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Country Dance and Song SocietyFolk Music Week at Pinewoods
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Country Dance and Song SocietyFolk Music Week at Pinewoods
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Folk Music Week at Pinewoods July 21 - 28, 2007 Program Director: Staff: * Advisor, plus: |
Program Description: [Back to Top]
Look up our Adult Programs for some general information; here is more detail about this particular program and staff.
Folk Music Week at Pinewoods is a wonderful opportunity to enter a world where song, music and dance are the only currency; and one where spending it makes you richer as well. This year's program will appeal to a variety of musical interests and tastes. Once again there is a strong emphasis on traditional song, as entertainment to be sure, but also as a reflection of the cultural values and beliefs of the societies which support it. As well as exploring themes and content in traditional song from various parts of the world, we will develop our skills in vocal production with classes in vocal technique, unaccompanied singing and harmony singing. For those who wish to improve their instrumental skills, there will be classes in guitar, fiddle, banjo and mandolin. Old-time music plays a major part in our program this year, and we are delighted to welcome some of America's new generation of energetic young players to our staff. Above all, there will be many, many opportunities for all to participate, both within and beyond the classes, whether singing, dancing, playing or contributing to after-hours events. This week is about doing.
Staff at Folk Music Week are among the most accomplished in their fields. Kathy Anderson, one of North America's premier dance teachers, is leading Square Dance Callers Course concurrent with this week (pre-registration required), a dance class for all and leading our dances each evening. Jean Hewson and Christina Smith are wonderful ambassadors for their homeland of Newfoundland, a remote island whose lively culture reflects the distinctive mix of peoples who settled there. They bring all the uniqueness, quirkiness and humor of their native land to Pinewoods this week, with sessions on Newfoundland tunes, songs and mummering; Mary Cay Brass, renowned for her work in New England, will lead classes in harmony singing with repertoire from Eastern Europe, the West Gallery tradition of the U.K., the U.S. and South Africa. Australia's Danny Spooner was an enormous hit last time he came to Pinewoods and we're delighted to welcome him back to lead a class on Australian songs and to share his encyclopedic knowledge of songs about and by working people and of common folk song themes. Jeff Warner's reputation speaks for itself. His versatility, sense of humor, musical virtuosity and profound knowledge make him an invaluable addition to our staff. He will lead a session on the Warner collection, an important body of traditional song collected by his parents, and will share his expertise with songs from across different traditions. Louis Killen is a legend in folk music. He has been one of our most important tradition bearers for almost fifty years and will host various classes with his customary skill, style and humor. We were fortunate to have Jeanne Morrill at camp last year, and so popular was her program that she has been asked back to once again lead warm-ups before class, teach a session in vocal technique and schedule a few individual voice lessons. This year she will also lead a class in elementary music theory for beginners, an invaluable resource for many musicians, both beginning and further down the road. Alistair Brown, Program Director, will once again lead a class in the mysteries of rapper dancing for those who don't believe it's possible and will host a session on the life and songs of Robert Burns, the man who made it respectable to say the words "whisky" and "iambic pentameter" in the same sentence. Ian Robb will need little reintroduction to FM week regulars. Here last year with Finest Kind, this year he will lead a class in the joys of unaccompanied singing, will explore some common themes in folk song, and once again will play genial landlord for our Camp Gathering each afternoon. Old-time music brings a bounce and liveliness to any gathering and few do it better than our musicians this year. Rhys Jones, Christina Wheeler, Steve Rosen and David Long will play for Kathy Anderson's dance class and for our evening dances as well as a class in old-time music. Steve will teach a class in frailing and clawhammer style for banjo players and David will teach one in mandolin. Additional instrument classes include fiddle by Christina Smith and guitar by Jean Hewson.
All these parts are wonderful, but the whole is of course, much more than their sum. Folk Music Week is about being in a lovely place with people you like, playing music you like, listening, sharing and laughing a lot. Welcome.
Kathy Anderson will lead a Square Dance Callers Course concurrent with this week (pre-registration required).
-- Alistair Brown, Program Director
Kathy Anderson, known for her flowing contras and fast-moving, exciting squares, is a strong advocate of well taught, clearly-called squares and contras. She has brought her enthusiastic style to dancers across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and has long been a favorite caller at dances and dance camps on the West coast. Her smooth vocal delivery and repertoire of quirky contras and high-energy squares make for a fun, challenging dance experience.
Mary Cay Brass conducts three choruses in southern Vermont and western Massachusetts focusing on community-based music from many lands. She has worked for the past 15 years for the Vermont-based summer singing camp Village Harmony and last summer led a session of 30 campers to Bosnia where they learned secular and sacred music of that country's various ethnic groups. Using traditional music to create community is her life-long passion and commitment. Since the early 1980's she has been playing for traditional New England contra dances all over the country. On both piano and accordion she has the rhythmic drive and energy that make her a much sought after musician.
Alistair Brown, a Scotsman, has been singing the old songs, and new songs written by people who like the old songs, since he was 15 years old. During the many years he lived in Canada, he was active in many aspects of folk song and dance, as a recording artist, radio broadcaster, columnist, festival director, dance teacher, university lecturer and frequent Pinewoods staffer. Now he lives in Cornwall, on England's Mediterranean coast, where he performs regularly in folk clubs, festivals, pub sessions and several ancient seasonal rituals that require the presence of accordions.
Jean Hewson and Christina Smith are both native Newfoundlanders dedicated to the preservation and performance of Newfoundland music. Their long-standing friendships with the older generation of singers and musicians have given them a repertoire of unique songs and tunes that are rooted in the rocky coast of this Island. With voice, guitar, fiddle and cello, they shape this material into unusual and engaging arrangements. They have a strong commitment to passing on the tradition and believe very strongly in preserving the idiosyncratic dance music of Newfoundland and in making their traditional songs and tunes accessible to Newfoundlanders and folk music lovers everywhere.
Rhys Jones and Christina Wheeler have a strong and fast-growing reputation as leading lights in the new generation of talented old-time and contra dance musicians. Playing lively duets on fiddle with occasional guitar, banjo, banjo-uke and vocals, their playing has been described as "simply joyous" and their energetic playing is guaranteed to enliven any dance. Rhys has been described as, "the young Mick Jagger of the Midwest contradance music scene." You have been warned.
Louis Killen, born and raised in the heart of the industrial North East of England, came early to a love of folk music. Nurtured by a singing family whose tastes ran from liturgical music to cowboy songs, Irish ballads, grand opera, blues, jazz, classical and local music hall, the dominant music in his life has been the folk music of the British Isles. Though his ancestry is largely Celtic, being a native Tynesider has strongly affected his approach to music. The mixture of Irish, Scots and English living in the coal-mining and industrial region known to the ancients as Northumbria sets it apart from the rest of England, pulling into it the musical traditions of all three countries while maintaining its own distinct musical style. Louis draws on all four traditions to bring a wide range of folk music to his audiences. To these four is added the Anglo-American tradition of deep-water shantying and sailor ballads common to both nations. Louis's first-hand experience working aboard brigs, brigantines, schooners and sloops in the late '60s and early '70s put him in the forefront of the current revival of maritime music on both sides of the Atlantic. In a career spanning over 40 years, with more than 35 albums/CDs to his credit, Louis's influence as a performer, teacher and inspiration to others is unparalleled.
Dave Long plays Monroe-style mandolin with the kind of determination and attack that would make the father of bluegrass proud. Known earlier for his part in Karl Shiflett and the Big Country Show, the Wildwood Valley Boys and more recently for his collaboration with Mike Compton (Nashville Bluegrass Band, John Hartford String Band), David maintains strong ties to traditional string band music. He continues to bring the great American string band tradition forward to the next generation of musicians and fans.
Jeanne Morrill received musical training from Boston University, School for the Arts, New England Conservatory, and in Scotland studying both Gaelic language and song. She has received enthusiastic acclaim in concerts, festivals and Scottish and Irish events and performs frequently with Peter Barnes. She has performed with other artists such as Seamus Connolly, Alistair Fraser, Aine Minogue, Kim Robertson and Jacqueline Schwab and has two solo recordings. She teaches voice and piano and gives frequent workshops to adults and children.
Ian Robb's musical roots were in choral music; as a boy soprano in London, England, he sang for a couple of years with one of the Westminster abbey choirs. Later, as a teenager in the sixties, he discovered the British folk music revival, and honed his skills as an interpreter of folk song, not to mention his powerful voice, in the pub-based British folk club environment. Moving to Canada in 1970, Ian soon became a regular at Toronto's venerable and now defunct Fiddler's Green folk club, and was a founding member of the now well-known Friends of Fiddler's Green, who are currently in their 37th year of performing together. Early in the seventies, he took up the English concertina, and is now recognized as one of North America's premier exponents of the instrument in song accompaniment and dance music. He is also well known in folk music circles in the U.S. for the column he wrote for many years in the country's best-known folk music magazine, Sing Out!
Steve Rosen is a man of many talents. Equally at home on guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin and vocals, he is a musician much in demand in the Midwest, playing with, among others, the Volo Bogtrotters, the Whiskey Hollow Bluegrass Band, and numerous contra and square dance bands. He is also well known for his quirky sense of humor and for keeping the trains running on time.
Australian Danny Spooner's last visit to Pinewoods led to rave reviews and his return is well overdue. He loves to sing about working people and his passion is the expression of British and Australian culture through folk music. Since arriving in Australia from England in 1962, Danny has performed in folk clubs all over Australia, New Zealand and in Britain, and has appeared at every major folk festival in Australia, at which he has given a vast range of workshops on aspects of folk songs of Britain and Australia. Many of these presentations were recorded live by ABC national radio. One of his great joys is getting people singing and he has inspired and encouraged many in developing their singing craft. Nothing gives him more pleasure at a festival than getting a good singing session going, "That's what folksong is about," he says. Long described as "a living national treasure," Danny Spooner can make traditional music seem new and make new songs seem old.
Jeff Warner, an old friend of Pinewoods and CDSS, connects 21st-century audiences with the music and everyday lives of 19th-century people with warmth, humor and understated scholarship. He presents musical traditions from the Outer Banks fishing villages of North Carolina, to the lumber camps of the Adirondack Mountains and the whaling ports of New England. His songs have "the stamp of authority and real experience" (Tykes News, Yorkshire, UK). He has honed his craft in front of audiences across the country at festivals, museums, clubs and schools. His songs, rich in local history and a sense of place, bring us the latest news from the distant past.
| Folk Music Week at Pinewoods Tentative Schedule: |
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| 7:45 - 8:15 Breakfast | |
| 8:45 - 9:00 Vocal and Body Warm-ups with Jeanne Morrill | |
| 9:00 - 10:00 Class Period 1 | |
| Music without Borders 1 | Mary Cay Brass |
| Songs at Work | Danny Spooner, Louis Killen |
| The Warner Family Collection | Jeff Warner |
| Frailing and Clawhammer Style Banjo | Steve Rosen |
| Newfoundland Tunes | Jean Hewson and Christina Smith |
| 10:15 - 11:15 Class Period 2 | |
| Paper Training 101 | Jeanne Morrill |
| Australian Life in Song | Danny Spooner |
| The Life and Songs of Robert Burns | Alistair Brown |
| Mandolin | Dave Long |
| Singing Without a Crutch | Ian Robb |
| 11:15 - 12:15 Swimming, Bookstore staffed | |
| 12:15 Lunch | |
| 1:30 - 2:30 Class Period 3 | |
| Vocal Technique | Jeanne Morrill |
| Rapper | Alistair Brown / Mary Cay Brass |
| Separated by a Common Language | Jeff Warner, Louis Killen |
| Songs of Newfoundland | Jean Hewson |
| Old-time String Band | Rhys Jones, Christina Wheeler, Steve Rosen, Dave Long |
| Fiddle | Christina Smith |
| 2:45 - 3:45 Class Period 4 | |
| Music without Borders 2 | Mary Cay Brass |
| If it's Tuesday, This Must be... Theme of the Day | Danny Spooner, Jeff Warner, Ian Robb |
| Guitar | Jean Hewson |
| Newfoundland Mummering | Christina Smith |
| A Life in Folk Music | Louis Killen |
| Dance Class for All | Kathy Anderson / Steve Rosen, Dave Long |
| 3:45 - 4:15 Refreshments in the Camphouse | |
| 4:15 - 5:15 Camphouse Gathering/Presentations | |
| 5:15 - 6:30 Free time, Swimming, Bookstore staffed | |
| 6:30 Dinner | |
| 8:00 Staff Concert | |
| 9:15 Evening Dance Party | |
| 11:00 Late night activities | |
Class Descriptions: [Back to Top]
Vocal and Body Warm ups -- Jeanne Morrill
Start your day with some gentle and fun vocalizing and stretching. Get your voice and your body ready for the challenges ahead.
Music without Borders 1: Harmony Singing of Eastern Europe -- Mary Cay Brass
Come explore the hauntingly beautiful harmonies and rhythms of the music of Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia and the Republic of Georgia. All of these countries have rich musical cultures and traditions. We will learn dance/songs, ritual songs, love songs, liturgical chants and more!
Songs at Work -- Danny Spooner, Louis Killen
Here are the songs of working people, in the country, in the towns, at sea; boasting songs, songs of despair, angry songs, songs that divide, songs that unite.
The Warner Family Collection -- Jeff Warner
Jeff will talk about where and how the songs were collected, with many examples from the collection.
Newfoundland Tunes -- Jean Hewson and Christina Smith
The tunes of Newfoundland have a distinctive structure and rhythm. Christina and Jean will teach them and give participants opportunities to perform them.
Paper Training 101 -- Jeanne Morrill
For non-readers who would like some rudimentary knowledge of musical theory, this class is a welcome chance to do some basic sight reading and identify tempo and rhythm. This session will be light hearted and fun -- yes, it is possible!
Australian Life in Song -- Danny Spooner
Australian history and culture can be appreciated through its rich tradition of folk song.
The Life and Songs of Robert Burns -- Alistair Brown
He died in 1796, but is still celebrated today in Scotland. A look at his life, his lifestyle and the body of songs he left behind helps to explain why. The mysteries of the Burns Supper will also be explained.
Singing Without a Crutch -- Ian Robb
This class is all about unaccompanied singing, its benefits and challenges. It will cover many aspects of song interpretation and singing method, without being at all style-specific. There will be an opportunity to sing and get some feedback from the group.
Vocal Technique -- Jeanne Morrill
Participants will learn and practice valuable lessons to strengthen their voices and improve their technique. The emphasis will be on learning through singing and experiencing the physical basis of technique.
Rapper -- Alistair Brown / Mary Cay Brass
This introduction to the magical sword dances of the Northeast of England is for those who have never done them before and never thought they could. Last year's participants amazed themselves and terrified their spouses.
Separated by a Common Language -- Jeff Warner, Louis Killen
Common folk songs from both sides of the Atlantic are compared and contrasted.
Songs of Newfoundland -- Jean Hewson
Jean introduces some lesser-known gems which all have that distinctive Newfoundland quality to them.
Old-time String Band -- Rhys Jones, Christina Wheeler, Steve Rosen, Dave Long
A lively and high-spirited look at old-time string band repertoire -- the who, the what, the where, the when and the how. We already know why.
Music without Borders 2: Songs of South Africa, America, the British Isles and More! -- Mary Cay Brass
This class will journey through many cultures and examine the ways people create community with song. From rousing and expressive South Africa spirituals, civil rights and freedom songs with wonderful dance choreographies, to Cajun drinking songs, Appalachian ballads, Scottish waulking songs to a little early jazz! The list is endless and sure to be great fun!
Theme of the Day -- Danny Spooner, Jeff Warner, Ian Robb
If it's Tuesday, this must be... Three different and highly accomplished singers plumb their repertoires for different approaches to the same subject.
Newfoundland Mummering -- Christina Smith
An introduction to Newfoundland's mummering tradition. The mummers play has followed its own path here, and you will have a chance to take part in it.
A Life in Folk Music -- Louis Killen
Louis will trace the many influences in his musical life and his singing.
Dance Class for all -- Kathy Anderson / Steve Rosen, Dave Long
This is a great opportunity to kick up some dust at the end of the afternoon. Great music too!
Guitar, Frailing and Clawhammer Style Banjo, Mandolin, Fiddle classes -- Jean Hewson, Steve Rosen, Dave Long, Christina Smith
Beginning to intermediate players will benefit from pointers from four top players. Efforts will be made to tailor lessons to individuals' requirements.
Staff
Class Descriptions & Schedule
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413-268-7426 |
Country Dance and Song Society 132 Main St/PO Box 338 Haydenville, MA 01039-0338 Office Hours M-F 9:30am - 5:00pm EST |
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