"Name That Tune" may be the challenge of the evening-or may not be so challenging-when Delaware's foremost storyteller, Ed Okonowicz, presents "America's Patriotic Music...from the Revolution to September 11" at the Friday, January 20 meeting of the Lewes Historical Society. The meeting, sponsored by the Delaware Humanities Forum begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Lewes Presbyterian Church Parish Hall on Kings Highway in Lewes.

Okonowicz, known widely for his spooky ghost tales and stories of hauntings and cemetery lore, has put together an entertaining array of stories about historic patriotic American music. "While I am known for ghost stories and folklore, a fair number of my programs do not deal with that subject," he said. "After the attacks on 9-11, and with the long overdue resurgence of open displays of patriotism, I thought it might be interesting to focus on patriotic music, combining two of my interests--history and music." He said that "the program is designed to be a fun, entertaining and informative presentation, featuring a number of pieces that are well-known, but, unfortunately, not played as often as some folks would wish." Although he promises there won't be a quiz, "I may ask the audience if they know the origin of 'Hail to the Chief' or for which song George M. Cohan received the Medal of Honor?"

The evening promises to be entertaining and educational as Okonowicz spins yarn after yarn about the many patriotic songs Americans know so well but not so well about. He noted that during presentations of this program, folks often sing along and there's a lot of foot tapping and hand clapping along with the music, which makes it enjoyable. He will support his musical story telling with a wide variety of visuals of old sheet music and other supporting illustrations of the era when these songs were "the rage."

Okonowicz is a Delaware native who graduated from the University of Delaware in 1970 with a B.A. in music education. As a professional storyteller, he presents a number of programs throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. He is a member of the Delaware Humanities Forum Speakers Bureau and Visiting Scholars Program and the Maryland Humanities Council Speakers Bureau. He also teaches courses in folklore, storytelling, communication and writing at the University of Delaware.

His storytelling ranges from biographies and oral history to short story collections about Mid-Atlantic ghost stories, legends and folklore. He also has written two murder mystery novels set in the fictional state of DelMarVa.

The meeting is free and the public is cordially invited. Refreshments will be served following the presentation.

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