A Canterbury (New Hampshire) Tale

By Theresa Ludwig
Photos by Daniel Ludwig

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A minstrel there is, and he a durable man
Of seventy-five, but eighteen when he first began
A tenable life of music and poetry,
Candor, determination, and autonomy.
Full conscious was he of music’s prose,
And therefore did he call out to those,
By voice and fiddle, who would hear,
And would answer to the clarion clear.
In New England and beyond
Feet move, hands join, hearts dance to his song.

Like Geoffrey Chaucer, I have a pilgrimage to recount, though mine was to a barn dance rather than a shrine. Even so, devotees of Dudley Laufman, fiddler and traditional dance caller and Jacqueline Laufman, who together make up ‘Two Fiddles,’ reminded me of the “Knight,” the “Wife,” and the “Merchant” of Chaucer’s tales. The Laufmans, soon to celebrate 20 years as a twosome joined at the fiddle, invited me to a kitchen “junket” at Wind in the Timothy, their home.

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A Light at Dusk



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The Legend of Chocorua

The White Mountains were first inhabited by humans about 12,000 years ago, after the last ice age. These first peoples had migrated from the west and were the forebears of those whom Columbus would mistakenly call Indians. The region was rich with wildlife, fish, and edible plants. Formal “Tribes” began to form about 3000-4000 BC.

There were two overlapping groups of Native Americans in this region: the Penacooks and the Penobscots, with the Penacooks being dominant as the Penobscots were located largely in what would later become the State of Maine.

Both were tribal branches within the regional Abenaki nation.

In the early 1600s the Penacook confederation had 17 tribes, all of whom spoke the Algonquin language. Because there was no written form of this language, much of what we now know of their life is derived from the records of European colonists. The tribes resided along the Pemigewasset and Merrimack watershed and near Great Bay.

The Pequawkets, Chocorua’s tribe, were originally part of the Penobscot tribal confederation, but became allied with the Penacooks after the Europeans began to settle the White Mountains.
Chocorua was a Sachem, or chief, who led his small band after most of the Pequawkets had moved north into Canada to avoid conflict with the white man.

Chocorua, a proud and courageous man, refused to go. He was unwilling to leave the land of his ancestors. He had raised his son Tuamba to believe that the land belonged to all of the great spirit’s creatures. He remained and made efforts to live in harmony with the new settlers, despite their differences.

He befriended settler Cornelius Campbell and his family. Setting in motion one of the great tragedies of Native American history.

Chocorua trusted the Campbells enough to put Tuamba in their care while he went north for a tribal pow-wow. According to the legend, while Chocorua was away, Tuamba ate some poison that was meant to kill marauding wolves and died.

Some time later, while Cornelius was away from the farm, Chocorua returned to find his son had died. Stricken with grief and anger. he killed Cornelius' wife and young son. Returning to his mountains heartsick at the loss of his beloved Tuamba, Chocorua must have known that this story was not over.

When Cornelius discovered that his family had been slain, he knew that Chocorua was responsible and set off to avenge his loved ones. Cornelius pursued Chocorua to the top of the highest mountain peak, the peak that now bears the name of Chocorua. Chocorua climbed atop the highest boulder on the summit and, knowing that death was at hand, raised his arms to the sky and is said to have shouted, "Evil spirits breathe death upon the cattle of the white man! Wind and fire destroy your dwellings! Panthers and wolves howl and grow fat on your bones. Chocorua goes now to the Great Spirit!" Chocorua then leapt off the mountain and fell to his death on the rocks below.

Two years later, the body of Cornelius was found dead, partially eaten by wolves. One hundred years to the day of his death a devastating plague killed all the cattle from Albany to Conway, New Hampshire. The cause of this plague has been explained by scientists, of course, but those of us inclined to the romance of the mountains still believe that the curse of Chocorua was involved.

Swans on Scamman Pond


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Arthur Walden & Chinook

Legends & Lore
By Wayne D. King

The relationship between humans and dogs likely goes back to a time before we could even communicate with one another. It is, without doubt, the stuff of legend and lore.

New Hampshire can claim a special part in that long trail of legend and lore because of one very special dog and the man who loved, raised and trained him; and turned his remarkable traits into a unique breed of working dog.

Disney himself could not have created a more powerful story of love between a man and a dog and the achievements spawned by that affection. More

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"Airborne in a Butternut Mist"

Jewell of the Upper Valley - Hopkins Center

New Hampshire has several performing arts centers, many affiliated with colleges and universities. Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth College is an exceptional one. Sign up for HOPmail (email) and when you find a performance or performer you really want to see, spend an evening in Spaulding Auditorium. More

The Hopkins Center is located in the heart of Hanover, adjacent to the Hanover Inn, 6241 Hinman, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755. For information, go to www.hop.dartmouth.edu or call 603-646-2422.

Winter Hiking in the White Mountains

By Fred Shirley

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If you drive by a trailhead parking lot in the White Mountains in winter, you’ll see lots of cars. What gives? The answer: outdoor enthusiasts have discovered a fantastic winter playground!

The popularity of winter hiking has flourished in recent years. In part, it is because high-tech gear, such as current-design snowshoes, makes winter hiking easy.

But it is also the beauty of the season. The cold dry air creates a deep blue sky and long clear vistas. New snow on trees and landscape hides imperfections under a pristine cover. Low-slanting sunlight -- known to photographers as “sweet light” -- makes everything look its best.

And, then, there are the three reasons die-hard winter hikers have always known about: no bugs, no heat and no crowds! More

Livermore Landscape
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Randy Armstrong - No Regrets

NH Gurus
Randy Armstrong’s world music has made him an international icon in the music world, but New Hampshire is still the place where he comes home.
By Patricia Savage

It is still, here on Beauty Hill Road in front of Randy Armstrong’s house. Stillness is not a word normally ascribed to Randy Armstrong whom I have known for nearly three decades. I hang back before knocking. The gray cape cod built in 1836 sits on a slight knoll, sideways to the road. Though it’s been twenty years since horses roamed the field, you can still smell them in the barn. The yard is tidy, groomed. A deciduous forest has dropped its leaves and branches to form the southern border. A mound of forsythia is about to erupt. Randy welcomes me from the deck while noting this sign of renewal. It is already clear how much he loves his new home.

Entering through a front door, the stillness is slowly replaced by the animated conversation I associate with Randy as he points me to his studio. The carpeted room is soft and silent. I can almost hear the phantom echoes of chords that had bounced off the angles of the slanted roof and exposed beams earlier in the day. Lining the floor and walls are dozens of his two hundred instruments from all over the world - an Indian sitar, West African drums, an Egyptian oud. Randy has recorded music in state-of-the-art studios, but he thinks this space is unparalleled for the both the resonance and intimacy it allows him to bring to his music.

Though new to this property, Randy has been living in rural New Hampshire since the early 1970s. He travels not only for performance but also to study with the Garifuna musicians of Central America or drummers in West Africa. The paradox of small town provincial New England as the nest for one of the most globally diverse musicians is not lost on either Randy or myself.
He came to New Hampshire on a music tour with his rock group from Ohio. Initially drawn in by the beauty of the White Mountains region of the state, he also became enamored of its lakes and the ocean. Despite the beauty of the landscape, creating music in rural New Hampshire means a minimum of distractions. Modern technology makes it so that the creation, recording and even the distribution of music can be done from Armstrong’s home. He travels the globe, fusing its people as he fuses the music with his own, making of this planet one great big neighborhood.

Born and bred in the Midwest, Randy credits his mom and dad with green lighting his music career. They may not have understood the music, but they both understood his passion. He studied both trumpet and guitar, learning classical and jazz fundamentals. He was particularly drawn to artists such as Miles Davis and the jazz-rock fusion music that was emerging as he left his adolescence and Ohio behind.

Soon after he came to New Hampshire with his wife Melinda, Randy joined forces with another musician, Ken Laroche from Marlow, NH, who held the same values. Their conviction to create a kind of world music was fueled by the Baha’i Faith, a religion dedicated to the oneness of humanity. They formed DO’AH, combining Randy’s stringed instruments with Ken’s flutes and started to use instruments from all over the world to form a unified sound. “DO’AH,” which means “to call to prayer,” became a successful group with a nationally produced recording label from Philo Records, cutting 5 albums during their 17 years together. The titles alone invoke peace and optimism: “Light Upon Light,” “Ancient Beauty,” and “World Dance.”

Other artists who helped to flesh out their eclectic sound have names that are also recognized throughout the music world. Charlie Jennison on trumpet, Marty Quinn on drums, Volker Nahrmann and John Hunter on bass. Often heard on PBS Channel 11, “Entertainment Tonight” used “Wayo” a piece from their “World Dance” album. Because of the diversity of their sound, they shared the stage with musicians from Dizzie Gillespie to Richie Havens. The United Nations recognized their “Peace Tour” for efforts promoting the peaceful coexistence of all the world’s peoples. In 1992, Randy and Volker created a new group, UNO MUNDO (“one world” in Esperanto), continuing the unity through diversity theme.

Randy Armstrong has not slowed down a bit as he enters his fifth decade. Randy and Volker now play under the name The Randy Armstrong Trio with Jose Duque of Brazil. Randy is an Arts Councilor for the NH State Council on the Arts, and an adjunct faculty member at both Phillips Exeter Academy and Plymouth State University. Last year, he recorded and produced songs for the Tsunami Relief Project CD. A labor of love is his work with Genevieve Aichele, the story-teller. As part of the NH Theater Project, they have collaborated on such activities as a parent-run summer arts camp in Strafford which just sizzles.

What is a typical day in the life of Randy Armstrong? “Everyday, every week is different.” With so many things calling him out into the world, he still realizes that, “As an artist, what speaks is how well you play.” This means frequent practice, that daily solo time when you get intimate with your instrument.

Randy has raised three sons here. His oldest son, Kalim, who also plays the guitar, is a filmmaker in Brooklyn, NY. His West African photo is the cover for his Dad’s latest CD, “No Regrets.” Kalim’s roommate and brother, Day’yan, the first chair for bass in the Western Hemisphere in 2003, attends the New School, continuing his musical education as well as exploring the possibility of becoming the next Jacques Cousteau. Middle child, Julian, a baker in a Portsmouth fine dining restaurant, amazed local audiences as a teen directing and acting in plays in Seacoast theater groups. He and Day'yan performed music under Dad’s direction for the PBS series, “Dinner on the Diner.”

The boys have two-high energy and creative parents, both dedicated to developing the artists in their sons. Though Randy and Melinda are no longer married, they continue to nurture their adult sons and their ideals of peace. They all shared the last two Thanksgivings in Randy’s antique dining room. Recently, Randy brought his drumming to a peace conference in Durham that Melinda had organized.

“No Regrets,” the latest CD, is Randy Armstrong doing solo acoustic guitar. It was born from an appreciation of the richness that comes from life lessons. The CD came out under a DOMO label one week after his mother died. Six months later, his Dad passed away, and then his younger brother, and not long after, his former DO’AH partner, Ken Laroche. It is poignant that at this time of much inner shifting, the artist who has spent so much of his life building the world community should pause and gives us just himself, solo. “Time spent alone is where you get lost in the worlds you are living.” Randy is proud to say that in the day of digital editing, all of these songs were recorded, whole, without editing. Whether playing his own, “Song for Peace” or Miles Davis’ “Blue in Green,” the wholeness comes through.

New Hampshire can take some credit for nurturing this maker of world music. However, it is doubtful that what was drawn from this part of the world can ever measure up to what Randy has brought back to it.

NH Gurus is an ongoing series highlighting NH Citizens who have made a significant mark on the world and choose to remain here despite their National and International reputations.


White on Gold - Heron in Larch Bog -
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