On Making Poetry Out Of Life And Believing What You Sing (With Video)

It might come as a surprise to know that troubadours still exist.  Perhaps it is more of a surprise to realize Connecticut, alone among all states, has its own State Troubadour.  He is Chuck Costa, a Madison resident, and he visited the Scranton Memorial Library recently to share his musical gifts.

What is a troubadour?  Costa explained that troubadours, who flourished in the Middle Ages, traveled throughout the kingdoms singing of courtly love, fair princesses, and the knights who served and honored them.  These musicians were the first in Western history to write their own secular songs which, as Costa explained, was revolutionary at the time.  They became the precursors of our modern day folk tradition, of which Costa considers himself a part.

As Connecticut State Troubadour Costa’s role is not unlike a medieval bard, he is an emissary for culture.  And like a troubadour of old he sang only his own compositions on Saturday.  He also shared the wisdom gleaned from his quiet observations of life; whether it is the memory of coloring in second grade, a  vision of an egret in Long Island Sound, or his experiences in Connecticut schools guiding children in writing their own songs. 

It is particularly poignant that Costa, a New York City native, has chosen Madison as his home.  He talked about his appreciation of  New England’s sense of  continuity and longstanding custom.  His wife’s family has lived in Madison for generations.  One of his songs, “So Many Things,” written on the beach in Madison, reflects upon the disconnect between the city and the country.  It offers good reason to treasure the precarious beauty of what we Madisonites call home.

The program was sponsored by the Friends of Scranton Library.

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