Spring 2027
All shows are free, with no tickets or reservations required. Performances begin at 7:30 PM at the Concord City Auditorium, 2 Prince Street.
The Walker Lecture Series grew from an 1892 bequest in the will of Abigail B. Walker. According to the terms of the will, the series offers free presentations for residents of the Concord, NH area. If you do not live in the Concord, NH area and wish to see a show, please click the “learn more” button to find other venues for each presenter.
Wednesday, March 10, 2027
The Salem Witchcraft Trials and Moldy Bread: A Case Study in Fake News and
Fake Portraits of Illustrious Americans with Margo Burns
The Salem Witchcraft Trials and Moldy Bread: A Case Study in Fake News
On April 2, 1976, Science Magazine published an article by Linnda R. Caporeal which posited that during the 1692 Salem witchcraft trials, the visions of specters and painful physical sensations described by the girls who claimed to be afflicted by witches could have been caused from eating bread made with flour tainted by ergot, a naturally occurring fungal hallucinogen that grows on rye grain under certain growing conditions. While experts immediately debunked this claim – the historical and medical data used to support the hypothesis was cherry-picked – the claim went viral in a pre-Internet age. More than five decades later, belief in this is still pervasive. This program will unpack how this explanation about a lurid chapter in American history was born and cemented in the public imagination. It is a case study in how mass media induces people to buy into “fake news.”
Fake Portraits of Illustrious Americans
Portraits of ancestors are heirlooms in families. The market in the early 20th century was brimming with new “discoveries” of colonial luminaries painted by American artists and were snapped right up by the wealthy to hang on their walls. A lot of them — legitimately old paintings — were actually of unknown sitters by unknown artists. Fakes. Some even ended up at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the National Gallery of Art. Find out how Boston art dealer Frank W. Bayley and others pulled off the con, and how to spot a potential fake yourself.
Wednesday March 17, 2027
The Social Psychology of Horror Films with Kathy Simon
Horror is often dismissed as simple entertainment, but throughout history it has served as a powerful social mirror. From Cold War paranoia and fears of conformity to pandemic anxieties, authoritarianism, and systemic oppression, the genre captures what societies struggle to confront directly. In this presentation, we will examine how iconic horror films use monsters, contagion, and the supernatural to explore real-world social and political tensions. The evening is designed to be interactive and welcoming to all - whether attendees are lifelong horror fans or simply curious about film and culture. The goal is to spark thoughtful conversation about why horror continues to resonate and what it reveals about us. Kathy Simon is a social worker, therapist, professor, and creator of the course "Screams & Social Justice: Analyzing the Politics of Horror," where she explores the intersection of horror, culture, and social justice.
Wednesday, March 24, 2027
Deconstructing the Music Live: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band with Scott Freiman, host of Public Television's “Deconstructing the Beatles.”
Scott Freiman will take us on a track-by-track journey through this Beatles masterpiece, explaining the inspiration for the songs and their evolution in the studio. Rolling Stone described Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band as “the most important rock & roll album ever made, an unsurpassed adventure in concept, sound, songwriting, cover art and studio technology by the greatest rock & roll group of all time.” Using rare audio and video clips, as well as anecdotes about the creation of the songs, “Deconstructing the Music LIVE: The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” explores the groundbreaking production techniques that went into producing this landmark piece of music history. Mr. Freiman will explore the creative process that led to classic songs such as “With a Little Help from My Friends,” “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” and “A Day in the Life.”
Wednesday, March 31, 2027
Rockin’ A Cappella with Tuckermans at 9
Tuckermans at 9 sings rock, pop, Motown, light jazz, Disney tunes, and blues -- all stuff you know, nothing weird, pretentious, or artisanal. Just great songs from many eras and generations, from the Beach Boys to the Backstreet Boys, Dionne Warwick to Walk The Moon.
Wednesday, April 7, 2027
And Now I See with Ball in the House
A cappella group Ball in the House presents an entertaining, informative, and eye-opening new show that celebrates the rich tapestry of African American music from spirituals, gospel, and jazz to soul, hip-hop, and R&B. Gain insight into the origins, evolution, and cultural significance of the genres, tracing their influences through time. The show addresses the impact of racism on musical styles and artists alike, while exploring the immense contributions and influence of African American musicians and their music.
Ball in the House headlined the 2018 and 2016 China International Chorus Festival in Beijing, won the 2016 Boston Harmony Sweepstakes, and were voted 2014 APCA Band of the Year and 2009 Best of Boston for Outstanding Musical Performers. For six years, they were the voices behind the Cool Whip commercials and recently they wrote and performed the jingle for Amazon’s Prime Day. Ball in the House has appeared on “America’s Got Talent,” “The Today Show,” “The Daily Buzz,” the Philadelphia 4th of July parade, “SBS Culture Club” and MBC News in Seoul, South Korea.
Wednesday, April 14, 2027
American Art at 250: Masterworks of a Nation
and
Creating Hope: The New Deal and WPA Art with Jane Oneail
American Art at 250: Masterworks of a Nation
Join us in celebrating America's extraordinary artistic legacy as we commemorate our nation's 250th anniversary with a curated exploration of the masterworks that have defined our cultural identity. From the luminous landscapes of the Hudson River School to the bold innovations of Abstract Expressionism, this program showcases the diverse voices and revolutionary spirits that have shaped American art across two and a half centuries. Through intimate encounters with iconic works by artists like Edward Hopper, Georgia O'Keeffe, Jackson Pollock, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, we'll discover how American artists have continuously redefined not only our visual culture, but art itself on the world stage.
Creating Hope: The New Deal and WPA Art
Discover one of the most ambitious cultural experiments in American history, when the federal government employed thousands of artists, photographers, and muralists to document and beautify a nation struggling through the Great Depression. The Works Progress Administration and Farm Security Administration programs transformed unemployed creative professionals into chroniclers of American resilience, producing iconic images like Dorothea Lange's "Migrant Mother" that would define how we remember this pivotal era. How did government patronage shape artistic vision, and what happens when democracy itself becomes both patron and subject of American art? By examining works by Walker Evans, Gordon Parks, Thomas Hart Benton, and scores of lesser-known artists who fanned out across the country with cameras, brushes, and chisels, this program reveals how New Deal arts programs created a collective portrait of America that celebrated the dignity of ordinary people while laying the foundation for a uniquely democratic approach to supporting the arts. Image: Seymour Fogel, The Wealth of the Nation, 1938. Cohen Federal Building, Washington, DC.
Wednesday 5/5/27
Through the years with Bruce Springsteen with Rob Azevedo and Friends
Take a trip through the years with the music of legendary singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, starting with his boardwalk days, growing up and playing music in the seaside town of Asbury Park, NJ, to his breakthrough record, “Born to Run," onto the ferocious sounds of “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” and then “The River,” which solidified Springsteen and The E Street Band as one of the best live rock and roll bands ever assembled.
Music journalist and Pembroke City Limits impresario Rob Azevedo will also invite his musician friends to capture Springsteen’s quieter solo works from records like "Nebraska," “Ghost of Tom Joad” and “Devils and Dust,” all the way through to his music from the 2000s. Photo by Pete Souza, Official White House photographer
