Pembroke Lyceum Sings Maine's Potato And Oyster Harvests

PEMBROKE — The Pembroke Historical Society will devote its next "MaineSong" Lyceum gathering to songs tied to the state's potato and oyster harvests, with a program set for 1 p.m. on Oct. 11 at the society's museum, the Bangor Daily News reported.

Kris Paprocki, a music teacher in the Pembroke and Perry schools, is scheduled to perform "When the Taters Are All Dug," a song from Aroostook County, along with the Irish traditional "In the Garden Where the Praties Grow," which spread through Maine and elsewhere in North America.

Stephen Sanfilippo, a historian of maritime trade songs, will present "The Dredging Song" with a musical setting of his own, a nod to the growth of Maine's oyster industry. The obscure Scottish lyrics were found in a newspaper clipping tucked inside a book now held in the society's collection, once owned by Pembroke educator and diarist William O. Hersey.

The Lyceum sessions combine performance, audience participation and discussion. Admission is by donation, and the event is run entirely by volunteers at the registered nonprofit. The museum sits at the intersection of Front Street, Old County Road and Shore Road. Information is available at 207-726-4747 or lyceum@pembrokemainehistoricalsociety.org.

This story was first reported by Bangor Daily News.