The Princeton Folk Music Society presents Simple Gifts. Two women plus ten instruments equal one good time when the award-winning duo of Linda Littleton and Karen Hirshon take the stage. Drawing on an impressive variety of ethnic folk styles, they play everything from lively Irish jigs and down-home American reels to hard-driving Klezmer freilachs and haunting Gypsy melodies, spicing the mix with the distinctive rhythms of Balkan dance music, the lush sounds of Scandinavian twin fiddling, and original compositions written in a traditional style.
Combining tradition with innovation, Simple Gifts creates some of the finest arrangements in folk music today, switching with ease among fiddle, mandolin, banjo, recorders, bowed psaltery, hammered dulcimer, baritone fiddle, guitar, and percussion. Swing fiddle creeps into a Romanian dance, spoons show up in an Irish reel, and a traditional West Virginia tune is enhanced by a Turkish drum and Indian shruti box.
Simple Gifts is well-known for their outgoing stage presence, which is warm, personal, and accented with humor. These women deliver their music with rare intensity and contagious enthusiasm. It’s obvious that Simple Gifts love the music they play and know how to share their excitement with the audience. This is an act not to be missed!
“The members of Simple Gifts are proof that the best groups are more than the sum of their individual talents. These women share a chemistry that infuses their music with energy, integrity, and joy. Theirs is a special gift.” – Dave Johnson, The Boston Globe
To hear Simple Gifts, visit: YouTube
8:00 pm. Friday, April 17, 2026, Christ Congregation Church, 50 Walnut Lane, Princeton, NJ. Ample free parking. Advance ticket sales, live-stream access, and more information on our 2026 Concert Season at https://princetonfolk.org
Photo © Art Wachter