Pete Seeger said that “the key to the future of the world is finding the optimistic stories and letting them be known.”

On Saturday, April 5, at 3 p.m., over a dozen local musicians will gather at the All Souls Church in Greenfield where they will perform the music of the legendary folk musician and activist Pete Seeger at the free Legacy of Pete Seeger concert.

Seeger, often regarded as America’s most influential and beloved folk musician, had a long career during which he fought for various social causes. Known for songs like “If I Had a Hammer” and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” he recognized the power of music to unite people and inspire change. Seeger’s words, along with his spirit of optimism, and his call to action, are needed now more than ever.

Molly Scott, Annie Hassett, Ben Grosscup, Charlie King, The Hilltown Ham Hocks, Sarah Pirtle, Yosl Kurland, Michael Nix, Adam Morse and others are some of the artists who will perform.

Folk musician Sarah Pirtle of Shelburne Falls started the annual event after Seeger died in 2014. She and Yosl Kurland of Colrain have worked hard to make the fest an ongoing memorable community event and this year musicians Michael Nix of Greenfield and Adam Morse of Turners Falls are joining the team and helping take the concert in some new directions.

One of the changes is that the show is moving from Ashfield, where it was previously held, to Greenfield. This is simply due to the growing popularity of the event and the need for more space.

The other change is that this will be a scripted concert. Morse has written scripts using Seeger’s words, which will be read between the songs so the audience can be fully immersed in Seeger’s music and his philosophy.

“I’ve been playing Pete Seeger’s music my whole life. I started playing the banjo when I was 10 and played the guitar when I was 18,” Morse said.

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Morse was exposed to Seeger’s music and the folk tradition through his grandfather, who worked at an integrated summer camp in the Catskills in the 1940s.

“Every time I listen to him, it’s like listening for the first time. He’s made me feel that anything is possible if you care about it enough, and that comes through in the music so wholeheartedly, and I want to pass that on as much as I possibly can and keep the legacy going.”

He keeps this legacy going with his podcast, “There Is A Season,” which provides a deep look into Seeger’s life, work and politics.

The other significant event is this concert. After performing for the first time at last year’s concert, Morse was invited to take a more active role in presenting the show this year. He came up with the idea to base this year’s show on the Woody Guthrie tribute concerts at Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl in 1968 and 1970, respectively, which took dialogue from Guthrie’s book “Bound for Glory” to tell the story of Guthrie’s life in between the songs.

“So I wanted to apply that model to Pete Seeger and to tell the story of his life, political engagement, and cultural work,” Morse said of the show.

Local teacher and musician Michael Nix, well-known for his work on classical guitar, banjo and banjar, is working with Morse on the script and to help realize the show’s goal of bringing people closer to Seeger. They both agree the legend’s work is important now more than ever.

Many of the concert participants, including Nix, have a deep connection to Seeger’s music. Nix’s involvement began through musician Lorre Wyatt, a resident of Greenfield who was a friend and collaborator of Seeger. Wyatt recruited Nix to play the banjo after Seeger was unable to perform and the two played many shows together including various tribute shows after Seeger’s passing.

“My role in this show is rather multi-faceted,” Nix explained. “I’m looking over the script and giving Adam support — mostly emotional support,” he added with a laugh. Nix is also involved in some of the technical aspects of the production.

“One thing I suggested was we add a couple of video clips of Pete talking about his music. So Adam has found some sections where this will fit nicely, so we will have a multimedia production of Pete giving us insight and wisdom in his own words.”

“I think Pete is just a trove of knowledge, and I don’t think we’ve used that as much as we should have,” Morse said. “If we had really listened to Pete Seeger, we would be a bit better off as a country and as a world. That’s just my opinion.”

He also asked: “Where have all the protest songs gone? … I believe political music has had important moments in history, but right now it seems to be missing from protests. I’m not sure what happened. I’m trying to reintroduce it and spark a revival through this concert.”

The lineup features performers from multiple generations, including some new artists, alongside those who have participated in these concerts since the early days. While some of the performers knew Seeger personally, all of them were inspired by his work.

Both Nix and Morse encourage everyone to attend, emphasizing that it’s a family-friendly event. They would particularly love to see young people there too — like the many who might have just learned of Seeger through Ed Norton’s portrayal of him in the Bob Dylan biopic, “A Complete Unknown.”

“If you like guitar and banjos, this concert is for you. If you like folk music, roots music, or blues, you’ll enjoy the music you’ll hear,” said Morse. “This isn’t your average concert because of the narration; even if you have been a Pete fan your whole life, you might learn things about Pete that you didn’t know.”

“The thing I like about it is that it’s somewhere between a concert and theater,” added Nix. “You are going to hear Pete’s words actually talking about things that mattered to him and are salient to our situation and our times.”

All Soul’s Church (which is an accessible space) is located on Main Street in Greenfield. The show is free but donations are welcome.

Early bird pricing for the Green River Festival ends on Saturday, April 5, at 11:59 p.m. But you can still take advantage of the discounted prices as there will be a pop up box office held on Saturday, March 29 from 12 to 4 p.m. at the Hangar in Greenfield. There will be no fees charged on cash purchases and reduced fees on credit card sales. The festival will be held June 20-22 at the Franklin County Fairgrounds.

Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy will perform at the Summer Stage at Tree House Brewing Company in South Deerfield on July 24. Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue will be there on Sept. 16. Michael Franti & Spearhead will perform there on July 8 and July 9. Tickets for these shows go on sale Friday, March 28 at 10 a.m. at TixR.com.

Sheryl Hunter is a freelance writer who resides in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national publications. She can be reached at soundslocal@yahoo.com.