The Herring Run ArtsFest 2004 Saturday afternoon family program
presents Storyteller John Welch of Raynham. Welch conjures up gentle
images and heartwarming emotions. He recently released the CD “New
England Tales” that contains eight of his most-loved stories.
When you ask John Welch how he became a professional storyteller, he
responds, “I’ve known since the fifth grade that someday I was going to
be a story teller.” Actually, it all started when his fifth grade
school teacher observed that John had creative writing skills, and just
as noticeable was his natural ability to get up in front of his
classmates and speak. She felt so strongly about it that she would
encourage him to stand up and tell stories to his classmates. To this
day he remembers the success he personally felt by the applause from
his classmates.
John became a young man and then an adult. He married his childhood
sweetheart and served in the U. S. Army. After being honorably
discharged, he got a job with a company affectionately called “Ma
Bell.” He and his wife started raising a family. John involved himself
in town government and his church. Not aware of it then, these family
and career responsibilities, along with rich childhood memories, became
the tablet of experiences that would prompt his yet-to-be-realized
career in storytelling.
During his lifetime John was constantly attracted to the idea of
storytelling, but he was never quite sure how to make it happen. He
attended conferences, seminars, and public speaking courses and was
constantly encouraged by friends, the pastor of his church, and his
family. Then the big break he had been waiting for all along stared him
in the face – retirement! Suddenly, the plan was very clear. The very
day he retired his real career started…Professional Storyteller.
And this is the real story of his work…Storyteller John Welch has
been
captivating audiences throughout the Northeast now for nearly 15 years.
He is a quiet, gentle man who has told his stories to both young
children and adults of all ages. His stories conjure up images and
heartwarming emotions -- simply by the tones of his voice and his
gestures. It’s a wonderful experience.
(Family Program 2005 archive)
(Family Program 2006 Info)
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