On May 28, 2024 Mohonk Consultations collaborated with Mohonk Mountain House to present an afternoon of film and live music as part of the Mohonk’s “Getting Close to Nature” program.
Attendees from Mohonk Consultations and Mohonk Mountain House explored the life, music and enduring influence of Hudson Valley legend Pete Seeger, who was beloved for his musicianship, his environmentalism, his political activism, and his vision of a peaceful and just world.
The event started with a screening of the Emmy Award-winning documentary “Pete Seeger: The Power of Song”, which premiered in 2008 as the first and only authorized biography of Seeger. This inspiring film features footage of his inspiring musical performances as well as interviews with Seeger, his family, and fellow musicians and admirers such as Arlo Guthrie, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Joan Baez.
The documentary presents Seeger as one of the greatest American singer/songwriters of the 20th century. An architect of the Folk Revival, Seeger wrote some of its best-known songs including “Where Have All the Flowers Gone”, “Turn, Turn, Turn” and “If I Had a Hammer”. The film also explored how Seeger was largely misunderstood and widely criticized for his strong beliefs as he was picketed, blacklisted, and in spite of his enormous popularity, banned from commercial television for almost 20 years. Nevertheless, he remained steadfast to his beliefs and lived to receive the NEA National Medal of Arts and the enduring love of millions of fans and supporters world wide. His legacy in the Hudson Valley includes being a founding member of the environmental flagship Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.
The film was followed by a concert and singalong with folk musicians David Lutken and Andy Teirstein featuring Seeger’s powerful and timeless music.