07-25-26 Kongeegen, or "The King's Oak" - This Old Tree

07-25-26 Kongeegen, or "The King's Oak" - This Old Tree

This month, This Old Tree Doug introduces us to Kongeegen, or the 1,500-year-old “King’s Oak,” deep inside a forest called Jægerspris Nordskov in Denmark. The tree is named after 19th-century King Frederik VII, who owned a nearby castle with his wife, the Countess Danner. It is a national treasure and one of northern Europe’s oldest living oak trees.   Getting there meant a two-mile hike through the woods with guests Anders Jensen of the Danish Tree Association and forest historian Helle Serup of The Green Museum. They tell the biological story of Kongeegen, and how Denmark sees its forests.  But there is also a love story - a tangled affair between the unconventional Frederik, the Countess Danner (aka Louise Rasmussen), and a wealthy newspaper publisher named Carl Berling. The Countess's own love letters embellish this true story from her point of view - scandal, romance, and all  - and how it led them to seek shelter from the rain under this ancient oak. Guests Helle Serup Curator, Det Grønne Museum (The Green Museum) Auning, Denmark Anders Jensen Vice Chairman Dansk Træplejeforening (The Danish Tree Care Association) Reading "Beneath Kongeegen" by Doug Still and Ida Zecco, read by Ida Zecco and Martha Douglas-Osmundson (Louise Rasmussen's letters) References "Din hengivnes Louise": Louise Rasmussens breve til Carl Berling og kronprins/kong Frederik VII, 1844-1850." Ved Pernille Arenfeldt og Pernille Hasselsteen. Kong Frederik VII's Stiftelse Paa Jægerspris, Forlaget Fremad,  Music "La Sylphide, Music for the Bournonville ballet" by Herman Severin Løvenskiold. Royal Danish Orchestra, Chandos Records, 1991. Special thanks Dansk Træplejeforening Robb Barnard Ed Nardell Theme Music "This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com Artwork Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home Website thisoldtree.show Transcripts available. Follow on Facebook or Instagram This Old Tree podcast is a sponsored project of the New England Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. To support This Old Tree and New England ISA, click here. We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~4 or 5 minute  audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org

07-24-26 Composer/Arranger Michael Gibbs-"Big Music" - Jazz After Dinner

This week, Joe is featuring Composer/Arranger Michael Gibbs from his 1974 Act Records recording, titled “Big Music.”

07-26-26 Skip Graf, GM of Compass Hardware - Conducting Conversations

Compass Hardware in Charlestown, RI, is the subject of this week's program with Skip Graf, General Manager. We talk about his role in this over 60-year-old, locally owned institution. It’s an amazing story of what originally started as a store that mostly sold coal to what has become a very diversified establishment. For more information, you can go to www.compasshardware.com [http://www.compasshardware.com]

07-17-26 Pianist Chick Corea "Solo Piano: Standards (Part Two) - Jazz After Dinner

This week, Joe is featuring Pianist Chick Corea from his 2000 Stretch Records recording titled “Solo Piano: Standards (Part Two).”

07-19-26 Theatre by the Sea's "Titanic" - Conducting Conversations

Theatre By The Sea's third production of the 2026 season, Titanic, the Musical, is the subject of this week's program with Kevin Hill, Director, and Karen Kessler, General Manager. We talk about the musical and listen to some of the very interesting songs from the show that runs July 23rd to August 15th. For more information, you can call (401) 782-8587 or go to www.theatrebythesea.com [http://www.theatrebythesea.com]