Folk Music Festival in Catskill, NY

Sept. 22, 2009 - PRLog -- Festival of Traditional Music, the Eisteddfod
Varied Ethnic Traditional Performers Featured Friday-Sunday, October 16-18, 2009; in Catskill, NY

A variety of ethnic traditions will be included in the 2009 Eisteddfod, in particular from Scotland and from Brittany (France).  Some of the performers are:

Eric Weissberg is considered by aficionados to be one of the best five-string banjo players and has been a major force on the folk scene for more than four decades.  He has recorded with numerous groups and, in addition to his other awards, earned two gold records and a Grammy for Dueling Banjos.

Music and dance from Greece, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, French Canada and more will be presented by Bill and Livia Vanaver.  They live in upstate New York, run The Vanaver Caravan, a dance troupe, and will lead a participatory folk dance workshop Sunday morning.

Happy Traum was a part of the legendary Greenwich Village folk scene of the 50s and ‘60s.  Since then he has performed extensively throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, and Japan, both as a soloist and as a member of various groups.  He is an integral part of the “Woodstock Scene” and his series of teaching videos is acknowledged world wide.

Claire Boucher is a native of Sarzeau, on the Presqu'Ile de Rhuys in southern Brittany, the Celtic region of France. She sings traditional songs in French and Breton, a Gaelic language similar to Welsh.  Now living in Montréal, Claire also teaches traditional dances from her region.

Olga Zaric is originally from Serbia and now lives in Montreal.  She sings traditional duet material from Brittany with Claire Boucher and is a strong singer of a capella Serbian and Macedonian traditional music  She speaks French, Spanish, Italian, and Serbo-Croatian.

Paul Geremia has built a reputation as a first rate bluesman, songwriter, a “scholar” of early jazz and blues, and one of the best country blues fingerpickers ever with his tools - six and twelve-string guitars, harmonica, piano and a husky soulful voice.

Sonja Savig learned her songs from her Norwegian parents.  Her repertoire contains old medieval ballads, newer folk songs from rural traditions, and even written songs by well known composers.

The British Isles will be represented by Heather Wood, Enoch Kent, Alison McMorland, Geordie McIntyre, Roy Harris, and David Jones, British Isles natives who represent styles from unaccompanied ballads to sea music and songs of the English Music Hall

And others ranging among all the American traditions: Southern Mountain music, Sea Music, Blues, Gospel, Irish-American, Work Songs, urban folksongs, and many more.  See the website www.eisteddfod-ny.org for a full listing.

The Eisteddfod, a Festival of Traditional Music, will be at the Friar Tuck Inn, 4858 Route 32, Catskill, NY 12414.  The festival begins with a concert Friday night at 8pm.  It continues Saturday with 22 workshops of singing, dancing, and jamming during the day and 3-hour concert Saturday evening followed by a Contra Dance.  Sunday morning has 16 more workshops and the program ends with another concert Sunday afternoon finishing at 5.  Tickets for all or part of the festival may be ordered online at www.eistedfodd-ny.eventbrite.com.  

For a full schedule and more information go to: www.eisteddfod-ny.org or call 718-672-6399.  Pictures are available at: www.folkmusicny.org/press.

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We are a 501c3 non-profit also known as the N.Y.Pinewoods Folk Music Club furthering the enjoyment of folk music in the New York area through a monthly newsletter, concerts, weekends, and classes, all with an emphasis on traditional folk music.