie Newcomer, both hailed as singer-songwriters and storytellers for our time, will perform Friday, Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m. in Goshen College Music Center’s Sauder Concert Hall, as part of the Performing Arts Series in its 10^th season.

McCutcheon and Newcomer are rooted in the folk tradition and are masters of their craft. Performing individually and also collaborating for this concert, the audience will likely be entertained by the variety and unique talents of each. Both Newcomer, who attended Goshen College in the 1980s and grew up in Elkhart, Ind., and McCutcheon last performed at Goshen College in 2005.

Newcomer is known for lyrics rich in issues related to spirituality and justice. The Rolling Stone wrote, “Rapturously tuneful, Newcomer’s material asks all the right questions and refuses to settle for easy answers.” Her latest album, “The Geography of Light,” is being released Feb. 12 by Rounder Records and will be available for the first time at this concert. Newcomer is one of the few singer/songwriters working within the progressive spiritual continuum, speaking about a shift in our culture, and insisting that the religious right does not have a monopoly on faith. She is not afraid to take on serious subjects, but Newcomer does so with a healthy measure of good humor and self-awareness. Newcomer will tour nationally in 2008 and will donate 10 percent of the profits from her tour sales of the new release to the American Friends Service Committee. The “Carrie Newcomer Quartet” will be making its debut also during this concert.

McCutcheon has been nominated for five Grammies for his storytelling songs. The Washington Post said, “Calling John McCutcheon a ‘folksinger’ is like saying Deion Sanders is just a football player…” His music ranges from albums for children to politically conscious adult works.

Newcomer appeared as part of the Performing Arts Series in its first year, 1997 and again in 2001. McCutcheon appeared in the 1997 lineup. In celebration of the 10^th anniversary of the series, concertgoers from previous years were able to vote for the performers who visited over the past 10 years that they most wanted to see again. All performers that make up this year’s lineup received votes.

Though regular seating for the concert is sold out, on Monday, Jan. 28, tickets for the Choral Terrace, located behind the stage, will go on sale for $8. Occasionally tickets are returned to the Music Center box office the night of the concert and would be available beginning at 6:30 p.m. For more information, contact the Goshen College Welcome Center Monday by calling (574) 535-7566 or e-mailing welcomecenter@goshen.edu.

There are several other opportunities to hear McCutcheon that weekend locally. On Feb. 9, he will present a free lecture titled “The Arts as an Agent for Social Change” at 1 p.m. and a 6 p.m. solo concert at Waterford Mennonite Church, 65975 State Road 15. The next day, at 9 a.m., he will participate in the church’s worship service. Tickets for the Waterford concert are available by contacting the church office at (574) 533-5642. Helping to sponsor the Waterford events is WGCS 91.1 FM, The Globe, where McCutcheon will be featured in separate one-hour interview shows at 9 p.m. on Jan. 27 and Feb. 3.

– Kelli Yoder

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.