Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light at Bedford Town Hall

On May 16, New Song welcomes Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light, a Boston-based string band blending folk tradition, feminist storytelling, poetic detail, and just enough grit.

Sumner—formerly of Twisted Pine—has earned wide recognition, including the 2021 John Lennon Songwriting Award (Folk), a Kerrville New Folk Competition win, and five original songs archived at the Library of Congress. As a group, Traveling Light has won the 2023 Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival competition and the 2025 Telluride Bluegrass Band Contest and has been featured four consecutive years by WBUR/NPR as a top Massachusetts entry in the Tiny Desk Contest.