05/07/2025
Vermont folk singer Margaret MacArthur (1935-2006) often included Fredonia on her annual tour; and while always prepared to sleep in her van, she often stayed at Dick & Carmen Gilman's house on the odd side of Newton Street, aka "The Unicorn Hotel." One night in 1984, after singing some Vermont farming songs, she lamented "Here I am in western New York and I don't know a single song about grapes!" I took that as a challenge and wrote "What Will We Do with the Grape" for her. Margaret was so tickled with it that she immediately added it to her repertoire, along with Old Green Sweater a year later. Thinking about Margaret today on her birthday, I hear her sweet voice asking "Where in the World Have the Old Songs Gone" by David Hanni.
Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupOld Songs · Margaret MacArthurThe Old Songs℗ 1975 Rounder Records, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.Release...
