Amy Soucy of Beacon, New York was named the winner of the 2016 Grassy Hill Songwriting Competition following a final round featuring five artists/acts that opened the Connecticut Folk Festival and Green Expo at New Haven’s Edgerton Park on Sept. 10.

Amy Soucy and Stephen Murphy perform during the 2016 Connecticut Folk Festival and Green Expo in New Haven. (iPhone Photo: Michael Kornfeld)

Amy Soucy and Stephen Murphy perform during the 2016 Connecticut Folk Festival and Green Expo in New Haven. (iPhone Photo: Michael Kornfeld)

A contemporary folk chanteuse, Soucy writes evocative songs exploring the kaleidoscope of human experience (dreams, longing, forgiveness and healing) and sings them in a voice that’s been called “powerful,” “comforting,” and “angelic.” Dubbed “enchanting” by singer-songwriter Sloan Wainwright and “just gorgeous” by New Jersey folk radio DJ Joe Pszonek, Soucy’s 2015 debut album, This River, takes listeners on a soulful journey through a lush landscape of life, love and earth – full of timeless, poetic songwriting, soaring melodies and shimmering harmonies. The CD was among the top folk albums of 2015 on both the Folk DJ Listserv and the Roots Music Report international radio airplay charts.

“For a relative late-bloomer to the folk scene, it feels really sweet to be recognized, and wonderful to share space with such amazing musicians,” says Soucy. “It inspires me to keep growing as a writer and a performer, and to keep engaging with the generous musicians and music-lovers in this community.”

As the songwriting competition winner, Soucy (joined by Stephen Murphy, who produced her CD) performed a short set on the festival’s main stage during the afternoon. She received a $150 cash prize and is guaranteed a performance slot in next year’s festival produced by the nonprofit organization CT Folk.

Soucy was also among the 24 artists/acts who performed in the Grassy Hill/ Falcon Ridge Emerging Artists Showcase during the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in August and was part of a NERFA Showcase co-presented by the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance, the Folk Music Society of Huntington (NY) and Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem, PA earlier this year.

More information on Amy Soucy may be found on her website, www.amysoucymusic.com.

Editor’s Note: It was an honor and pleasure to serve as one of the five judges for this songwriting competition along with Rich Patchkofsky, Bill Revill, Kathy Sands-Boehmer and Steve Winters.