Halloween Storytelling: A retired artist returns to Santa Fe

The Santa Fe Concert Band will present a Halloween-themed concert on October 30, 2026, featuring a 20-minute solo performance by Joe Hayes. The program, titled More Phantoms, Fantasy and Legends, is designed for families and includes music from popular films and television shows. Hayes, who is 80 years old, will recite the legend of La Llorona from memory.

La Llorona is a vengeful spirit known in the Southwest for her nighttime wailing. The legend states she killed her children after her husband abandoned her and now searches for them in vain. Hayes first wrote about the subject in a 1986 book. He describes the tale as heartbreaking, a quality common to many folk stories.

Hayes retired from his decades-long career as a storyteller last year. His final performance took place on August 3, 2025, at the Wheelwright Museum. He agreed to this specific engagement to reunite with Greg Heltman, the founder and leader of the Santa Fe Concert Band. The two musicians met in 1985 while working with the Santa Fe Symphony.

Heltman recalls the initial contact that started their long-term collaboration. The Santa Fe Symphony was performing at St. Francis Auditorium at the time. Heltman had heard Hayes perform and called him to propose a bilingual version of Peter and the Wolf. That interaction led to a relationship that has continued for four decades.

The concert will feature the band playing before and after Hayes' segment. Selected pieces include music from Edward Scissorhands, Spider-Man, The Wizard of Oz, The Phantom of the Opera, Tales from the Crypt, Pirates of the Caribbean, and How to Train Your Dragon. Performers will wear costumes, and attendees are encouraged to do the same. Heltman notes that live musical accompaniment during Hayes' speech is difficult to coordinate because the storyteller does not use a script.

Heltman explained that adding a prelude or postlude to the specific story is challenging. He stated that the story stands on its own and is rich in detail. The lack of precise timing markers makes it impossible for musicians to know exactly when to enter or exit the music during the recitation.

Hayes grew up in Benson, Arizona, where he first became familiar with the La Llorona legend. He shared a childhood memory involving a group of boys from the Fifth Street Barrio. The boys were camping by a pond when they thought they heard the spirit. They left on their bicycles in the dark. A patrol officer found them and led them back to their neighborhood.

Hayes adjusts his storytelling approach based on the audience. He has performed in schools and festivals across the United States, including in Milwaukee, Nebraska, and Sitka, Alaska. He often found himself invited to schools with large Hispanic populations. He noted that these communities had often settled in areas where hard labor was needed, such as packing plants and orange groves.

Hayes said that audiences familiar with the story tend to show the strongest reactions. He has retired and is enjoying the break from the demands of a freelance career. He noted that he is one month away from turning 81 and that both his brain and body are slowing down. He finds satisfaction in hearing from people who remember his work from when they were children.

The Santa Fe Concert Band will play the selected Halloween pieces before and after Hayes' 20-minute soliloquy. The event is scheduled for October 30, 2026. Hayes will not be returning to his regular touring schedule after this performance. He remains retired and plans to continue his break from public appearances.