My Country,’ Tis Of Thee – A Memorial Day Concert Performed by Connecticut’s First State Troubadour, Tom Callinan-Saturday, May 25 at 2:00 p.m. (Library Front Lawn) (DeMayo room in case of rain)
The Hagaman Memorial Library, 227 Main Street, will feature Connecticut’s first Official State Troubadour Tom Callinan on its front lawn (weather permitting), presenting a program of patriotic music, past and present on Saturday, May 25 at 2:00 p.m.
Designated Connecticut’s first Official State Troubadour in 1991 via legislation passed by the Connecticut General Assembly, and signed into law by then- Governor Lowell P. Weicker, Jr. Tom has been a full-time creative and performing artist, specializing in intergenerational entertainment since 1977. A Vietnam-Era Marine, Tom has a penchant for historical and patriotic music.
Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. In 1866, a year after the end of the Civil War, “Decoration Day” was established in the Southern states to remember and honor the thousands who had fallen during that war. And in May of 1868, a proclamation made by General John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, called for it to be observed annually and nationwide.
At Tom’s May 25th program, he will perform some songs from the Civil War period, including rallying songs from both the Union and Confederate perspectives: “The Battle Cry Of Freedom”(Union) and “The Bonnie Blue Flag” (Confederate), along with “The Vacant Chair”, and “When Johnny Comes Marching Home”, songs that reverberate universally with the American people, along with the poignant “In Flanders Fields” from World War I.
Tom will perform the title song “America” (“My Country ‘Tis Of Thee”);”America The Beautiful”; along with the service anthems from the various branches of the military and other songs. Interspersed among the classic songs, Tom will add some of his original songs to the program such as “Some Gave All, All Gave Some”; “Thank A Vet”; “The Tattered Flag”, and “When The Blue Star Turned To Gold”, which he performed at the dedication of the CT Gold-Star Families Monument in 2022.
For a local connection to the American Revolution, Tom will sing his original song entitled, “The Old Stone Church”, inspired by the library’s neighbor, that dates back to pre-Revolutionary War days. And he will culminate his program with “The Town I Live In” and “God Bless America”.
This special concert is sponsored by Connecticut Humanities. Founded in 1974, Connecticut Humanities (CTH) is an independent, non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. CTH connects people to the humanities through grants, partnerships, and collaborative programs. CTH projects, administration, and program development are supported by state and federal matching funds, community foundations, and gifts from private sources.
This event will be held outside on the library’s front lawn (weather permitting). In the case of rain, the event will be held in the library’s DeMayo room. This concert is free and open to everyone. Please register ahead to reserve your seat by calling the library at: (203) 468-3890 or send an email to Cynthia, Community Services Librarian at: cgwiazda@hagamanlibrary.org.
Extra parking for evening and weekend library events is available in the East Haven Town Hall parking lot on 250 Main Street (across the street from the library), in the KeyBank parking lot next to the library (after 12:00 p.m. on Saturdays and after 5:00 p.m. on weekdays) and in the Stop and Shop lot behind the library, accessible from Messina Drive.