By Jody Record, Media Relations

If he thought all the way back, Craig Werth might say his upcoming musical tour was actually launched in the stairwells of Christiansen Hall. It was there, back in the 1970s, that the associate director of the Center for Academic Resources wrote his first songs.

On Sunday, for the first time in his life, Werth will take his acoustic folk music on the road as he accompanies Canadian musician David Francey on an eight-month tour across the United States and Canada.

Acoustic folk singer-songwriter Craig Werth, associate director of the Center for Academic Resources, and Canadian singer-songwriter David Francey, will begin an eight-month tour Sunday.

Francey is the winner of two Juno Awards, Canada’s version of the Grammys. His most recent album, “The Waking Hour” was nominated for a 2005 Juno in the “Roots and Traditional Album of the Year” solo category.

Werth met the Ontario resident at a concert after which Werth’s wife, Liz, offered to swap CDs—Francey’s “The Waking Hour” for Werth’s solo CD, “Loose Gems.” A short time later, Werth received a note from Francey praising his music. From there, the relationship grew.

Werth started going to Francey’s shows and, at one point, Francey invited Werth to sing with him. That led to Werth opening for Francey on several occasions. Then, about four months ago, one of life’s opportunistic moments knocked at Werth’s door.

“David asked me when I was going to retire and I told him that was quite a ways away,” Werth says. “He said, ‘that’s too bad,’ and when we got home, I said, ‘what was he asking me?”

What Francey was asking, it turned out, was whether Werth would be his accompanist for his upcoming tour. It was, Werth says, the chance of a lifetime. So, he talked with people at UNH and was able to get an eight-month unpaid leave of absence. It starts Friday. His first show is this Sunday in Tamworth.

“This is a leap of faith,” Werth says. “It’s an absolute must-do—there’s no hesitation. But it feels a little like stepping off the edge.”

For a while now, Werth has been working hard to learn “to a very high degree of competence” 40 of Francey’s songs that they will perform together. Whenever possible, Werth will open for Francey, giving him the chance to play his own music.

He offers high praise for his wife, who also works at UNH, saying he couldn’t have even considered Francey’s proposal without the support of “my best friend.”

“She’s wholeheartedly behind me,” Werth says. “She says she’s always known this would happen and I guess I did, too, but I didn’t know it would be when I was 50.”

Werth calls the tour a joint venture with his wife, noting that while he will be the one on the road, she is “giving the generous gift” of managing their home as well as his music. The idea traveling to perform earlier in his life didn’t appeal to Werth, he says, because of his commitment to his family and his community.

And, he admits, because it was nice to “be in a little pond as a frog.” A singer-songwriter for 25 years, Werth has previously preferred to do his performing close to home.

“I probably was playing it safe,” Werth says. “I didn’t have to venture very far. But I’ve always wanted to bring my music out into the world. I just didn’t know how I would do it.”

Now he knows.

“I feel as if this is being handed up to me. Like this is what I’m supposed to be doing right now, for now,” Werth says. “I have no expectations except to give it my all.”

For a schedule of his tour go to www.craigwerth.com.