Pete Seeger and the Bacon Brothers uncover a wealth of
Songs to Keep:  Treasures of an Adirondack Folk Collector

Follow the musical trail of folk collector Marjorie Lansing Porter as we explore gorgeous American vistas.  In the 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s, Porter tirelessly recorded folk songs that were on the brink of disappearing.  Now, contemporary singers and musicians honor her collection by re-recording these traditional tunes.  Their efforts invite you to uncover the legacy of American miners, loggers and other folks who lived a hundred years ago, who together created a treasure chest of Songs to Keep.

This program features music from a host of performers, including the Bacon Brothers (Michael and Kevin), and interviews with Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey (Peter, Paul and Mary), and many of the musicians who are giving a collection of old songs a brand new life.  The documentary also showcases the final television interview of Pete Seeger, which he gave for this project just weeks before he passed away.

Enjoy the history of our country as the catchy tunes echo across the breathtaking Adirondack mountains.

Songs to Keep won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary at the 2014 Boston/New England Regional Emmy Awards.

This documentary is just one element of a multiplatform project aiming to increase awareness of the Marjorie L. Porter Collection of North Country Folklore. Traditional Arts of Upstate New York (TAUNY) partnered with Mountain Lake PBS, SUNY Plattsburgh, and The Adirondack History Center Museum on the initiative which includes: an album of new recordings from the Porter Collection interpreted by well-known regional and national musicians;  a traveling exhibit about Marjorie Lansing Porter and her work, a manuscript of all the folk songs of Porter Collection, a concert series hitting six locations throughout the Adirondack Park, and this 1-hour televised documentary.