“Stone Church Meeting House: Stories From the Early Years of Music Making on The Hill” by Laura Pope has been released worldwide. This 163-page collection of stories, meticulously collected and edited by Pope, examines the founding, history, and cultural impact of the Stone Church, a music venue and meeting place in the sleepy mill town of Newmarket, New Hampshire.
Founded by three young friends in 1970, the Stone Church began with humble dreams and grew into something magnificent. Opened as a coffeehouse featuring live music and reputed for its legendary Sunday Hoots, the Stone Church surfaced during a pivotal time in American history, when a growing acoustic music scene spread from Boston and Cambridge into the greater New England region.
Coupled with evolving youth culture, affordable housing, the Vietnam War, and numerous other cultural factors in the tumultuous late 1960s, the Stone Church quickly became an iconic sanctuary for established and emerging musicians as well as music lovers.
In this select sample of stories and vintage photos from founders, owners, performers, and patrons covering the first 25 years of the Stone Church, Laura Pope presents a glimpse into the incredible history of this important creative space that continues to thrive today. Through the lens of these firsthand accounts, readers will also encounter an inspiring blueprint for grassroots music-making, and see that small towns, artist collectives, and fledgling venues are integral parts of pursuing musical dreams.
With an enduring interest in music and musicians, spurred in part by a visit to the Stone Church as a teen, editor Laura Pope has been working in arts journalism for more than two decades. This, her fifth book, is a wonderful tribute to the Stone Church’s enduring legacy as a momentous stage for heralded national and regional performers such as Phish, Vassar Clements, Odetta, Bela Fleck, and countless others, including Bill Morrissey, Say ZuZu, Cormac McCarthy, and Patty Larkin.
With stirring stories, photographs, and a tangible reverence for history, Pope ensures that this important era won’t be forgotten, and in the process, sets the stage for the next generation of up-and-coming musicians to take this wisdom and inspiration into the future.
Stone Church Meeting House: Stories From the Early Years of Music Making on the Hill (ISBN: 9781958729410) can be purchased through retailers worldwide, including Barnes and Noble and Amazon. The paperback retails for $14.99 and the e-book retails for $5.99.
Interviews and review copies are available on request.
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