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BMC presents the 2021 Northern Roots Traditional Music Festival

About

The Brattleboro Music Center presents:

Now a cornerstone of the traditional music calendar in New England, the Northern Roots Traditional Music Festival returns on Jan. 30-31, 2021, in virtual form!

This popular event will continue to offer a unique showcase of a variety of northern musical traditions including Irish, Scottish, English, French Canadian and Shetland. Featured performers Dylan  Foley (fiddle) (Pascal Gemme (fiddle), Nicholas Williams (flute, piano, accordion), Kevin Henderson (fiddle), and members of the Gawler Family Band (singers) will be offering workshops as well as performing in the annual concert.

The festival begins Saturday, Jan. 30, at 11 am with a series of five hour-long workshops (instrumental and vocal).  We will wrap up the day with an evening virtual concert.  For those of you who miss the traditional Northern Roots Festival fare – we will provide recipes for some of your favorites, so you can replicate the full festival food experience!

On Sunday, Jan. 31, we will host three sessions in the afternoon for “all who will” – and while we will miss the ambiance of McNeill’s Brewery, we won’t have to worry about not having enough space!

Learn more about our performers here.

The schedule:

  • Saturday Workshops: (tentative order)
    • Shetland tunes with Kevin Henderson
    • Work songs with Bennett Kosesni
    • French Canadian tunes with Pascal Gemme
    • Swedish tunes with Nicholas Williams
    • Sligo tunes with Dylan Foley
  • Saturday evening concert
  • Sunday sessions
    • 1:00 pm – 2:15 pm  Gawler Family sing-along
    • 2:30 pm – 3:45 pm  French Canadian tunes with Pascal Gemme and Nicholas Williams
    • 4:00 pm – 5:15 pm  Irish Session with Benedict Gagliardi and Armand Aromin

All events are by donation.  Links to all events will be posted later at https://bmcvt.org/northern-roots-festival/

33rd RALPH PAGE 2021 – A VIRTUAL EVENT

Contra Dance
NEW ENGLAND FOLK FESTIVAL’s
33rd RALPH PAGE 2021 – A VIRTUAL EVENT
Sunday afternoon, January 17th, 2021
@ 1:00 – 4:15 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST-USA)
Note: All times listed below are in EST time as above.
Registration:
 
DOORS OPEN ~ 12:45:
Sign in to zoom.us, chat with friends.
 
WELCOME ~ 1:00-1:05:
with Tod Whittemore and Marcie Van Cleave
 
CONCERT ~ 1:05-2:00:
MUSICAL TRADITIONS OF NEW ENGLAND
with Keith Murphy & Becky Tracy
 
CRACKLING CHESTNUTS ~ 2:05-2:30:
with David Smukler and David Millstone
 
CONCURRENT SESSIONS 2:35-3:25:
1. INTERNATIONAL DANCE with Marcie Van Cleave
2.”The View from the Fiddler’s Throne” with Randy Miller
3. MUSIC JAM with Keith Murphy and Becky Tracy
 
RETROSPECTIVE ~ 3:30-4:00:
“TED (SANNELLA) TALK” with David Millstone and David Smukler
 
DANCE ~ 4:05-4:15:
MONEY MUSK DANCE PARTY
Waltz
 
CONTRIBUTIONS:
If you will please, they are greatly appreciated! Go to:

Tony Barrand interviewed on MuseMentors Podcast

Podcasts, Songs

Seasonal Music and Story-Telling to Warm Your Heart

At this time when the darkness turns toward light, the podcast MuseMentors offer a very special seasonal episode featuring Tony Barrand who is sure to give you a new spin on the season.

Tony Barrand was born in England in 1945 but has lived most of his life in southern Vermont in the vibrant town of Brattleboro—a place that shines all the more brightly because of him. This Cornell PhD and Professor Emeritus of Boston University is not just an academic, but also a singer, dancer, and story-teller.

Tony Barrand offers stories of his mentors and mentees, as well as plenty of music and intriguing tales about seasonal carols. You’ll hear the best Christmas carols you’ve never heard of and will never forget. Guaranteed to brighten your days during this darkest time of year.

Listen for free with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1278755/7001557-tony-barrand-sing-me-a-story-dance-me-a-song

Mummers

☼ ☼ ☼ A Virtual Nelson Solstice Party | Wherever You Are

About, Concerts, Dance Music, Events, Songs

On Saturday, December 19, 2020, we published our Annual Solstice Party as a collection of YouTube videos. The Monadnock Folklore Society produces this community event every year, and this year we’ll forego the admission and the dessert potluck will be DIY.

In 2019, we had more interest in this event than the Nelson Town Hall could accommodate and many people were turned away at the door. Here is the 2019 Holiday Concert featuring a selection of traditional and original seasonal music performed by The Solstice Sisters (Alouette Iselin, Melanie Everard, Kim Wallach, & Heather Bower) and friends including a performance by our Johnny Trombly Scholarship recipient. 

After the concert, the chairs and benches are usually cleared to make way for a traditional New England Contradance. Unfortunately, or not, the dance is often interrupted by various groups of unsavory characters presenting their idea of seasonal entertainment. These diversions, sometimes involving costumed individuals making complete fools of themselves or performing ancient ritual dances to help us through this dark time of the year, are generally tolerated as once they are applauded and fed we can return to dancing the night away. Last year we had to endure this 2019 Mummer’s Play.

Due to our current circumstances, we are not able to host this event in the traditional manner but we have managed to collect some video performances including Kim’s solo version of the Nelson Wassail and our 2020 Mummer’s Play.

You may also be interested in these videos from previous Solstice concerts:

https://youtu.be/ytHSRV510Ns – harp and hammer dulcimer

https://youtu.be/zvGHVqDU7HY – Green Grows the Holly

https://youtu.be/wdU3NBlvfQY – Let This Be My Prayer

https://youtu.be/sAGjuTFUDMY – Traveler’s Prayer

https://youtu.be/tKWgGlcVlyo  Wassail the Silver Apple

https://youtu.be/4A3guUyKzUk Comfort of Singing Voices

https://youtu.be/0pazXEjvM34 Keep Me Warm Medley

https://youtu.be/5OZEnsU_ICg Children Go Where I Send Thee

https://youtu.be/BlWzz27AQso Walking in the Air

Photo of Nelson Town Hall

Music and Dance in the Nelson Town Hall – Recording Available 

History

Music and Dance in the Nelson Town Hall — The Myth, the Magic, the Truth

With Lisa Sieverts and Gordon Peery

A program of the Olivia Rodham Memorial Library.

Here is a link to the Nelson History Website page which features the video of this Zoom presentation from December 19, 2020.
 
 
In addition to the video, you’ll find other related articles and resources. 

 

Ted Sannella

New website about Ted Sannella

About, Contra Dance

From Callers David Millstone and David Smukler:

In November of 2020, David Millstone and I sent out a call for stories about Ted Sannella to mark the 25th anniversary of his death on November 18. There was a terrific response, and we are proud to announce a new website, Sannella Stories, where these memories are shared. Nearly 70 people sent in their “Sannella Story.” These range from serious to silly and include brief acknowledgments and more extended entries.

In addition, we’ve assembled a collection of photographs, audio files, and videos. You’ll also find dances and tunes that were written for Ted, an index of all his dances, and links to other sites with information of interest.

Of course, it’s still possible to add to this collection; you’ll find that link on the site as well.

The two of us will be presenting a short “Ted Talk” as part of the virtual Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend, an event scheduled for Sunday afternoon, January 17. Details are still being arranged, but updated information will be available at the RPDLW site.

Our sincere thanks to the many people who contributed and in this way are helping to keep alive the memory of a major figure in the world of New England traditional dance.

David Smukler

Photo of Nelson Town Hall

A New Song to Sing about Dancing

Contra Dance, Songs

Lynn Arnold has written a new song

Still We Will Dance

It starts out unexpectedly; the catching of an eye;
A simple question posed by one, the other’s quick reply.
You’ll never guess how much can change, from just that first glance—
A seed is planted with the words, “May I have this dance.”

CHORUS
The seasons turn, the years go by, and so we dance along;
Sometimes the rhythm’s hard to find, sometimes the beat is strong.
The steps may change, the tempo slow, by choice or by chance;
We may not know what lies ahead, but still we will dance.

In early days, it’s hard to know just where a dance might go.
Though tempted to rush through the steps, we keep the rhythm slow.
The future calls, we both agree that we’ll take the chance
And promise to be partners for a lifetime of dance.

A partnership must be a dance in order to succeed.
Sometimes I slip, you hold me up, sometimes I take the lead.
If, through whatever time we have that good fortune grants,
We move together, not against, we can’t help but dance.

A dance may be a waltz or jig, or something like a walk.
As we grow old, it may just be the times we sit and talk.
The dance evolves; it doesn’t mean the end of romance—
We carry on, in our own way, continue to dance.

Life has a rhythm all its own, in all the tunes it plays,
The opportunities to dance a constant through our days.
To live a life that satisfies, fulfills, and enchants,
Just listen for the music and remember to dance.

Words and music by Lynn Arnold © 2020

Still We Will Dance – Lyrics Only

Still We Will Dance, music with words and chords

Audio of the Melody, arranged by Carol Compton

Donations needed for Jeremiah and Annemieke McLane after a House Fire

Contra Dance

Please consider helping Annemieke and Jeremiah McLane, two beloved musicians in Vermont.

As you may have heard, the McLane family – Annemieke, Jeremiah, and Luke – lost their home to fire in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Thankfully the family was not home and are all safe.

In the days ahead, there will likely be many ways to lend a hand, however, an immediate need will be money. The United Church of Strafford’s Deacons Fund and the McLane’s family and friends have come together to form the McLane Recovery Fund through Mascoma Bank. If you would like to contribute to this fund, please make checks payable to:

McLane Recovery Fund

And send to:

United Church of Strafford Deacons
PO Box 124
Strafford VT 05072

Photo of Nelson Town Hall

A Monday Night Dance – Recorded February 3, 2020

Contra Dance

A recording from a Monday Night in Nelson, February 3, 2020

  1. Lady Walpole’s Reel, called by Rich Hart, played by Harvey Tolman, fiddle, and Lloyd Carr, piano
  2. Money Musk, called by Don Primrose, played by Harvey Tolman, fiddle, and Lloyd Carr, piano
  3. Dog Branch Reel, called by Rich Hart, played by Harvey Tolman, fiddle, and Lloyd Carr, piano
  4. Chorus Jig, called by Chris Salmon, played by Roger Treat, fiddle, and Lloyd Carr, piano
  5. Al’s Safeway Produce, called by Chris Salmon, played by Roger Treat, fiddle, and Lloyd Carr, piano
  6. Simplicity Swing, called by Peter Kingsley, played by Roger Treat, fiddle, and Lloyd Carr, piano
  7. Solstice Special, called by Peter Kingsley, played by Roger Treat, fiddle, and Lloyd Carr, piano
  8. Heartbeat Contra, called by Rich Hart, played by Nat Backes and Hilliare Wilder, harmonica
  9. Waltz, played by Nat Backes, Hilliare Wilder and Joe Sykes