The Eddies unite with Songs of Hope for annual concert

Tom Surprenant Contributor

It was on a warm night in July 2003 when a crosscultural tradition took root on the shores of the Mississippi River. It began when a company of young singers from eight countries climbed aboard a school bus for a trip to Harriet Island to see the world-famous river and hear traditional river songs performed by The Eddies on the River, a local singing group.

The organizers of the event were two old friends, Phil Platt, an original member of The Eddies, and Jeanne Junge, co-founder and artistic director of Songs of Hope, a St. Paul-based nonprofit that offers performing arts camps and performances.

Since 1991, Songs of Hope has held camps each summer for kids ages 10 and older from countries around the world. The kids spend their first three weeks in rehearsals. Then, over 18 days, they perform up to 25 times throughout the Twin Cities and beyond. For many, it’s their first time in the United States.

The Eddies started out as a book club organized by a group of male friends who got together to drink beer and discuss books. They quickly discovered they also enjoyed singing together. After a few sessions, the members decided the singing was more fun than the book discussions. It was then they transformed themselves into The Eddies on the River.

In 2002, Songs of Hope participants attended a local concert by The Eddies. It was there that Junge told Platt how excited the kids were to see the Mississippi River. It immediately occurred to them that it would be a great experience for the kids to listen to traditional songs while sitting along the river. The two friends left with a promise to schedule a singing event for the following summer – a promise they kept and have honored to this day.

The event grew into something more than a simple concert when Platt suggested that The Eddies and the Songs of Hope company take turns singing for each other. The Eddies would sing a song then the Songs of Hope company returned the favor with a selection from their concert program. Near the end of that magical night in 2003, The Eddies finished by singing, “What do you do (with a drunken sailor),” with the kids joining the choruses. Even today, Junge is a little embarrassed to admit how many 12-year-olds from around the world have gone home from St. Paul knowing words to the slightly scandalous sea shanty.

In 2020 and 2021, the pandemic halted performances of both The Eddies and the Songs of Hope company, but last year the tradition at Harriet Island resumed. This year, the groups decided to expand and will host a joint concert with shared singing and audience participation. Songs of Hope received a grant from St. Paul’s Cultural

STAR program to support the concert, held at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, July 15, on Wacouta Commons Park at 465 Wacouta St., St. Paul. In case of rain, it will be held inside the nearby First Baptist Church of St. Paul. The event is free.

Songs of Hope will also host its 30th anniversary party in July. The event will feature the premiere of a new documentary on the nonprofit followed by a full concert of Songs of Hope featuring 50 performers from Vietnam, Turkey, Israel, Finland, Italy, Jamaica, Guatemala, Mexico and the United States. The event will take place at 7:30 p.m.,

Saturday, July 29 at the Celtic Junction Art Center, 836 Prior Ave., St. Paul. For more information, visit www.soundsofhope.org

Tom Surprenant is program director for Songs of Hope. He lives aboard a houseboat at Harriet Island. Chuck Lentz of the Eddies also lives on the West Side.