Singer-songwriter Beverly Rush will perform at the Francestown Academy Coffeehouse on Saturday, March 1, at the Francestown Town Hall.
“We are absolutely thrilled that Beverly reached out to us and wanted to perform at our coffeehouse. She is a premier talent, and she is nationally known,” said organizer David Leard.
Leard said the coffeehouse will be expecting a good-sized crowd due to Rush’s renown in the folk community. Rush has been a singer-songwriter since the early 1980s, when she recorded her first album, “Lady in the Doorway,” inspired by country life in Deering, where she had moved from Denver.
“I become so endeared by New Hampshire that I wrote a state song ‘New Hampshire, You’re My Home,’ and I always included the song in my music set while touring the state as a rostered artist with the NH Council on the Arts,” Rush said.
Years later, Rush wrote the song “Old New England.” A vintage recording of the song, recorded at Symphony Hall in Boston in 1989, is featured on her new album, “Generations – Art of the Story.”
“I included that song to highlight the album concept as a sort of an heirloom to my children,” Rush said. “I have a song catalog of more than 400 songs, which I hope they will appreciate one day, as the catalog is a journal of my life in song.”
Rush said her new album has more-serious themes, written over a lifetime.
“In my new songs, I write about deeper stuff … divorce, being in recovery, but my songs always have a positive focus. I will always try to being redemption into the song, or include the saving grace to any situation. I don’t like any song hanging in a negative,” Rush said. “I have to find the positive; that is what you want to give your audience.”
Up until the pandemic, Rush was for many years a therapeutic musician for people in hospice.
“I gave my gift to the sick and dying,” she said. “Because of my previous work, I am aware that a song can bring healing. Because of the times we are in, I have found it is very therapeutic to write and journal and paint; people need outlets for the stress they are experiencing. People need lifting up.”
Last fall, Rush launched a folk singers showcase at the Merrimack Public Library, creating a space for musicians to come together. The first event featured herself, Tom Smith and Carl Beverly.
“It is so important to be around real people and have real interactions, and to be around real music. Seeing and hearing real people is really important, especially for children, and especially to get the kids off the screens,” Rush said. “Grassroots community arts gatherings help us make good choices. The social media, all the hysteria, can distort people’s perceptions of reality.”
Rush is deeply appreciative of the depth of the New Hampshire music community.
“I love all the open mic nights and coffee houses in New Hampshire – it is just amazing how much music there is here. Music is my happy place,” she said.
Francestown Academy Coffeehouse performances are open to all, with a $5 suggested donation at the door. Beverages and snacks are available. Doors open at 6:30 and introductions start at 7 p.m. Coffeehouses run the first Saturday night of every month from September to June.
“The coffeehouse has been steadily growing; and we’re just building on what our predecessors created,” said Leard, who along with Kate McClure took over organization of the coffeehouse from founders Pam and J.P. Stohrer last fall. “We’ve had great feedback from performers; our reputation is spreading.”
The coffeehouse is not an open mic event. Four performers are scheduled to perform for 20 minutes at each coffeehouse, followed by a featured performer. Musicians who are interested in playing at an upcoming Francestown Academy Coffeehouse can apply at francestowncoffeehouse.org.