From tales that stir the soul to tunes that bring everyone together, come celebrate community connection with an evening of Story & Song at the Unitarian Universalist Church. The night begins with heartfelt storytelling from our friends at The Moth, followed by a community-led Shape Note Singing session—a joyous, time-honored tradition of raising our voices together. We’ll close the evening with music from beloved Vermont singer-songwriters Sam Amidon, Hannah Frances, and Henry Jamison, weaving a rich tapestry of sound and story.
The program flows naturally from one moment to the next, so feel free to settle in for the full evening or come and go between sets—but please don’t sneak out in the middle of a song! This intimate, listening-room-style gathering promises connection, creativity, and the pleasure of good company with neighbors and friends.
4:00-5:15 pm | The Moth One-Off StorySLAM: ‘That’s a wrap!’
That’s a wrap on 2025! Join us at the Moth One-Off StorySLAM to share the tale of your year or sit back and take in stories from our community. Since its debut in 1997, The Moth has become the nation’s story platform. Each true story is a celebration of our past that is beautifully shared with the audience, entirely in the moment. After selling out in two years in a row, we’re thrilled to bring The Moth back to Highlight!
5:30-6:00 pm | Henry Jamison (solo)
Vermont singer/songwriter Henry Jamison comes from an ancestry of writers and composers, making him a natural fit for the brand of thoughtful, literate indie folk he creates. Throughout the latter half of the 2010s, the New Englander delivered a succession of well-received singles and independent albums like 2017’s The Wilds and 2019’s Gloria Duplex. Taking a more collaborative approach, he began working with artists like Darlingside on 2020’s I Forget Myself and Maisie Peters on 2022’s Make It Out.
6:15-7:15 pm | Hannah Frances (w band)
Hannah Frances is a vocalist, guitarist, composer, and poet who NPR’s Ann Powers calls “a stunning vocalist and songwriter, making monumental and mythic music.”
Frances was awarded Pitchfork’s Best New Music for her critically acclaimed 2024 album Keeper of the Shepherd. A persistent troubadour, Frances lives in Vermont with roots in Chicago, though she is most often touring internationally and nationally, opening for artists such as Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes, Florist, Hurray for the Riff Raff, The Weather Station, Whitney, and Damien Jurado.
7:30-8:15 pm | Shape Note Singing
Singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sam Amidon brings historical harmony to Highlight, with a participatory singalong channeling a 200-year-old vocal tradition. Join in the musical magic and raise your voice in four parts, led and actualized by Amidon!
8:30-9:30 pm | Sam Amidon (w band)
Sam Amidon is a singer and multi-instrumentalist from Vermont, now based in London, England. Amidon’s material often consists of adventurous reworkings of traditional American ballads, hymns and work songs, with the New York Times writing that Amidon “transforms all of the songs, changing their colors and loading them with trapdoors.” His latest album, Salt River, was released in January 2025. Amidon has recorded or performed as a guest artist with musicians such as Bon Iver, The National, The Blind Boys of Alabama, The Gloaming, Lonnie Holley, Manami Kakudo, Jacob Collier, Marc Ribot, and Beth Orton, among many others.